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The finest fat for gourmet cooking is DUCK FAT. This is the secret to great French cuisine.
Eggs:
Stale eggs will float in water and the yolk will lie flat while the whites will be runny.
The fresher the egg, the more the white & yolk cling together. The yolk will stand tall.
Always beat egg whites at room temperature with clean and dry beaters and bowl.
Three eggs beaten to a meringue will swell to nine times their original volume.
Warm your egg yolks before mixing them into anything hot.
Cream:
Cream should be cold before beating. It will double in volume.
Gelatin:
Gelatin must always be softened cold liquid…then dissolved in hot liquid.
Blanching:
Blanching is the key to easy peeling:
1 minute or less for peaches and tomatoes and almonds.
2 minutes for potatoes.
Stop crying over chopped onions...just cut them close to an open gas flame or candle. You will burn those irritating gaseous sulfur compounds before they burn your eyes.
Vanilla Sugar: Bring back lots of fresh, dried Tahitian vanilla beans from your cruise to Tahiti. Place two vanilla beans in your sugar canister and voila: vanilla flavored sugar. But before you get to Tahiti, just cut some lemon zest into your sugar canister and enjoy lemon flavored sugar. Let those fragrant oils spice up your sugar.
Keep bugs out of your grains and legumes...just add a dried bay leaf or dried chile pepper into the jar.
Reheat Pizza: Heat up leftover pizza in a nonstick skillet on top o f the stove, set heat to med-low and heat till warm. This keeps the crust crispy. No soggy micro pizza. I saw this on the cooking channel and it really works.
Measuring Cups clean up : Before you pour sticky substances into a measuring cup, fill with hot water. Dump out the hot water, but don't dry cup. Next, add your ingredient, such as peanut butter, and watch how easily it comes right out.
Easy Deviled Eggs: Put cooked egg yolks in a zip lock bag. Seal, mash till they are all broken up. Add remainder of ingredients, reseal, keep mashing it up mixing thoroughly, cut the tip of the baggy, squeeze mixture into egg. Just throw bag away when done easy clean up.
Expanding Frosting: When you buy a container of cake frosting from the store, whip it with your mixer for a few minutes. You can double it in size. You get to frost more cake/cupcakes with the same amount. You also eat less sugar and calories per serving.
Reheating refrigerated bread: To warm biscuits, pancakes, or muffins that were refrigerated, place them in a microwave with a cup of water. The increased moisture will keep the food moist and help it reheat faster.
No More Mosquitoes: Place a dryer sheet in your pocket. It will keep the mosquitoes away.
Squirrel Away!: To keep squirrels from eating your plants sprinkle your plants with cayenne pepper. The cayenne pepper doesn't hurt the plant and the squirrels won't come near it.
Goodbye Fruit Flies: To get rid of pesky fruit flies , take a small glass fill it 1/2" with Apple Cider Vinegar and 2 drops of dish washing liquid, mix well. You will find those flies drawn to the cup and gone forever!
Get Rid of Ants: Put small piles of cornmeal where you see ants. They eat it, take it "home," can't digest it so it kills them.
Use Your Finger!
Rare: When you press the meat, it gives easily (like the flesh between your thumb and forefinger when your hand is relaxed).
Medium-Rare: When you press the meat, it gives slightly (like the flesh between your thumb and forefinger when your hand is halfway closed, into a loose fist).
Medium: When you press the meat, it springs back (like the flesh between you thumb and forefinger when you make a fist).
Grilling Tips
Most steaks range from 1 to 2 inches thick. Use high heat for thin steaks and lower heat for thicker steaks, so the surface doesn’t char before the center is cooked. Steaks continue to cook after you take them off the heat. The thicker the steak, the longer it will continue cooking from residual heat.
To relieve sunburn pain, add enough water to cornstarch to make a paste, and apply directly to the burn. If you don’t happen to have cornstarch handy, apply vinegar to the burn. If you don’t have vinegar, try spreading yogurt on the sunburn and let it sit for twenty minutes…then rise with lukewarm water. And if you have the hiccups while treating a sunburn, mix one teaspoon apple cider vinegar in one cup of warm water, and drink. Now, to prevent diarrhea while taking antibiotics, eat yogurt with active cultures while taking antibiotics. Antibiotics may kill healthful bacteria in addition to disease-bearing ones, but the Lactobacillus acidophilus in yogurt produce bacteriocins restore natural intestinal cultures.
Remove wine spills or other spots from carpet by applying club soda to the stain, rub it in, wait a few minutes, and sponge it off. Club soda will also make those pancakes and waffles fluffy if you substitute club soda for the liquid used in the recipes.
Kosher vs. Regular Salt. Kosher and table salts are both mined from land deposits and refined. The distinctive flavor and coarseness of Kosher salt is not as strong or acid as the finer table salt as it contains no additives or iodine. Both salts are completely interchangeable.
Olives: Vegi or Fruit? Olives are a fruit, making olive oil a “fruit juice.” This begs the question: “if olive oil comes from olives…where does baby oil come from?
Guavas are the most nutritious fruit in the world.
Dark chocolate stimulates the production of endorphins, the chemicals your brain makes to relieve stress.
Marylou Heslet's "Bon Voyage" Bourbon Balls
Combine nuts, 1 cup powdered sugar, cocoa and wafer crumbs and blend. Stir in bourbon and corn surup. Roll into one inch balls and roll in powdered sugar. They might be soft at this point but they will harden up and then you can roll the balls again for perfect balls. Store in a tightly covered container.
8 oz. Cream Cheese (Original, not Lite) at Room Temperature
1 Tbs. Milk
1 Can Crab Meat (or 3-4oz. Fresh Crab)
1 Bunch Green onions, sliced
1 Rounded Tsp. cream style horseradish
Dash Salt and Pepper
Mix together as listed. Sprinkle Sliced Almonds on top and Dust with
Paprika.
Bake @ 350 for 15-20 minutes. Serve with crackers or cocktail size bread
slices
as an appetizer.
Recipe may be easily doubled or tripled. Anything left over is wonderful the next day spread on English muffin or bagel halves and toasted under broiler.
Stuffed Pancake (Vegetarian) Casserole
(Serves 6)
¾ cup Whole Wheat Flour
1 cup Milk
1 Egg Yoke
2 Zucchini
1 Eggplant
3 Red Peppers
2 Cloves of Garlic
1 Bunch Thyme
10 oz. Feta (Goat) Cheese
First make the pancakes. Then, roast all vegetables in extra virgin olive oil. Fry the garlic and thyme and add to the feta cheese. Spread the cheese mixture along with the fried vegetables on the pancake and layer like a lasagna. Bake at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for 30-45 minutes. Serve with Parsley-Pesto (pine nuts, garlic, parsley, vegetable juice, parmesan cheese).
1000 Island Dressing: Mayonnaise, Ketchup, BRANDY, Bouillon, Horseradish, Salt, Pepper Chopped Green & Red Bell Pepper.
Russian Dressing: 1000 Island Dressing plus chopped Red Beets, Parsley, Chives and Caviar.
Avocado Dressing: Balsamic Vinegar, Red Wine Vinegar, Onions, Garlic, Herbs, Salt, Pepper. Mix together additional avocado (plus small cubes), and walnut oil.
Honey Lime Dressing: 2/3 Mayonnaise, ½ Honey, BRANDY, Fresh Lime Juice, Salt and Pepper.
Yogurt Chive Dressing: Yogurt, Lemon Juice, Milk, Salt, Pepper, Chives, Balsamic Vinegar.
Verdi Dressing: Mayonnaise, Chopped Spinach, Salt, Pepper, Worcestershire, Soya Sauce.
Bring the milk, cream, butter, salt and vanilla beans to a boil.
Mix the eggs and sugar together and add them to the simmering milk mixture.
Pass it through a sieve.
Cut the bread into thin slices.
Arrange bread layers in a buttered oven proof dish.
Put the soaked raisins between the bread layers and cover with the milk mixture.
Place the over proof dish with the raw pudding in a roasting pan filled with 1/3 cup of water to prevent the pudding from burning and to give it some moisture. Bake at a moderate heat for 40-50 minutes, till golden brown.
Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
Serve with Vanilla Sauce
Mix and sprinkle with breadcrumbs
Fry on a flat griddle, not in a skillet.
Pinnacle Grill, Odyssey Restaurant
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Dear Philippe,
Of all the many six star Executive Chefs I've sailed with, you're "Le Premier."
On behalf of all 52 of us from the "San Francisco Opera Group," thanks for a great week of spectacular cuisine and the personal interest you showed in your passengers enjoyment of the cruise.
Thanks again for your.... "Bella Vista" Spinach Salad
Preparation
Dressing: Reduce by ½ the pineapple juice, cool it down. Mix the mayonnaise with the reduced pineapple and lemon juice. Add a dash of salt and pepper.
Mix the dressing with the spinach and optional sliced mushrooms. Add as garnish the croutons and shredded boiled eggs.
Variations On A Theme by T.T. ("Tahiti" Tom)
I tried 1/3 cup of frozen pineapple concentrate, a splash of water and 1 cup of mayonnaise. It was fast, delicious and easy. When Chef Philippe comes over for dinner, I promise I will reduce my fresh pineapple juice by half.
Bon Appetite Everyone, "Chefette" Taff
Mashed Potatoes With A Dutch Twist
...Holland America's chefs often add a touch of ground nutmeg.
Mashed Potatoes With a Viennese Twist
...Crystal Harmony's chefs add a pinch of horseradish.
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2 cups mayonnaise
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1. Rinse quinoa under cold water, until water runs clear. Transfer to
a saucepan; add salt and 2 1/4 cups water. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce to a simmer, and cook until water is completely absorbed, about
20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine currants and 1/2 cup water. Let stand for 15 minutes. Drain well; set aside.
3. When quinoa is cooked, transfer to a medium bowl. Add oil, vinegar, and orange juice. Toss to combine. Refrigerate until cold, about 45 minutes.
4. Stir in onion, parsley, and reserved currants. Season with pepper.
Serve cold, or at room temperature.
Happy Cooking,
Combine all items well and serve either on tostadas or corn chips.
¼ cup crisp chopped bacon
2 chopped hard boiled eggs
Mustard Dill Dressing
3 Tbl sweet mustard
2 Tbl fresh chopped dill
2 dashes Worcestershire sauce
1 cup gherkin vinegar
<> salt, freshly ground pepper and Tabasco sauce
Quinoa Salad
Makes about 8 cups
2 cups dried quinoa
1 tablespoon coarse salt
1/3 cup currants
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed orange juice
1/4 cup finely diced red onion
1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
"Potlejella" (Romanian Eggplant)
"Potlejohn" (Armenian)
Burn the outside skin of an eggplant over a flame or in a very hot oven until soft and the skin is really burned.
Chop with green onions, bell pepper (green and red)
Add a few spoonfuls of Tahini
Add a tiny bit of salt, sugar, vinegar and lemon to taste
Top with a bit of olive oil before serving
Good as a dip or a salad, on a bed of lettuce, garnished with Greek olives and cucumbers.
Ruth
Olivia’s Seafood Salsa!
4 cups of chopped tomatoes
2 cups of chopped red onions
2 bunches of chopped green onions
1 bunch of chopped cilantro
1 lb. chopped imitation crabmeat
1 lb. chopped bay shrimp
28 oz. can of chopped boiled baby clams
3 small chopped avocados
2 cloves of chopped garlic
32 oz of Clamato juice
3 limes (juiced)
2 tbl of oregano
2 tsp salt
2 tsp pepper
1 tsp cumin seed
¼ cup of olive oil
5 oz. hot sauce.