Now, as much as spam gets under my skin, like that splinter you get under your fingernail (ouch!!!), and as quick as I am to delete anything that smells like spam, there are some that I will give a pass to. That is simply because the spammer has obviously at least read something on the page being commented, or has posted something that could be somewhat apropos to what I’ve posted and doesn’t reek of someone trying to bring traffic to their site. Of course I will check out the poster’s site before approving – I will NOT allow any site that is in any way inappropriate to me or my readers.

The other day, I got this little treasure of spam that is an absolute classic. The author of this amazingly abstract use of meaningless babble deserves at least some manner of recognition. I am going to approve this post, even though it has nothing what-so-ever to do with this site, or even something I had the slightest interest in, but, it is the sole reason I am sitting here writing this post today.

Thank you Bert, whoever you are, for giving me something to chuckle about and wonder what the heck you’re saying. And for the record your comment is so diametrically opposed to anything even remotely in tune my website or the specific post you commented on. And what does democracy have to do with Spinach and Tomato Tarts anyway?

I now return you to the ordinary mundane, uncontradicted content.

Okay, so this isn’t exactly your typical meat and potatotes dinner. It does have steak and it does have potato and it also has some veggies, just to round out the plate and to add some color. The flavors and textures of this dish are outstanding.

I must admit that I was hugely impressed by the outcome. Like much of my cooking, I started with a vague idea of what I wanted and it evolved from there.

I saw a recipe for potato fritters that sounded interesting. It featured boiled potatoes and onions, shaped into balls and rolled in flour then fried. This sparked the idea for dinner. So, how did I go from potato fritters to panko crusted potatoes and a steak tatare? Umm… The short answer is, I don’t know. Much of my cooking is intuitive, the flavors, colors and textures just seem to come together in my mind and it continues to evolve up to the time it hits the plate.

Steak Tartare

ingredients:

8 oz tender steak (I used mock chuck, also known as chuck eye)

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper

1/4 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ginger, minced

2 Tbls Worcestershire sauce

2 Tbls lime juice

1/2 red bell pepper, diced

1 scallion, diced

2 inch piece cucumber, diced

1/2 cup frozen corn

1/2 carrot, diced

1/2 Tbls butter

directions:

Trim any excess fat from steak and dice. Place steak into small bowl and stir in sea salt, ground pepper, ginger, cumin, Worchestershire, and lime juice. Cover and let marinate in refrigerator for 1 hour. Approximately fifteen minutes before plating combine marinated steak (with marinade), red pepper, scallion, and cucumber. Even though I’m not really a fan of microwave ‘cookery’, I am going to now make an exception. Place steak and veggie mix in microwave and cook at medium power for 2-3 minutes. This is not to cook meat through, but to heat it up and further the cooking action of the lime juice (acid). Stir and serve immediately.

In this case I served the steak over corn and carrots that were cooked in boiling water for approximately five minutes, drained and topped with butter.

Panko-Crusted Potatoes

ingredients:

3 medium Yukon Gold potatoes

1 Tbls butter (room temperature)

1/4 cup milk

sea salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup grated parmessan cheese

1 egg, beaten

1 cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs)

1/2 cup vegetable oil

directions:

Peel and rinse potatoes, cut into 1/2 cubes. Place into medium sauce pan with water to cover potatoes (salt can be added) boil over medium heat for approximately 20 minutes. When potatoes are soft and tender, remove from heat and drain water. Add butter, milk, sea salt and pepper and mash, or run through food mill (potato ricer). In a small shallow baking sheet or pan lined with plastic wrap, press mashed potatoes into thin layer (approximately 1/4 inch thick). Cover with wax paper and chill for 1 hour. Peel back wax paper and place loosely back on top, flip pan over and remove potatoes from pan. Slice potato into rectangles (or any other fun shape). Open and beat one egg into shallow bowl. In a second bowl place panko crumbs. Using spatula, carefully lift and place potato pieces into egg, one at a time, then into panko. Cover both sides of potato evenly with panko. Place on sheet of wax paper and repeat until all pieces are breaded.

Heat vegetable oil in skillet over medium high heat to 300 degrees. Carefully place breaded potato slices into hot oil (in small batches – 2-3 at a time) and fry till golden brown on both sides. Remove and drain on double layer paper towels. Serve immediately.

I realized that it has been a week since I last posted some food here – it has therefore been a week since I last took a culinary excursion. Today I bring you a baked chicken breast dinner with broccolini. The chicken marinade is based around the flavors of tarragon, mint, lemongrass, and ginger. The broccolini is steamed and topped with a tarragon, mustard aioli. The dish is finished with a salad of baby spring greens and pickled carrots, cucumber and ginger.

Tarragon Ginger Chicken

ingredients:

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

3 Tbls tarragon leaves, minced

1 Tbls mint leaves, minced

1/2 Tbls lemongrass, minced

1/4 cup grapeseed oil

1/4 cup olive oil

1 Tbls sesame oil

1 Tbls ginger, grated

3 Tbls lime juice

2 tsp lime zest

1 Serrano pepper, finely minced

1/4 cup rice vinegar

2 Tbls low-sodium soy sauce

1 Tbls ginger, thinly sliced

directions:

Trim fat off chicken and place into large zip lock bag. Whisk together tarragon, mint, lemongrass, grapeseed oil, olive oil, sesame oil, grated ginger, lime juice and zest, serrano pepper, rice vinegar, and soy sauce. Pour the marinade into bag with chicken and seal tightly with as little air as possible. Place chicken into refrigerator and marinate for one to two hours.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Remove chicken from refrigerator. Place chicken on large sheet of aluminum foil, spoon a few Tbls of marinade onto chicken and top with sliced ginger. Wrap chicken tightly in the foil with seam on top. Place on baking sheet, to protect from leaks, and bake for 25 minutes till firm and cooked through.

Broccolini with Tarragon, Mustard Aioli

ingredients:

1 bunch broccolini, approximately 1/2 pound

1/2 cup tarragon leaves, chopped

2 Tbls mint leaves, chopped

2 Tbls cilantro leaves, chopped

2 Tbls lime juice

1 tsp lime zest

1 Tbls mustard powder

1/4 cup grapeseed oil

2 Tbls sesame oil

2 Tbls basil flavored extra virgin olive oil

2 Tbls rice vinegar

3 cloves garlic, crushed

directions:

Trim ends of broccolini and clean thoroughly. Steam broccolini for 5 minutes till crisp and tender.

Aiolis are typically made with eggs to help with the emulsification, though on occasion mustard powder is used, such is the case here.  Combine remaining ingredients, except mustard powder, blend until smooth. Add mustard powder and blend until thickens to about the consistency of mayonnaise. Add a little more grapeseed oil to smoothen if needed.

Pickled Salad

ingredients:

3 inch piece seedless cucumber (also referred to as English cucumber)

1 carrot

1 inch piece ginger

1 Serrano pepper, finely minced

2 tsp lemongrass, finely minced

1/2 cup sushi rice vinegar

2 cups baby spring mix (salad greens)

directions:

Using mandoline, slice cucumber, carrot and ginger thinly. I prefer to slice them paper thin, you can cut a thin or thick as you like. Combine cucumber, carrot, ginger, lemongrass, serrano, and sushi vinegar and mix thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, may be stored for up to 3 days.

Plating

I had taken the chicken breast and thinly sliced it across the grain and mounded it at one end of the plate. On top of this I arranged the spring mix and topped it with the pickled vegetables. The broccolini was arranged at the other end of the plate and topped with the tarragon mustard aioli. The plate was garnished with black sesame seeds. Nanami Togarashi (Japanese seven spice) seasoning would make a great finish topping to this dish – for a little extra kick.

For tonight’s dinner, my mother was in the mood for some shrimp so I threw together this little treat. It consisted of Shrimp Tempura with a wasabi/mustard sauce, what I am going to call “Kinpira Edamame” and sesame fried rice. Now the Shrimp Tempura probably doesn’t need too much explanation, though there are a few little extras tossed into the recipe for fun.

The rice is simply a standard sushi rice that is formed into square cross-sections, coated with toasted sesame seeds and then pan-fried. One of my favorite, traditional Japanese dishes is something called Kinpira Gobo which is made from match-stick cut carrots and gobo root (aka Burdock or Salsify) that is sauteed and then simmered in a base of dashi, tamari (or soy), mirin, and typically sugar. Tonight I took liberty in departing from that recipe by substituting the gobo with edamame, added scallions, swapped the sugar for honey and finished it by pureeing it.

I was quite pleased with the results and I believe I quelched my mother’s craving. The recipes are below and as always I would love to hear from you if you like the recipes and especially if you try them. I love to hear about peoples experiences with food. Eat well.

Shrimp Tempura with Wasabi/Mustard Sauce

ingredients:

16 large shrimp, peeled, deveined and butterflied

3/4 cup flour

1/4 cup corn starch

1 egg

3/4 cup ice water

1/2 tsp white pepper

2 Tbls panko

1 tps fresh ginger, grated

1 tsp wakame (dried seaweed), ground

vegetable oil for frying

1 Tbls honey

1 Tbls stone-ground mustard (course deli-style)

2 Tbls dijon mustard

2 tsp prepared wasabi

1 Tbls grapeseed oil

1 Tbls rice vinegar

directions:

Clean and devein the shrimp, leaving the tails on. Butterfly the shrimp and set on wax paper flattened, refrigerate for 1 hour. In a medium bowl combine flour, corn starch and white pepper. In a separate bowl whisk together egg and ice water. Add egg mixture to the flour mixture, whisking till somewhat smooth – there should still be some lumps. (Ice water can be substituted with cold soda water.) Place batter in refrigerator for 1 hour to set up.

Combine panko, ginger and wakame, set aside. Remove shrimp and tempura batter from refrigerator. Dip each shrimp into batter up to the tail, place on sheet of wax paper. Sprinkle panko, ginger, wakame blend on top of shrimp. Heat 3″ oil in wok, deep sauce pan or fryer to 350 degrees. Immerse shrimp, several at a time, into hot oil and cook for approximately 2 minutes. Drain on paper towels.

For wasabi/mustard sauce, whisk together honey, stone-ground mustard, dijon mustard, wasabi, oil, and vinegar until smooth.

Sesame Fried Rice

ingredients:

1 cup Japanese rice (such as Nishiki)

1 3/4 cup water

2 Tbls sushi vinegar

1/4 cup sesame seeds

directions:

For microwave cooking. Place rice and water in large casserole dish, cover. Cook on high for 5 minutes, stir and then cook an additional 14 minutes at medium to medium-low power. Cook times and settings will vary between microwaves. When done add sushi vinegar and stir thoroughly to incorporate vinegar and loosen up rice.

Using sushi mat and plastic wrap, form rice into square sections (like maki rolls) and cut into 2 inch long pieces. Keep hands moistened with water while handling rice to minimize sticking. Coat outsides of rice with sesame seeds. Heat several Tbls grapeseed oil in non-stick fry pan over high heat and fry rice approximately 2-3 minutes per side, until light brown and crispy. Drain on paper towels.

“Kinpira Edamame”

ingredients:

1/2 cup edamame, shelled

1/2 cup carrots, diced

1/4 cup scallions, diced

2 Tbls grapeseed oil

2 Tbls Dashi (Japanese soup base)

2 Tbls Tamari (or soy sauce)

2 Tbls honey

2 Tlbs mirin (or sake)

2 Tlbs water

1/4 tsp Nanami Togarashi (Japanese 7 spice powder)

1 tsp dark sesame oil

directions:

Heat grapeseed oil in small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add edamame, carrots, scallions and sesame oil, cook until slightly softened. Combine remaining ingredients and whisk together and add to vegetables. Reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer till liquid is reduced by half and vegetables are soft. Add contents to blender, or use immersion blender and blend till smooth. Serve hot.

For garnishing: I had taken the green part of a scallion and sliced it lengthwise into thin strips and placed into ice cold water. To this I added celery that had been peeled into thin strips, using a vegetable peeler and cilantro leaves. The celery and scallions will form delicate coils in the ice water. Drain and then deep fry till lightly crispy.

This is perhaps the absolute freakiest fish I have ever seen!

This past weekend (actually last week) I had visited two aquariums – The Georgia Aquarium on Wednesday (the day before their 10 millionth guest) and then the Tennessee Aquarium on Friday. Both aquariums are quite exceptional. Both are BIG. Both have some incredibly unique species of fish. While the Georgia Aquarium can lay claim to being the largest aquarium in the world, Tennessee claims to be the largest fresh water aquarium. The freaky fish shown here is called an American Paddlefish, Polyodon spathula, also called the Mississippi paddlefish or spoonbill, lives in slow-flowing waters of the Mississippi River drainage system.

There are several of these bizarre fish in the Tennessee Aquarium and they are some of the largest fresh water fish around. They can grow to be over 4 feet long. They are filter feeders and they open their massive mouths to allow large amounts of water in and their gills filter out zooplankton, their main food source. Their elongated snouts, which are about half of their overall length, are used as sensors to detect food and navigation to spawning sites. The snout also acts as a stabilizer, like a wing on a plane, to create lift while feeding. They are also closely related to the Sturgeon and are prized for their meat and roe (caviar).

While in Tennessee, I took a sunset cruise on the Tennessee Aquarium’s River Gorge Explorer, a high-speed catamaran. This 70 passenger, 60 foot, hydroplane assisted, 42 ton “jet ski” is the fastest watercraft registered on any inland waterway in the world. This thing is fast! With a top speed on the river of more than 53 miles per hour, it is the only way to get from the aquarium to the gorge, known as the “Grand Canyon of Tennessee”, and back in a reasonable time. Powered by 4 C-18 ACERT engines with 875 hp each for a total output of 3500 horsepower. The propulsion is supplied by four Hamilton Jet HJ 403 water jets. This craft has enough power to push up to 17 loaded barges up river. Going from 0 to 53 mph in under 20 seconds is impressive enough, but the real jaw dropper is how easily it goes from 53 to 0 in under 200 feet with a minimal wake. At 42 tons it has a draft of only 10 inches at top speed.

Okay, so I’m a serious boat geek!

On Sunday I had taken a walk at one of my favorite places, the Alpharetta Greenway. While passing one of the small ponds, I noticed a small Water Moccasin (snake) attempting to swallow its sushi lunch. It had a small fish dangling out of its mouth. It was easily 3-4 times wider than the snake. He either felt a little shy about trying to shove this enormous meal into his mouth and spat it out, or realized it bit off more than it could handle. So, after so many fishy encounters this week, it seemed only appropriate for Sunday dinner to feature seafood.

I got started with a wonderful ceviche of Mahi Mahi. Ceviche is a classic South American dish using raw fish that is marinated, or ‘cooked’, with the citric acid typically from limes or lemons. In this dish I use lime and orange juices with a touch of rice vinegar. The fish was extremely tender and melt-in-your-mouth delicious. For the main course I made grilled Mahi Mahi with whipped sweet potato.

Mahi Mahi Ceviche

ingredients:

1 piece Mahi Mahi (approx. 4 oz), sliced very thin

1 Belgian endive

1/2 red onion, sliced thinly

1 yellow bell pepper, diced

1 2-inch piece of seedless cucumber, diced

1 tomato, seeded and diced

2 Tbls fresh lime juice

2 Tbls fresh orange juice

2 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp sea salt

3 Tbls extra virgin olive oil

1 Tbls rice vinegar

1 tsp lime zest

1 tsp orange zest

1/2 seranno pepper, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp grated fresh ginger

2 Tbls cilantro leaves

directions:

Remove leaves from endive, wash and dry thoroughly. Arrange a few leaves on each plate. Slice remaining leaves thinly. Arrange mahi mahi on plate, drapping over endive leaves. In a small bowl, whisk together; lime juice, orange juice, sugar, sea salt, vinegar, olive oil, serrano, garlic, and ginger. Combine remaining vegetables and arrange over fish. Drizzle dressing over each plate. Refrigerate for 20 minutes before serving. Garnish with orange and lime zest and fresh ground pepper.

Grilled Mahi Mahi

ingredients:

2 pieces Mahi Mahi, skin removed, approx. 4 oz each

extra virgin olive oil, to drizzle

sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to season

directions:

Drizzle olive oil lightly over both sides of fish and season with sea salt and fresh ground pepper. Heat grill pan over medium high heat. Grill Mahi Mahi for 2-4 minutes per side (depending on desired doneness). Garnish with lime and/or orange zest and lime juice.

Whipped Sweet Potatoes

ingredients:

2 medium sized sweet potatoes

olive oil

kosher salt

1 cup heavy cream

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 Tbls dark brown sugar

1 bay leaf

directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees f

Wash sweet potatoes under cold water with brush. Pierce with fork numerous times around potato. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt. Wrap  each potato in aluminum foil, snuggly and place in oven. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour, until quite soft. Set aside to cool.

In medium saucepan, heat cream, nutmeg, cinnamon, brown sugar and bay leaf to just boiling. Reduce to low heat for 5 minutes. Remove bay leaf.

Peel potatoes and place in medium bowl, or food processor. Add cream mixture and using either immersion blender or food processor, blend until smooth. Serve immediately.

Well, another weekend is gone nearly as fast as this evening’s dinner. Well both were quite good. Friday evening I went for a TreeWalk with my mother along the Hooch near Riverside Park in Roswell. A short way into our walk, I happened to notice a large snapping turtle on the side of the walk at the edge of the brush. She was about 12-13 inches from the front to back of her shell. As we approached I realized that she was digging a nest for her eggs.

This section of the river is home to quite a lot of turtles. They can often be spotted lining up along fallen trees in the water, dozens at a time. This is the first time I was able to watch one laying her eggs, quite awesome. Unfortunately, the camera was at home.

On Saturday I went to the Chattachoochee Nature Center for their grand opening celebration of their new Discovery Center. This was my first visit to the center and while it is a great interactive and educational facility for kids to learn more about nature and the new building is LEED certified (gets a great deal of my respect for that alone), it isn’t necessarily a great TreeWalking environment. I was particularly distressed with the Aviary displays. In these very small cages sit some of the great raptors, the kings and queens of the skies with scarcely enough room to stretch their wings and fly more than 15-20 feet from one side of their prison to the other. I have a great passion for Hawks, I love Hawks and it hurts to see them so confined. They also have a pair of Bald Eagles, the symbol of our nation, the symbol of Freedom. These awesome birds are fortunate enough to have a large compound to move about, though it is likely less than one hundred feet long. Some Freedom. These powerful, majestic birds are accustomed to soaring hundreds of feet in the air and watching over many square miles of land. I do understand it is for the intention of education and the goal to ultimately protect the species, but at such a price.

The weather was fabulous – fabulously HOT! that is. It was sunny, hot and humid at around 95 degrees f. The heavily shaded trails through the woods made it quite a bit more tolerable. I really don’t mind the heat that much, though it was bordering on the extreme for me. I just keep reminding myself that I could be back in New England with icy cold weather 6 months of the year and tons of snow (I’m not a winter person – never was in the 38 years I lived there).

Well onto this evenings culinary exploration. I was inspired by Martha Stuart on this one – somewhat. I had seen a recipe for beets with an orange vinaigrette and thought it sounded tasty. Of course, as always, the inspiration also serves as the springboard from which I leap into something quite different. I am using a cut of beef called Mock Chuck, also known as Mock Tender Steak, Chuck Eye, or Chuck Tender. Whatever you call it, it is generally a tougher cut of meat that is typically used for braising, roasting, or stewing. It is very flavorful, though often the toughness detracts from the flavor. Today is an exception. The cuts that I have gotten are very tender (once you trim them of their silver skin, cartilage, or grizzle) and full of flavor. I sliced it very thin and seared it quickly with a kitchen torch to a delightful rare.  Enjoy.

Beet-n-Beef Blossom Salad

ingredients:

1/2 lb Mock Chuck, Chuck Eye, or other tender and flavorful cut of beef

2 inch long section of an English cucumber

3 Tbls Sushi vinegar, or rice vinegar seasoned with sea salt and pepper

1 lb beets

2 large Belgian Endive

1 cup milk

1 orange

1 tsp sugar

2 Tbls rice vinegar

2 Tbls Extra Virgin Olive Oil

sea salt and fresh ground pepper to season

directions:

Using mandoline, slice cucumber into paper thin disks. Place in bowl and add 3 Tbls sushi vinegar and set aside in refrigerator. Clean and peel beets, then cut into thin slices using mandolin, rinse and set aside. Trim end from endive and detatch leaves, rinse and drain. Once endive is drained, place into large ziplock bag, or bowl and add cup of milk, let set for 1 hour.

Transfer endive and milk to medium size sauce pan and put on medium heat. Allow milk to heat, but not boil. Endive should be blanched in the milk, once hot, for about 10 minutes until slightly softened. Drain.

Slice the steak into thin strips and place on platter with no overlapping. Season beef with fresh ground pepper and sea salt. Using kitchen torch, or Creme Brulee torch, sear one side of beef until just lightly cooked. Set aside.

Zest the orange, then juice it. Whisk together 1 tsp orange zest, 2 Tbls orange juice along with the rice vinegar, olive oil, sugar, a pinch of sea salt and ground pepper. Place endive around large plate in shape of flower petals, on top of this add slices of beets. Mound the cucumbers in the center and drizzle 1-2 Tbls of orange vinaigrette over the salad. Add steak and garnish with additional orange zest. Serves 2.

In lieu of kitchen torch heat non-stick skillet or griddle over high heat and sear steak for  15-20 seconds.

I promised that I would share something with you that wasn’t pork, well I keep my word. Even though I bought a full pork loin on sale the other day for $1.99 per pound and I now have about 8 pounds of pork in my freezer. I guess that means you will be getting at least a few more pork recipes. But not today.

I purchased some good looking, firm Haddock and decided to take a trip down memory lane to the streets and suburbs of London in the mid 80’s and make some delicious Fish-n-Chips. Okay, so it wasn’t quite a traditional London Fish-n-Chips, but the memories are still there.

Back in the mid 80’s I took two trips to London for vacations and fell in love with the city and the countryside. So much history and so familiar to me. Having grown up in Cambridge (Massachusetts that is) there is a lot of similarity between the historic districts of Massachusetts and London. Of course London is a lot older and with many centuries more history, but there is a familiarity nonetheless. The British Rail trips out to the more remote (tourist sites) areas of England were among my favorite memories. The rolling hills, the pasture lands, the ancient ruins of castles standing upon hills, a testament to times of olde.

The photos here are of the Parliament Building from across the Thames with the Clock Tower, holding what is likely to be the most famous clocks in the world – Big Ben. Contrary to popular belief, the tower and the clock face are not Big Ben, it is only clock movement that bears that name. The second shot was taken during the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace. I have often been asked how I got so close to these guardsmen. Well, we arrived to the Palace several hours prior to the ceremony so that we could get close to the fence. Even so there were about three rows of people between me and heavy iron bars of the fence and a very limited view of the happenings inside. In hindsight, it would have proven more advantageous to be further away to see more. The shot was taken with my Canon F-1n camera with a High Eyepoint Sportsfinder and a high-speed motor drive and a 200mm f/2.8 lens with a matched 2x multiplier (400mm f/5.6 effectively). In order to shoot over the three people between me and the bars (less than 3 feet in front of me) I had to shoot the camera bottoms up, this gave me an extra 5-6″ in height. I just waited for something to happen in front of me through the 6″ wide slice of the courtyard. Everything else that took place was totally obscured from my view and to this day, as close as I was to the palace, I have not seen this very famous ceremony take place.

Fish and Chips

ingredients:

vegetable oil for frying

2 lbs Haddock, Cod, Grouper, Tilapia, or other firm white fish, cut into manageable sizes

2-4 large Russet potatoes

2 cups flour

1 Tbls baking powder

2 Tbls sea salt

1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper

1 Tbls grated ginger

1 large egg

6 oz ginger ale

6 oz club soda or soda water

1/2 cup flour, for dredging

Malt vinegar, for serving

directions:

In a large bowl add 2 cups flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, and ginger and whisk together. In a second bowl crack open egg and add ginger ale and club soda. Whisk thoroughly, should be quite foamy. Pour soda and egg mix into flour mix and whisk thoroughly till smooth. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Heat 3 inches of oil in a fryer, or deep pan, or wok, to 300 degrees f.

Peel potatoes and cut into chips (or French Fries for us Americans), approximately index finger size. Rinse starch off of potatotes and dry off. Place chips carefully into warm oil and let cook for 3-5 minutes. They will not be fully cooked at this point. The chips should be just soft and limp. Remove from oil, drain and place on paper towels to drain and cool.

Raise temperature of oil to 350-375 degrees.

Place chips back into the hot oil and let cook another 5-7 minutes until crispy and golden brown. Remove and drain on paper towels again. Chips will continue to brown after being removed from oil. Chips can be kept warm in 250 degree oven.

Dredge fish pieces lightly in flour then dip into batter. Let drain for a few seconds then gently immerse in hot oil and cook for approximately 5 minutes till golden brown on both sides. Drain on paper towels.

Plate and serve with Malt vinegar and/or Tartar sauce and lemon wedges.

]]> http://www.treewalkerdesigns.com/2009/06/20/fish-and-chips/feed/ 1 http://www.treewalkerdesigns.com/2009/06/19/early-summer-on-the-hooch/ http://www.treewalkerdesigns.com/2009/06/19/early-summer-on-the-hooch/#comments Fri, 19 Jun 2009 05:42:45 +0000 Damon http://www.treewalkerdesigns.com/?p=537

It’s the middle of June in Hotlanta and the temps are creeping into the mid 90’s. It’s a bit more humid than I can remember Atlanta being in my 9 years living here. The reports are that the drought is ended. We have gotten a very wet spring and Lake Lanier (the primary water supply for Atlanta) is nearing full pool, just about 4 feet shy.

This means the ‘Hooch’, the Chattahoochee River, is flowing on a somewhat more regular basis. There are still days where the water levels are down substantially, all depending on water releases from the Buford Dam.

I was out exploring the area a little more, looking for new TreeWalking spots and was driving a bit further south along the Hooch than the area I have been walking a lot. I discovered a nice quiet little park called Willeo Park in Roswell. Now there isn’t much TreeWalking to be had here, not even a quarter of a mile, but there is a beautiful little lawn that would make a perfect picnic spot while watching the rowing crews gliding along in their sleek and swift shells. On this particular evening, the sun was on its trek towards the horizon and was at that point that outdoor, nature photographers all love. A time when the sun tints the world with a beautiful golden hue. There was only the very slightest of breezes, the water was calm and quiet, only minimally disturbed by the oarsmen of the dozen, or so, boats making their evening journey down the Hooch from the Atlanta Rowing Club a mile or so up river. It is times like this that I wish I owned a kayak so that I could take a leisurely float along this peaceful stretch of the Hooch as it meanders its way through Georgia and into Alabama and Florida.

Honey Baked Boneless Pork Chop

Once again it is Sunday evening and I have a little something to whet your palate. I realized this evening that I am, again, offering a pork recipe (no I don’t only eat pork – even though it is starting to look that way). I promise next week I’ll offer some different food group. It’s just that the price of pork lately has been something I can’t pass up. If you would like to suggest a main ingredient – beast (specific cut would be great) or plant – I’ll be happy to plan a meal around that.

In the meantime, tonight’s dinner consisted of Baked Boneless Pork Chops (nice 2″ thick cuts) with Roasted Russet Potatoes and Red Cabbage. The inspiration came from the Food Network – a lot of my recipes start there and shoot off on wild tangents. Tonight was no different. The recipe started out as a recipe for Country Style Ribs with Red Cabbage and other than the cabbage, flour, vinegar, raisins, salt, pepper and onion, there is little else in common between the two. I did actually grab a shot of this dish, before I devoured it. I was quite happy with the outcome. Enjoy!

Honey Baked Boneless Pork Chops

ingredients:

2 thick cut boneless pork chops (or as many as you wish) 2″ thick is great

2 Tbls honey for each chop

1/2 tsp fresh dill leaves, per chop

1 Tbls raisins, per chop

fresh ground pepper and sea salt

directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees f

Place chops in roasting pan. Drizzle 1 Tbls honey on one side of each chop. Add fresh ground pepper to taste and pinch of sea salt along with dill to coat. Turn chops over and repeat with remaining 1 Tbls honey per chop, fresh ground pepper, pinch sea salt, and generous coat of dill. Top each chop with raisins. Place roasting pan in oven and bake for 35-40 minutes (basting periodically) till raisins begin to puff up and chops reach internal temperature of 130-140 degrees (medium rare to medium). Remove from oven and cover with foil and let rest for 5 minutes (meat will continue to cook up another 5-7 degrees).

Roasted Russet Potatoes

ingredients:

3-4 medium size russet potatoes

3 Tbls olive oil

fresh ground pepper and sea salt

fresh dill leaves

directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees f

Scrub potatoes clean, cut in quarters lenthwise and place in roasting pan (skin side down). Generously drizzle olive oil over each potato wedge, season with fresh ground pepper and sea salt to taste. Sprinkle with fresh dill. Place roasting pan in oven and roast for 40 minutes, turning wedges occasionally, till slightly crispy on the outside.

Sauteed Red Cabbage

ingredients:

1 small to medium red cabbage, julienned

1 medium white onion, chopped (approx. 1 cup)

1/2 cup daikon radish, julienned

1/4 cup flour

2 Tbls honey

1 1/2 tps sea salt

fresh ground pepper

1/2 tsp coriander seeds

1/2 cup cider vinegar

1/2 cup raisins

2 Tbls grapeseed oil

directions:

In a large bowl combine flour, honey, salt, pepper, coriander, and vinegar. Add cabbage, onion, daikon, and raisins and mix till everything is well coated. Cover and let sit for 30 minutes.

Heat 2 Tbls grapeseed oil in large wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Add cabbage mix and cook for 15-20 minutes till cabbage is soft, but still crunchy. Turn off heat and cover, let stand for 5 minutes.

All that’s left is to plate it up, serve it up, and eat it up. So, be sure to let me know what you think of this recipe and feel free to offer your suggestions. I may just post my version of your main ingredient.

Country Style Pork Ribs

ingredients:

2-3 lbs boneless (or bone-in) country style

1 small onion chopped

2 Tbls kochujang (Korean Red Pepper Sauce)

1/4 cup ketchup

1 Tbls brown sugar

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbls grated ginger

3/4 Tbls kosher salt

1 tsp fresh ground pepper

1/4 tsp cumin

1 tsp worchestershire sauce

2 Tbls cider vinegar

1 Tbls low-sodium soy sauce

1 Tbls lemon juice

1/2 tsp lemon zest

directions:

preheat oven to 350 degrees f

Combine all ingredients, except ribs, into blender and blend till smooth. Place ribs into roasting pan, lined with foil to ease cleanup. If using bone in ribs, place meat side up. Coat ribs generously with sauce on all sides. Place pan into oven and roast for 40-45 minutes. Internal temperature should be between 150 and 160 degrees (depending on desired doneness). Allow ribs to rest for 10 minutes before serving – remember that the meat will continue to cook up (approximately 7 degrees) whil resting. Serves 4

Baked Corn-on-the-Cob

ingredients:

4 ears fresh corn, remove husks and silk immediately before cooking

1 Tbls butter per ear

1 clove garlic minced

salt and pepper to taste

directions:

preheat oven to 350 degrees f

Add butter, garlic, salt and pepper to small saucepan over medium-low heat. Let simmer slowly to infuse garlic with butter.

Clean corn and place each ear onto sheet of aluminum foil, spoon 1 Tbls garlic-butter onto each ear. Wrap each ear snugly in foil. Place into oven and bake for 35-40 minutes. Place foil wraps into roasting pan in case foil leaks. Serves 4.