chop A Culinary Playground

Fourth of July 2009

 We spent the holiday over at a friend's house and enjoyed wonderful delights from their wood burning oven.

Jicama Stars

 Brick Oven Seared Rib Eye

 

 Potato and Truffle Oil Pizza

 

Prime Rib and Horseradish Pizza

 

 

 

 

Fresh Lilikoi Juice

 

Would you like a lychee??

Trio of Potato Salad

I am counting the days until the Fourth of July.  The fourth is one of my favorite holidays.  Until last year we would spend the holiday at my mother’s beach house on  the North Shore of Oahu.  The day was spent playing in the water and sand and was always capped off with a sunset BBQ with more food than we could eat.  My mother sold her house last year and this will be our second year spending the fourth in town.  We do have a great view of the fireworks, and still make too much food.

I decided to stray from the classic potato salad and made an Aegean, Moroccan and Japanese inspired potato salad.

We used to serve this salad in our former restaurant Beau Soleil.

It was really popular and the food editor of the Honolulu Advertiser had a request for the recipe. 

Aegean Potato Salad

1      pound red potatoes, quartered

1/4   cup extra virgin olive oil

2      tablespoons red wine vinegar

2      tablespoons capers

1/2   red onion, thinly sliced

1/2   cup crumbled feta cheese

2      tablespoons chopped Italian

        parsley

        salt and pepper

Boil potatoes in salted water, until fork tender.  Drain and place hot potatoes in bowl.  Do not cool.  Add the rest of the ingredients and toss.  Serve at room temperature.

Moroccan Potato Salad

This salad is flavored with Moroccan Argan oil.  I will write more about this ingredient later.

1     pound red potatoes

2     tablespoons argan oil

1     tablespoon chopped Italian

       parsley

1     cup pitted kalamata, or Moroccan

       olives

       salt and pepper

Boil potatoes until fork tender. Drain and toss with the rest of the ingredients while still hot.  Serve at room temperature.

Japanese Style Potato Salad

1     pound red or waxy potatoes

1/2  cup mayonnaise

2     tablespoons finely diced red

       onion

2     tablespoon tobbiko (flying fish     

       roe)

Cook potatoes in boiling water until fork tender.  Drain and let cool.

Mix with the rest of the ingredients and refrigerate.  Serve cold

Thai Inspired Meatloaf

Lately I have been doing a lot of fusion dishes which is kind of odd considering that I consider my style of cooking classic and traditional.  I was trained in France and love the classic French, Mediterranean and Italian styles of cooking. 

So I don’t know where this fusion thing came from but it is kind  of fun to think of interesting twists on traditional foods.

Thai Inspired Meatloaf with Coconut Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Meatloaf

This meatloaf was full of flavor and I really liked the glaze.  I would use the glaze on a traditional meatloaf

2     Pounds of ground beef

1     Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1     Carrot finely diced

1     Stalk celery finely diced

1     Small onion finely diced

2     Cloves garlic, finely minced

1     Teaspoon ginger finely minced

1     Stalk lemongrass minced

1     Kaffir lime leaf finely minced

1     Thai chili, finely minced

2     Tablespoons cilantro minced

1     Teaspoon fish sauce  

2     Eggs, mixed

  Salt and Pepper

1     Cup sweet chili glaze

Heat oil in sauté pan, add carrot, celery, onion ,garlic, ginger lemongrass, lime leaf, and chili.

Sauté until translucent.  Remove from heat and let cool.  In mixing bowl add ground beef, and the rest of the ingredients.  Add the cooled vegetable mixture and mix together gently.  Place in loaf pan or free form a loaf.  Spread Sweet Chili Glaze over the top and sides.   Bake in a 350 oven for 45 min.

Sweet Chili Glaze

1/2      Cup Sweet Chili sauce ( available

           in most Asian  stores)

1/2      Ketchup

Mix together and top meat loaf.

Coconut Mashed Sweet Potatoes

1      Pound Okinawan Sweet Potato,

        cut up into cubes

1      Can coconut milk

2      Kaffir lime leaves, whole

1/2   2% milk

2      Tablespoons butter, cut up

        Salt and Pepper

Place potatoes, coconut milk, lime leaves, salt and pepper in pan.

Bring to a boil and cook until fork tender. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the liquid.  discard lime leaves.  Place potatoes back in pan with reserved liquid and butter and mash to desired constancy.

Count down to Memorial Day - Hot Dog Bar

We are counting down the days until Memorial Day.  In our catering business we create a lot of live stations or bars.  This seems to make the flow of the party smooth instead of people lining up at one long buffet line.  So at your party why don’t you make a hot dog bar.  I started with a variety of sausages and hot dogs, a couple of different buns and a slew of toppings.

Hot Dog Bar

Hot Dogs and Sausages ( brats, knockwurst, andouille)

Buns (white, wheat, sprouted wheat)

Ketchups (plain and curry)

Mustards (coarse grain, Dijon, yellow)

Sliced Tomatoes

Pickles

Sauerkraut

Cheese

Onions in Tomato Sauce

Chopped onions

Chili

Did I miss anything??  If I did please comment and let me know.

Farm Fresh Carrots

Big Wave Tomatoes had beautiful carrots for sale at the Farmer’s Market.  I made a herbed butter to go with them.

Baby Carrots in Herb Butter

1     Pound baby carrot

6     Spring onions, bottom part

2     Table spoons butter

2     Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

4     Garlic cloves

From my garden

1     Cup fresh basil leaves

1/2  Cup Italian parsley

1/2  Cup chopped green onions

  Salt and Pepper

Blanch the carrots and onions until fork tender.  Cool down in ice bath.

In a food processor, add oil, garlic, all the herbs and salt and pepper.  Process until smooth like pesto.

In a sauté pan, melt the butter, add one cup of herb puree.  Add the carrots and heat through.  Serve

Save left over sauce to serve over steak or fish.  Or mix with softened butter to make a compound butter.

Trio of Asian Inspired Burgers

Burgers inspired from Japanese, Vietnamese and Korean Cuisines.

 

Japanese Burger

1        Pound organic ground beef

3        Tablespoons dark soy sauce

          (I  use the  silver swan brand)

2        Tablespoons dark miso

1        Teaspoon Furikake

1/4     Teaspoon salt

1/4     Cup Green Onions

1/4     Teaspoon Togarashi

Mix all ingredients together, form into four patties.  Grill to desired temperature.

Dress burger with wasabi mayonnaise and grilled Japanese mushrooms.

Vietnamese Burger

1     Pound ground organic beef

1/4  Cup onions, chopped

1/4  Cup green onions, sliced

1     Teaspoon fish sauce

1     Teaspoon sesame oil

1     Lime, juiced

1/4  Teaspoon salt

1      Stalk of lemon grass, minced

Mix all ingredients together, form into four patties.  Grill to desired temperature.

Dress burger with Sriracha Mayonnaise and Goi Dua Chot (Vietnamese pickled diakon and carrots)

Korean

1      Pound organic ground beef

1/2   Onion, chopped

1/4   Korean BBQ sauce

Mix all ingredients together, form into four patties.  Grill to desired temperature.

Dress with Kim Chee.

Oaxacan Rice

This rice is a perfect complement for any Mexican dish

 

Oaxacan Rice

¼         Cup Achiote Oil (see recipe below)

1          Onion, chopped

¼         Cup green onion chopped

½         Cup cilantro, chopped

1          Tomato, chopped

3          Yukon Gold potatoes, chopped

2          Teaspoons Cumin

            Salt and Pepper

2          Cups long grain rice

2          Cups Vegetable Broth

Heat oil in sauce pan, add onion and cook until translucent, add the rest of the ingredients except the broth, cook for two minutes, add the broth and bring to a boil.  When the rice comes to a boil turn down to a simmer, cover and cook for 20 minutes.

Achiote Oil

¼         Cup vegetable oil

1          Tablespoon achiote seeds

Heat in a sauce pan for about five minutes.  Strain the seeds from the oil.