The most devilish of eggs

Who is the last person to modernize deviled eggs? Well, yours truly of course.

The whites are cooked on a sheet pan, the yolks are poached, and on top is some Japanese menteiko. The whites were painted with mustard before rolling up.

All in all kinky and fun.

Made this up last night. It's nothing special, except that it is delicious. I used orecchiette (little ears) pasta. Blanched the shrimp for 1 minute and then immersed them in lemon and lime juices along with some red pepper flakes, onion powder, garlic powder, and pepper. I added snap peas. It became a one-dish meal.

Potatoes from a can (not Cannes)

 

All over the world noses are tilting into the air. Potatoes from a can? HOW DARE HE?

I would be fascinated to know how many folks have ever actually tried canned potatoes. Here's the deal: they are unique unto themselves. I like them because of both their flavor and their texture, which is mostly like boiled potatoes. When browned up as in the photo they have a nutty (as in professor) flavor. You can add any herbs to them. Here are some ideas ...

Drain and rinse them. You can use the ones that are already sliced, although my preference is the whole ones.

If you start the night before, you can leave them in a bowl in the fridge and let more moisture evaporate. It does not matter a great deal.

Start by sauteing some onions or shallots. Use garlic too. Keep your pan over moderately high heat and add the potatoes. Toss and twirl. After they get pretty hot, toss in a pat of butter - but you want to be careful that it doesn't burn. Keep tossing until the potatoes brown nicely. Paprika is a nice addition to aid browning. Of course you want salt and pepper. At the end some cilantro or parsley.

How long does this take? Good question. It takes 10-15 minutes in my experience.

So there, my former friends, are my fondly fried potatoes from a can. Do with them what you will - or can. Ha, ha, ha, do you know that one of my favorite things in life is to make myself laugh? Just ask my spouse, Peter. He'll tell you.

Vietnamese-style chicken

I cannot attest to the authenticity of this recipe, but it is very tasty. The sugar helps it caramelize beautifully.

Vietnamese-style chicken
1 1/2 lb boneless chicken parts

Marinade:
2 Tbs fish sauce
3 Tbs garlic, mashed
1 Tbs curry powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp sugar

Marinate the chicken pieces in the above for 30 minutes or 2 hours.

To cook:
3 Tbs water
2 Tbs sugar
2 lemon grass stalks, trimmed and minced
1 shallot, minced
3 chilies, minced
1 scallion, minced

Place the water and 2 Tbs sugar in a large skillet. Heat over medium-low until the sugar is caramelized (browned, but not burned).

Add lemon grass, shallot, chilies and scallion and saute until fragrant (maybe 2-3 minutes). Add the chicken and cook, turning a couple of times, until done throughout (about 15-20 minutes). Serve over rice with additional scallions to garnish.

I'm back - with Tomatillo Gazpacho

I never stopped cooking - I just stopping blogging. But I'm back and very enthusiastic once again.

Last Sunday I prepared a 6-course dinner for 8. It included olive tapenade (2 types), this gazpacho, a wilted kale salad, sauteed trout filets, potato salad, and chocolate cake with homemade ice cream.

Tomatillos can be prepared raw or cooked. I prefer roasting them.

Tomatillo Gazpacho (serves 4)
 1 lb tomatillos (of similar size)
2 garlic cloves, mashed
1 cucumber, peeled and diced
1/2 bell pepper, diced
1 jalapeno, diced
15 oz broth (vegetable or chicken)
1 tsp sugar
salt and pepper to taste
1 avocado, sliced
scallions, finely chopped
piquillo peppers, diced

In a 400 degree oven roast the tomatillos until softened, about 10 minutes. Let them cool for a few minutes.

Place them in a food processor with the garlic, 1/2 of the cucumber, bell pepper, jalapeno. Puree.

Combine with the broth, sugar and salt and pepper.

Serve warm or chilled, or at room temperature, garnished with avocado and scallions and piquillo peppers (optional).