19 cook not that Recipes

any liquid can be reduced just by heating it - but why would you want to do that, answer comes back to two of our old friends, flavor and consistency (texture)., by reducing any flavored liquid you intensify its flavor and at the same time thicken it. you can continue this process until what you have left is a syrup if it contains sugar, or a sauce if it does not., this is 1 of the most important tools in the kitchen , believe it or not, because a great sauce can rescue an indifferent meal., literally any liquid can be reduced ., a few uses, wine is frequently used in cooking , both as a marinade and as an addition to sauces for meat., there are some problems with it though, 1 of which is that you need a really good wine and quite a lot of it to produce a reasonable sauce for, say, six people., on the other hand , if you use pure grape juice and reduce it to a syrup, that syrup, added to any sauce (or gravy if you prefer) will lift it into the realms of gourmet ., more , you don tsp have to make your reduction on the night you prepare your meal. you can reduce a liter of grape juice at any time to the consistency and flavor you want; then just store it in the fridge., you can do the same thing with any fruit juice - prune is sensational - and store it until needed. just about all of them will do things for ice cream, pies or tarts that will have your guests demanding the recipe, pork with apple sauce use a carton of fresh apple juice from the supermarket and reduce it. and if you want a real sensation add in a glass of apple brandy during the reduction process., are you getting an idea of how simple this is, take any carton of fresh stock straight of the shelf and reduce it. you will transform it into something even the manufacturer won tsp recognize. but beware, you need to start out with good quality in the first place, because when you reduce a liquid you intensify all the flavors, and not just the good ones., if it s salty to start with, for example, it will be salty beyond belief by the time you ve reduced it even by half. so if you are going to use a supermarket stock, make sure it s an extremely good 1., believe me when i tell you that stock cubes should not be used for reduction sauces., thickeners, because you will be tasting as you go (won tsp you ), you may find that you get the flavor you want before the desired consistency is reached., a couple of hints right now for your sauces., sweet ones can be thickened successfully without loss of color by adding in liquid glucose early on in the reduction process. surprisingly, this will add little in the way of sweetness and produces a beautiful velvety sauce when whisked., if you get it wrong and add too much, no problem. stir in a little extra water to thin it., reduction pans, reductions need to happen rapidly in serving to preserve flavors. and the greater the surface area of the liquid the faster the water will evaporate., however you may want to whisk something into the sauce while its cooking - such as butter or olive oil for example - and for that i find a small wok is best; 1 with a handle., a wok is less likely to reduce so fast that the sauce is burnt while your back is turned. but try both methods and see which you prefer. you may even end up using something totally different., no magic to this. whatever works for you, that s what you should use, in this and everything else to do with cooking., just bear in mind that what you re after is speed and ease of use. as well as a great tasting result, of course. :>), keeping, if they should dry out , simply add a little water and heat through., sauces containing meat juices of any kind must be frozen if you re going to keep them, and should be brought to boiling point before being used again. there is no need to thaw them out to do this, in fact it s better not to. simply drop the frozen cubes into a saucepan, melt them over a gentle heat, and then bring swiftly to the boil., why do you do this to avoid food poisoning, that s why. you are making sure that any bugs introduced into the sauce during the preparation process are killed off., worry , this will not be because of anything you have done wrong (i hope!), but because bacteria are part of our everyday lives and they exist in every kitchen, however clean., in fact your food , and especially your meat, is crawling with wildlife that you will never see. don tsp worry about them. careful handling and simple precautions will ensure that these miniature monsters can never multiply enough to harm either you or your guests.

potatoes, cubed and cooked (about 5 medium russets), hard-boiled eggs, mayonnaise (not miracle whip), oil (vegetable or canola we use), prepared mustard , plus, prepared mustard, salt, pepper, pickle juice, pickle relish (we prefer vlasic dill relish or a finely minced dill pickle), capers, black olives, minced, green onions, thinly sliced

your favorite diced tomatoes (add another can if feeding more than 4 people), frozen fish such as red snapper , cod, etc. or fresh fish of your choice., water (for four people), yellow or white onion, vegetables, chopped (see below ), chopped fresh parsley or italian flat leaf parsley, tb chopped garlic, season with salt and pepper before serving based on your personal taste., you can add as many or as few chopped vegetables as you like. you can also use more or less fish depending on how thick you like your chowder to be.), this recipe can also be made with leftover fish and leftover vegetables. i do not suggest using leftover fish sticks or any other fried fish unless you remove the breaded topping first. if you do use fish that has been cooked, just add it to the chowder about two minutes before serving to heat it to the temperature of the other ingredients in the pot., if you prefer a mexican flavor , add 1 tsp. cumin and 1/2 tsp oregano with a dash of cayenne pepper (or more for a hotter flavor), if you prefer an italian flavor , add 1/2 tsp of italian seasonings or 1 tsp oregano, vegetables to be added are based on your favorites and what you may or may not have in your pantry at the time. here are some of my favorite additions for your review, diced potatoes , celery, carrots, zucchini, leeks, mushrooms, cabbage, mild chile peppers, red onions, artichoke hearts, and green or red bell peppers. you can add a handful of fresh spinach or 1/4 cup of frozen spinach. you can always add a can of mixed vegetables and of course, you can use frozen vegetables. i do not suggest using broccoli. corn is also a good addition. you can add a can of drained corn, black beans and a few tbsp of salsa for a great mexican fish soup., use canned tomatoes that have additional vegs in them such as mexican-style with chilies and onions, italian-style with peppers or anything other blend you prefer.)

whole chickens (i buy the already cooked whole chicken from the deli and use that..big time saver) or 4 chicken breasts, cooked and cut up (i buy the already cooked whole chicken from the deli and use that..big time saver), drained black beans, black beans, not drained, drained garbanzo beans, drained corn, onion, chopped (you may use any size as it s to taste), rotel , drain 2 do not drain 1 (you can use both hot or regular), shredded carrots (precut in the veggie isle), chicken broth (or your own broth), water, cumin, chili powder, texas pete hot sauce , to taste, salt and pepper

chuck roast, cut up, with all fat removed, carrot, peeled and cut into thick slices, celery ribs, cut into thick slices, onion, very large, cut in half and then sliced up lengthwise, garlic cloves, minced, potatoes , i use yukon gold, peeled and cut up into chunks, turnip, peeled and cut up into smaller chunks (optional), frozen peas (optional), flat leaf parsley, chopped roughly, beef broth, red wine , use any good wine that you would drink, not cooking wine, tomato sauce, red wine vinegar, cayenne pepper, bay leaf, kosher salt, pepper

pork or 3 lbs boneless country-style ribs or 3 lbs loin chops, 3/4-inch thick, bacon fat , rendered (i keep a can in my fridge), salt, white pepper, red delicious apples (use apples that hold their shape when cooked) or 3 rome apples, peeled, cored, and cut cross-wise into three rings (use apples that hold their shape when cooked), cider or 1/2 cup apple juice, light brown sugar , packed, ground cinnamon, ground allspice, caraway seed, sauerkraut, drained, not rinsed, squeezed dry

a how -to -tip from neil patrick hudson former chef at the nantucket hotel, canola oil, butter, bay scallops, patted dry, garlic clove, slivered, lemon juice, white wine (not cooking wine), salt, coarsely ground black pepper, chopped fresh parsley

almonds (about 1 oz), plain fat-free yogurt, low-fat mayonnaise, bottled ground fresh ginger (such as spice world, the stuff in the jar that you keep in the fridge, not ground ginger), crushed red pepper flakes, sliced celery, chopped red onion, dried cherries, golden raisin, roast cooked turkey breast, chopped, whole wheat pita bread, cut in half (6 inch)

cooked turkey, swiss cheese, lean ham, bread (use good that is not sliced too thin), all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, water, egg, vegetable oil, powdered sugar, raspberry jam, melon (optional), grapes (optional), pineapple chunk (optional)

risotto with sausage and cranberry beans, make risotto , you absolutely must use a specific type of rice called arborio rice (carnaroli and vialone nano are also used, some say superior, but are more difficult to find). these types of rice release starch when stirred in a liquid; it is this process which makes risotto, otherwise you just have a starchy mess of mush. these types of rice are identified by their fat round grains and pearly appearance. they can be used to make other sorts of rice dishes, such as pilaf, but other types of rice cannot be used for risotto. arborio is no longer that much of a specialty product; it can be found in most large, well-stocked grocery stores in the italian section. or sometimes, misguidedly, in the asian section., okay , so now we have the rice. you will also need some good, low-salt stock or broth - it should be low-salt not for health reasons, but because a good deal of it will evaporate, leaving its salt behind, and i like to have more control over the salt in a dish. it can be homemade, but i m not going to be a snob about it because, in truth, we go through gallons of store-bought stock in this household and i don tsp see that changing anytime soon. furthermore, risotto is actually a dish which can be whipped up out of thin air when it seems as though you have nothing to eat, as long as you have butter, rice, stock, maybe a few herbs, and some leftover parmesan. i like the kind of stock purchased in tetrapak cartons, because they are resealable and can be put in the fridge and used as needed. if you really want to use homemade but you don tsp have time to make stock or don tsp like the aroma of roasting bones in your house (i don tsp blame you), you can buy really great stock at north market poultry and game - it is expensive, but can be diluted with a 2- or 3-to-1 ratio of water to stock, so it stretches. my general guideline is to plan on 1/4 cup dry rice per person, and about 4 cups of stock to 1 cup of rice. of course, this isn tsp exact and will vary depending on your elevation and the phases of the moon, but it s a good place to start. i usually just use 4 cups of stock and then dilute with water or wine (or sometimes beer, if that s all i have) if i feel i m going to run out., well, we have rice and stock covered, now we just need our setup: place the stock in a saucepan on your rear burner, bring to a simmer, and leave it there with a 6-8 oz ladle in, and place a large, wide saute pan (must be really large, plan that your rice will at least quadruple in size) or dutch oven on the burner in front. get out your favorite wooden spoon and flex your stirring arm., nice thing about using sausage is it s so full of flavor you can leave out the usual onion/garlic/shallot/celery nonsense if you re tired and don tsp feel like chopping. furthermore, sausage goes from the freezer to the pan without suffering too much. okay, let s go, risotto with sausage and cranberry beans - serves 4, links italian sausage , or 1 lb bulk (or hot, or a combination - definitely with some fennel), casings removed, cooked cranberry beans or 1 can white beans, drained, arborio rice, beef , chicken or vegetable stock, butter, freshly, finely grated parmesan cheese , plus more for garnish, an oz) flat-leaf parsley, chopped finely, lemon juice , or juice from 1/2 lemon, salt and black pepper to taste, red pepper flakes to taste, optional, good balsamic vinegar , optional

seasonal fish and vegetables are used in tempura. the ingredients for tempura in the recipe below are only a few of the many, many common ingredients that lend themselves to this treatment. shrimp; squid; small whole fish like perch, smelt, and goby; white-fleshed saltwater fish; eggplant; green beans; onion rings; sweet potato slices; bell pepper strips; mushrooms - the list could go on for several pages. chicken, beef and pork, however, are not usually prepared as tempura because of their relatively heavier, identifiable taste. chicken and pork are deep-fried in other ways, and beef is often given a more highlighted preparation, say, in sukiyaki., http://japanesefood.about.com/od/tempura/a/cookingtempura.htm, basic steps for cooking tempura, prepare the ingredients ., make tempura batter ., heat vegetable oil in a deep pan to 340-350f degree., lightly dip ingredients in the batter and immediately fry them until crisp. it takes longer to fry vegetables than to fry seafood., drain tempura on a rack ., serve right away with tentsuyu (tempura dipping sauce) or salt. tempura is best served hot. *grated daikon radish is a common condiment., tempura batter recipe - japanese recipe, http://japanesefood.about.com/od/tempura/r/tempurabatter.htm, egg, ice water, all purpose flour, preparation, beat an egg in a bowl. add ice water in the bowl. be sure to use very cold water., add sifted flour in the bowl and mix lightly. be careful not to overmix the batter., tempura dipping sauce recipe, tempura dipping sauce is called tentsuyu in japanese. serve this sauce with tempura., dashi soup stock, mirin, soy sauce, sugar, preparation, put mirin in a pan and heat. add soy sauce and dashi soup stock in the pan. bring the sauce to a boil., tips for making crispy tempura, by setsuko yoshizuka, tip 1: ice, use ice water for the batter. this is really important to prevent the batter from absorbing too much oil., tip 2: batter (tempura batter recipe), do not make the batter ahead of time. try not to over mix the batter and not to coat ingredients with the batter too much., if you are frying both seafood and vegetables, fry vegetables first. then, fry seafood. fry vegetables at 340f degree and fry seafood at 350f degree., tip 4: oil temperature, check the temperature of frying oil , drop a little batter into the oil. if the batter comes up right away instead of sinking to the bottom of the pan, it s about 360 f degree. if the batter goes halfway to the bottom and comes up, it s about 340f degree. this is said to be the right temperature to fry tempura.

chicken, cut in cubes try to make them all the same size so they cook equally (i prefer a mix of boneless breasts and thighs, 1-inch cubes for skewers), mangoes, cut in 1-inch cubes (make sure it isn tsp too ripe, you want sweet but firm, papaya is a good substitute), red bell pepper, cut in 1-inch pieces (optional), onions, cut in quarters, lime, cut in wedges, mexican seasoning (see mexican seasoning recipe below, if you have a favorite dry rub or seasoning , you can use that as), wooden skewer (soaked in water for 30 min, so they don tsp burn), olive oil, ground red chili powder (not chili powder that you use for chili con carne, cayenne is a good substitute), mexican oregano (every day dried oregano is fine), cumin, paprika, cocoa, cinnamon, salt, pepper

rice a roni, marinated artichokes, drained & chopped, green onions, sliced, green pepper, chopped, mayonnaise, curry powder, grilled or poached chicken, shredded, this is the actual recipe from the restaurant. i use some of the seasoned chicken that i cook & keep in the freezer (see my garlic & lime chicken fajitas, and omit the curry, as i am not a big fan), i would also add some capers

jalapeno peppers, cream cheese, at room temperature, minced, cooked mexican chorizo, minced chipotles in adobo sauce, kosher salt, mexican chorizo (not to be confused with its spanish counterpart) is a fresh pork sausage that must be cooked prior to eating. it can be mild or spicy, and is found at gourmet markets or online

there are dozens of noodles famous in singapore from the street hawkers to upscale restaurants; singapore noodle is not 1 of them., lack of geographic authenticity does not detract from this wonderful dish that is easy to prepare, perks up the taste buds, and can be served as a whole meal, a snack or an appetizer., rice noodles , soaked in cold water for 2 hours, and drained, baby shrimps, without shells, deveined, rinsed and drained, skinless chicken breast , 1/4-inch strips, white wine, soy sauce, cornstarch, ground white pepper, canola oil, to cook, minced ginger, scallions batons, 1-inch lengths, minced garlic, bean sprout , picked, red bell pepper , julienned, onion , julienned, eggs, lightly scrambled, madras curry powder, salt and white pepper to taste

flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, quick-cooking oatmeal, canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling), buttermilk (or regular milk that has been soured with a dash of vinegar), vegetable oil, vanilla, chocolate chips, eggs, beaten

sized hard-shell clams provide the flavor for the broth and the tender clam meat for this hearty soup. this rendition is not like the traditional commercial offerings with a thick broth that resembles tomato sauce. instead, the broth is briny and clean tasting, flavors from the sea standing out and tomatoes and vegetables offering dimension in flavors and colors. the potatoes provide substance, and cooking them before adding the tomatoes enables their starch to be released into the broth, lightly thickening it. this soup will hold for two days. reheat over a low flame, being sure not to boil the chowder, which will toughen the clams., clams , medium-sized hard-shell , such as cherrystones, washed and scrubbed clean, pancetta , finely chopped, spanish onion , chopped small, red bell pepper , stemmed, seeded, and chopped small, carrot , chopped small, stalk celery , chopped small, garlic cloves , minced, dried oregano, fennel seeds, hot red pepper flakes, dry white wine, clam juice, yukon gold potatoes , peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice, bay leaf, diced tomatoes, salt and ground black pepper, fresh parsley leaves , chopped