George's International Market

Last night, we went to our favorite Mexican restaurant, George's International Market (yup)

If you haven't been to this market and you are a foodie, then please.. do yourself a giant favor and GO THERE... it's amazing..  and, they have a little to-order restaurant as you enter that serves the BEST Mexican cuisine in town, hands down, no questions asked... well, that is, if you like AUTHENTIC Mexican foods  (San Diego/TJ/And Southern Mexican regions)...  $5 gets you a burrito the size of your head and almost impossible to put down...  The Chorizo is fresh, as well as all toppings which are pulled right from the store itself and prepared in front of you... Don't miss out on this place!!  

While you are there, browse around the diversity of all the different foods there!!  You are sure to find SOMETHING to cook with :)

No recipes tonight (tomorrow I will update with the Pesto Mac)

ok, I lied... :)

Here is a little something sweet, I made for my sweetie one night, then re-made for friends at their dinner party..  Easy and super-quick to make.. looks elegant and tastes fantastic!

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Chocolate Peanut Butter Bananas

  

Recipe:

Simple as can be,  take one banana and cut in half put on a serving dish

Sauce

1tsp butter

choco-chips

large scoop of peanut butter

Melt butter on LOW-MED heat (do NOT brown the butter or this will taste funky!)

Add choco-chips slowly, stirring them in to melt

when the last chips start to melt, add Peanut Butter

Take it off the heat as the last of the chips are starting to melt, as you add PB

That's it!!  Don't wait for it to cool... I used a agave nectar bottle (like the hair dye bottles)

Fill up container, and apply to bananas...  I still have some mix left, just re-heat to use..

EDIT:  Totally FORGOT this part.... Being that this has PB & Butter in it, if you add it over ICE CREAM, you will now see that you have ALSO just made your very own....

Homemade MAGIC SHELL!!!

Good Schtuff Maynard

Good Evening Everyone!  ~ Chef Dad

a born again... Father... :)

No... no religious overtones, no bickering about who's right and wrong..no.. 

I love family, dance, food, music, life, LIVING, being apart of anything, no matter if it's something, or nothing

Our son is growing up to be quite the young man... Full of pain from his father (biological), and full of joy from the family that surrounds him... I know this pain/love well.. I've endured it throughout my life, and plan to be right by his side during his pain.. his joys, his laughter.. everything..  He's my kiddo, my little guy... a superhero :)  He inspires me to do.. to ebb..  I just wanted to dedicate this menu to my son, Dalton..  you rock little man!

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What's for Dinner Dad?!

Roasted Pork Loin w/homemade BBQ Sauce

&

Dalton's Favorite Homemade Mac n Cheese 

 (Pesto Cheddar w/Panko Bread Crumbs)

(( Tomorrow's Recipe))

ENTIRE MEAL (including Mac n Cheese):

Total Cost = $13.00  /  Servings  10-15

That's $0.87 a serving... yes... 87 cents! 

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Recipe: Not out of a book this time, this is all me.. :)

BEFORE ANYTHING:  TRIM THE SILVERSKIN of ANY Pork loin/butt, any

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFVYcfyd_S8

watch and come back, please.. :)

Pre-heat to 500 Degrees F.  Yes 500 says the crazy man, do eeet! (you shall see soon)

Dry Rub:  simple dry rub, big flavor.. that simple.. 

                  Take a WHOLE bulb of garlic and cut it in half (quit whining you'll see why in a sec, lol)

                  Season the cut end with salt and pepper  (it will let the bulb "bleed" out the flavors)

                  Cut one large onion into quarters (that's 4 pcs), while waiting for the garlic to bleed..

                  RUB bulb of garlic over the entire pork loin (yes with the salt n pepper on)

                  Drizzle olive oil top of loin, turn the loin over (roll it in the oil)

                  Dry Rub = Kosher Salt (1tsp), Fresh Cracked Pepper & onion powder (lightly cover all)

                   (variation: add fresh fennel and a little fresh nutmeg to the top)

THAT's it.. you are done, don't touch it (beep beep, your oven should be pre-heated to 500deg. F!)

USE a RACK - PUT LOIN ON RACK 

(nice rack!.. no I was talking about...oh nevermind, lol)

Big Roasting Pan w/a rack is what I use, and it's important to have one.. you won't need to cover and you won't need to baste, and it will turn out delicious, tender and you'll just have to trust me on this one..  Don't have one?  Go get one... I know, I know!!  they are expensive and it's ..yaddayadda.. Ok..fineeee..don't use a rack!! (but, it will not turn out the same, and don't cry to me if it takes WAY longer to cook..  but, I suppose you could just throw it in a normal large pan and go... BUT, it HAS to be a deep pan, because there WILL BE LIQUID INVOLVED)

Okay.. we good on the pan?? good..

Loin, on rack, in DEEP pan and... ADD ONION to pan, WITH

1 CUP of water/stock/wine

2 Tablespoons of vinegar (I used red wine vinegar tonight)

1 Tablespoon of olive oil / walnut oil / grapeseed oil (will effect sauce flavor)

(adjust these as needed as per weight of YOUR loin, ours was huge @ 5lbs!)

Basically, I use 1/4 cup of liquid per lb, go a little more, it won't go to waste!

Below is a little reminder to WHY you are doing all this:

Open oven, and quickly (watch face to avoid hot stuff), put Loin in oven and close ASAP

Set timer to 30 minutes.......................DING

DO NOT OPEN OVEN

DO NOT OPEN OVEN

DO NOT OPEN OVEN

TURN DOWN TO 350deg. F. and SET TIMER TO ::: 2 Hours Please :::

If, for whatever reason you smell burning/etc..  it's simply that there wasn't enough liquid and it did it's evaporated now...  add more water, everything will be fine.. just add water/stock (NOT WINE, as it's alcohol and fire + alcohol = kitchen fire, not likely, but possible)

AT 45 MINUTES TILL DONE:  SAUCE TIME

I said don't open the oven..., lol.. do this at the end if you are using pan juices to make this

Sauce: Heat and reduce by half at high heat (be very careful not to burn it or yourself)

Brown Sugar -- 1/2 Cup

red wine vinegar -- 1tbsp

water -- 3/4 cup

olive oil -- 1tbsp

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Remove Loin from oven, and set to REST for 10 minutes (do this)

Brush on sauce and re-fire for 3 minutes (put back in oven to caramelize)

repeat until desired (not too long or you'll have taffy!)

Enjoy!!!!!! Have a great night and please let me know if you ever try it!!  ~Chef Dad

 (this method of cooking the loin I'm teaching will work with whole chickens, turkey (although slightly different), hams, bacon (yep) and many other large meats (especially brisket! awww.. spring where are you when I need you..blast! anyhow..)  I usually just make gravy from the poultry side of things though..)

New Beginnings

Life is like a good sauce...

 Linguine with Bolognese

The next couple of weeks, I'll keep sticking with SAUCES and FUSION...  I'll be building flavors, trying new sauces and teaching anyone willing to listen how to eat healthy, without sacrificing flavor and money!! 

Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year... All done with and past.. a new year is upon us and things are starting to look brighter in this house..   Chandra got me an amazing cookbook for Christmas: 500 Best-Ever Recipes, Mediterranean...  

Simply amazing!  I LOVE this cookbook.. I have only made a few recipes out of this cookbook, but the possibilities seem endless!  I cannot WAIT to try a few of these... But, for tonight... re-launch night... I wanted to make something special, something I have ALWAYS wanted to make.. and sure enough, the recipe was right in here.  Bolognese is NOT spaghetti sauce.. repeat.. NOT spaghetti sauce or a common red sauce...  you build it's flavors, it takes time to do this...

 (TIME, LOTS... set aside 4 hrs MINIMUM, I only just started to understand why at about hour 3 and 4, then left it to go 5 hours.. and you might too if you follow along..)   Away we go:

Yep.... I see it there too.. it says Tagliatelle...   We had Linguine on hand, so I went with that... I still really would love a pasta press, but I am holding out for a decent one so I can create all pastas... so, until then... we had Linguine, and being that this is Bolognese, meh, it pairs well with it... 

[ NOTE: Make sure to view ALL pictures in their larger versions for the exact recipe.. I'm not going to be re-typing the recipes... give credit where credit is due]

 

 Follow them very carefully..  I mis-read the wine amount and added 1 cup!!  If you somehow didn't read that, or this, and did that.. (lol), then simply drain and re-add what you need... simple..  

I have found that Red or White wine will work..  Red is traditional, Merlot

Step 3: MAKE SURE, the wine is GONE... you will see the soup like mixture transform into a flavor-fueled combo.. Same with the Milk, THEN simmer on LOW heat.. gas, keep it as low as it can go... Electric, between LOW and 2 on the dial...  

Mine was 5 hours to finish. it was AMAZING. NO LESS than 4 HOURS!!  It's going to be bland and NOT be a bolognese!

Step 1:

Step 2: 

 Homemade sourdough loaf for garlic bread? :)

 Mmmmmmmm!!  Quick and delicious garlic bread recipe:

Cut one clove of garlic in half (after peeling)

RUB each CUT END of garlic against bread

spread butter over bread very lightly

toast in the broiler (keep an eye out for burning, it can happen quick!!, lol as seen in picture)

I added Cheddar and Feta to our garlic bread.. worked perfectly with the sauce!

The finished sauce after 5 HOURS of simmering after the hour of prep to make it... was it worth it??? 

YES!  This was AMAZING... I've never tasted something so full of body and filling, it was delicious!!

GREAT to be back and expect MANY more recipes and stories from our life here in 2011!

CHEF Dad!