Restaurant Points of Evaluation

Dirty Chair… Never fully cleaned

Menus on Plates… Ask for new

Menu in slip cover… Food

No water waiting for you… Bacteria at room temp

Lemon… Bring me a whole lemon

Bread… Basket liner or plastic wrap
. Some recycle . Ask for hot baked loaf

Table cloth… Paper is cleaner

Look at Trashcan, and state of bathroom

Dirtiest stalls… Handicapped and last, then first
. Use middle

Do not go right before closing time, things are frequently under warming lamps

Robert@RobertAndrews.NET

Barbacoa

Adapted From Pati’s Mexican Table

Beef Brisket
Sear over high heat and set aside

Ancho and guajillo chiles . Blacken and remove skin
Grind and strain
Oregano, Alspice, Cloves, Cinnamon, Salt and pepper
Blend with Tomato, Onion, Garlic, Apple cider vinegar
Cook in hot pot 15 minutes

Place each meat in center of banana leaf
Coat with marinade
Wrap and pace in pot
Add a beer and bake at 325° for 3 hours


This is a recipe adapted from Diamond Ranch
Marinate your Beef Top or Bottom Round overnight
Sear meat in cast iron skillet – Dutch Oven is even better
Toss in onions and spices
Add garlic near the end of the searing process
Add 4 C chicken stock
Bring up to a simmer
Add 1/4 C cider vinegar
Move into covered crock pot for 4-6 hours
or put in oven at 250 degrees COVERED for the same amount of time

Seven Layer Burrito

Rachael Ray

Refried Beans . Reheat with warm chicken stock
. Add a touch of cumin and hot sauce

Guacamole
1 Avocado . If not ripe, put in bag overnight and set on counter
Do not use knife to remove pit
1/4 red onion soaked in Salt and Lime juice 15 min
1 clove grated garlic
1 jalapeńo

Pico de Gallo
Onion, jalapeno, cilantro, tomatoes, salt, a bit of mint

Char flour tortilla
Spread with beans
Top with cheese
Add guacamole
Add pico de gallo
Add lettuce
Add sour cream
Add olives and pimentos

Lemon Mousse

Martha Stewart

1 TBL cold water
1 tsp gelatin to dissolve or bloom
1 C granulated sugar
1/2 C lemon juice
Heat until all sugar is dissolved
Zest from one large lemon

Cool in ice bath

Beat 7 egg whites to soft peaks
Slow speed, pour in gelatin mix
Fold in 1 C whipped cream

Spoon into cups
Refrigerate 3-4 hours
Garnish with mint leaves

Braised beef rolls

Adapted from Lydia’s Italy

Get a fairly low and cut of meat like beef butt or shoulder
Cut large thin sheets against the grain
Use the tip of your knife to cut apart any large pieces of sinew
Hammer with meat tenderizer
Pound flat and roll filling into the meat
Sticks of mozzarella
Roll and seal with toothpick
Heat evoo in braising pan at 350°
Season outside
Sear in hot cast iron skillet

FILLING
Day old Bread . Soaked in buttermilk
Boiled eggs . Chopped
Parsley
Parmesan Cheese
Salt

SAUCE
Remove rolls
Put into hot pan – Onion, garlic, oregano, salt, pepper
Deglaze with a splash of white wine
Add whole tomatoes . Crushed
Boil, then simmer
Season
Put back in rolls, and simmer an hour
remove toothpicks
Serve next to pasta and top with sauce

Crème Brûlée

  1. Heat 2 C Half and Half (cream) up to 180º
  2. Prepare egg mixture
    • 5 egg yolks
    • 75 gm (or 6 TBL) confectioner sugar
    • 1/2 tsp vanilla
  3. Temper 1.5 C hot cream slowly into egg mixture
    • Alternately, use  1/2 C milk and 1 C cream
  4. Whisk GENTLY with no foam or bubbles
  5. Strain through a sieve
  6. Add 1/2 tsp lemon zest
  7. Taste and adjust
  8. Pour into personal baking ramekins
  9. Put baking tray into oven and preheat to 300º
  10. Pour 2 C boiling hot water into tray
  11. Put ramekins onto the tray, and into the water
  12. Bake for 35 minutes
  13. Cool to room temperature, then chill 1-3 hours
  14. Sprinkle liberally with granulated sugar or pulverized brown sugar
  15. Use brule torch to caramelize sugar until it starts to bubble
    • Use torch from the outside and move inward

Halibut

To buy: Shiny, but not milky

Nice thick pieces
Sear on a skillet about 3 minutes top and bottom
When seared on all sides cover and turn off heat
Let set about 10 minutes

Vinaigrette
Grapefruit juice
Whisk in 1 tbl evoo
Diced shallot
Parsley
Cilantro
At end add back in grapefruit pieces

Beets and avocado love citrus
Roast beets . Red and yellow
Avocado

Serve over salad greens
Top with Vinagrette

TOZapping.com

I just discovered a site from a new FB group I joined.. Recipes in pictures! They are from Italy. I do not speak Italian. They don’t speak too much English. The answer…

A picture is worth 1000 words.

Give it a visit if you like to cook!

www.tozapping.com

I just visited the site, and can’t figure it out.

Just search for them on Facebook. Tozapping

Canadian Cauliflower Cheddar Cups

Canadian bacon
2 cups cauliflower florettes
2 tablespoons light sour cream
1 tablespoon parsley
1 tablespoon green onion
1/2 to 1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 375 Fahrenheit
Lightly grease mini muffin pan
Line each cup with a slice of Canadian bacon

Steam cauliflower until very soft
Transfer to mixing bowl and mash cauliflower
Mix with sour cream, parsley, green onion
Add salt and pepper to taste

Fill Canadian bacon cups with cauliflower mixture
Top each cup with cheddar cheese
Bake 15 minutes

.

Cauliflower tips

When selecting cauliflower at the store look for nice white florettes, avoiding dark or brown spots

At home store in vegetable drawer in refrigerator

You can use cauliflower as a substitute for potatoes or rice. It has a similar texture but no starch

Add steamed mashed cauliflower to mashed potatoes or pizza crust

Gluten Free Deep Dish Pizza

Sauté sausage . Set aside
Add mushrooms to pan
Add thyme, garlic

Line springform cake pan with cooked polenta
Add parm reg cheese
Press flat with some edges

Fill shell with some ricotta cheese
Add a layer of sausage
Add mushrooms
Top with mozzarella
Sprinkle with sausage and mushrooms
Put in oven until cheese starts to brown

Opt: spinach

Canned Squash Personal Custards

Start with Grandpa’s recipe for BASIC CUSTARD

Cynthia and I canned about four dozen jars of squash that we grew in our garden. www.urbanfarm.info – this is a fairly easy recipe that will allow you to make custard for breakfast throughout the year.

Basic crust . Makes 1 9-inch pie crust or four ramekins
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
6 tablespoons butter, softened
1/3 cup white sugar

Directions

Mix crumbs, butter, and sugar in a bowl.
Press mixture into individual ramekins.
Use a spoon to press the crumbs to the bottom and sides
Refrigerate at least 1 hour before filling.

Since our pieces of squash were pressure cooked at 10 psi for 90 minutes, it is soft enough that it doesn’t need any more processing.

One jar squash, about 2 cups
Mash squash into purée
Use Basic Custard recipe, MINUS 1/4 C milk – because of the liquid contained in the squash.

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Mix all dry ingredients
Mix in all other ingredients

Cook at 400° for 30 minutes
Reduce heat to 300 and bake 30 minutes
Let cool on wire rack for one hour at least
Serve immediately or refrigerate. Do not freeze.

For a Breakfast Custard you don’t need a pie shell. If you want to use this for something similar to pumpkin pie, just use a pre-made 9 inch deep dish pie shell and process as above.

Chicken Barley Soup

Shredded poached chicken
Poach in pot of water for a hour with
. Carrot
. Celery
. Onion
. Leak
. Garlic
. Parmesan rind
. Dark leafy greens
. Bay leaf

Cooked pearled barley or faro
In pot of water with salt, whole onion, bay leaf
Strain while still al dente

Mushrooms wiped, not washed
. Rubbery and tough
Saute in hot oil
Add celery, carrot, onion, shallots, thyme, garlic, salt
Deglaze with sherry or marsala wine
Add chicken stock
Add back barley
Add spinach, basil, kale at the last second

Robert@RobertAndrews.NET

Sweet Potato Soup

Grandpa’s Sweet Potato Soup

  • 1 large sweet potato
  • 1 whole sweet onion – chopped
  • 2 TBL butter
  • 3 C Chicken stock
  • 1/2 C Half and Half
  • 1 tsp Fresh grated ginger
  • 1 lime
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • Cayenne pepper and black pepper to taste
  1. Chop onion into 1 inch pieces
  2. Soften onion in butter
  3. Cut sweet potato into 1 inch squares, and add to pan
  4. Grate about 1 tsp ginger
  5. Add milk and broth
  6. simmer for 30 minutes
  7. Add cayenne
  8. Blend using immersion blender
  9. Squeeze in juice of one lime (no zest this time)
  10. Serve and garnish with black pepper and a sprig of cilantro

Whitehouse Recipe

This recipe was adapted from “The Whitehouse Cookbook” published in 1887 by Fanny Lemira Gillette & Hugo Ziemann. Grover Cleveland was President of the United States at the time.

  1. Cut apart two leaks and wash them well.
  2. Dry them in a salad spinner, and sautee in olive oil in hot pan
  3. Throw in 1/2 inch chunks of sweet potato
  4. 1 diced apple
  5. 2 cloves minced garlic
  6. 1 minced onion
  7. 1 can (or two cups) Chicken stock
  8. Whole cloves and a Bay leaf in bouquet garnis – so you can remove them later
  9. Heat together until soft and then, remove bouquet garnis
  10. Blend and strain

(white house)

Here is another recipe:

Pear and Sweet Potato Soup

Teriyaki Chicken

Dredge pieces of chicken thighs in flour, then fry

Teriyaki Sauce Mixture

  • 6 oz Water
  • 2 oz Brown Sugar
  • 3 oz Soy Sauce
  • 3 oz Mirin or Rice vinegar
  • lime juice
  • 2 TBL canola oil
  • 1 TBL toasted sesame oil
  • 1/2 C honey
  • 1 tsp Sriracha
  • 8 cloves Garlic
  • 8 pieces Ginger – equal to garlic amount
  1. Bring to boil, then simmer to reduce to syrup consistency
  2. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes
  3. Simmer until thickened
    • Add 2 oz Rice wine vinegar
    • 1 TBL Cornstarch
    • Bring back to boil, then remove from heat
  4. Put chicken on baking dish
  5. Brush liberally with warm mixture
  6. Reserve remainder of topping for the noodles
  7. Bake chicken thighs at 350° for 35 minutes or grill them
  8. Toss Soba Noodles in the remainder of the topping
  9. Serve with *Sesame Noodles
  10. Add toppings :: Chives, slices tomato, toasted sesame seeds, cilantro, etc.

Sesame Noodles

  • Cook soba noodles
  • Julienne strips of bell peppers
  •  

 

Gluten Free Communion Bread

Stolen from About.com for our church communion. Ironic, isn’t it!

For consistent results, it is highly recommended that you don’t make ingredient substitutions in this recipe and that you weigh your dry ingredients on a good quality kitchen scale. If you bake bread often, it’s so much faster and easier to weigh than to measure.

DRY INGREDIENTS:

135 grams / 4.8 ounces / about 1 cup white rice flour
100 grams / 3.5 ounces / about 1 cup tapioca starch
75 grams / 2.6 ounces / about 1/2 cup sweet sorghum flour
OR light buckwheat flour – See note below.
70 grams / 2.5 ounces / about 1/2 cup brown rice flour
20 grams / 2 tablespoons dry active yeast
25 grams / 2 tablespoons cane sugar
11 grams / 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 grams / 1 teaspoon guar gum
2 grams / 3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
1.25 grams / 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger (adds flavor and acts as a natural preservative)
Optional – 7 grams / 1 tablespoon apple fiber (a dry nutritional supplement, available at health food stores)

LIQUID INGREDIENTS:

3 large egg whites, room temperature (114 grams / 4 ounces)
2 tablespoons light olive oil (25 grams)
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar (5 grams)
286 milliliters / 9.66 ounces lukewarm water / 1 cup + 3 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon (don’t use hot water – it will kill the yeast)

Note: If you store your gluten-free flour in the refrigerator or freezer, be sure to bring these ingredients to room temperature before preparing bread recipes. Chilled ingredients will stunt the rise of the bread.

Gluten-free sweet sorghum flour or light buckwheat flour both work beautifully as a portion of the flours used in this recipe. Both Bouchard Family Farms in Fort Kent, Maine and Buffalo Valley Grains in Buffalo, MN sell light buckwheat flour online.

If you have a grain mill you can grind your own gluten-free light buckwheat flour. Use gluten-free hulled buckwheat. Birkett Mills and Eden Foods both sell hulled buckwheat and both products make wonderful home-ground light buckwheat flour.

 

Synergistic Effects of Xanthan Gum and Guar Gum in Gluten-Free Bread Recipes

Get better baking results by using xanthan gum and guar gum in GF bread recipes

By

Try Using a Combination of Xanthan Gum and Guar Gum in Gluten-Free Recipes

Xanthan (ZAN than) gum and guar (gwar) gum are the most frequently used gums in gluten-free recipes and gluten-free products.

Gums are “hydrocolloidals.” They attract water, bind, thicken and emulsify gluten-free ingredients. If you don’t add gum to most gluten-free baked goods, especially breads, you are apt to end up with a crumbly dry disappointment.

But if you aren’t completely satisfied with the texture of your homemade gluten-free breads, whether you use xanthan gum OR guar gum, consider using a combination of both xanthan gum and guar gum in your recipes. Here’s why.

Food chemists have learned that gums used in food preparation have very unique properties and when combined can improve the texture and mouth feel of gluten-free baked goods. This is called a “synergistic effect” which means that the properties of one gum enhance the properties of the other.

Xanthan gum is manufactured through a fermentation process. A bacteria called xanthomonas campestris is used to ferment a sugar like dextrose (from corn,) glucose, lactose or sucrose. Xanthan gum is used to make liquids more viscous, or thick.

Guar gum is extracted from guar beans. Like xanthan gum, guar gum is also used as a thickener in gluten-free baked goods, but it doesn’t exhibit the gelling properties of xanthan gum. Guar gum good is a good emulsifier (it helps fat molecules blend) and is high in soluble fiber.

Have you noticed how gluten-free breads made solely with xanthan gum have a tendency to feel and taste slightly wet even when completely cool? Or how breads made only with guar gum fail to hold their shape during baking and tend to collapse in the middle as they bake and cool? And how they dry out more quickly?

The reason for these very different end results is because xanthan gum and guar gum each bring different functions to gluten-free recipes.

According to Swiss-based Jungbunzlauer, a manufacturer of food-grade gums, “Combinations of xanthan gum with galactomannans [like guar gum] show a synergistic viscosity increase, in comparison to pure guar gum solutions.”

Next time you bake a loaf of homemade gluten-free bread substitute half of the gum called for in the recipe with its synergistic partner. If the recipe calls for 1 tablespoon of xanthan gum, use 1 1/2 teaspoons of xanthan gum and 1 1/2 teaspoons of guar gum.

Learn more about gluten-free flours and starches. Check out our Gluten-Free Flour and Starch Glossary

Spaghetti Squash

Bake at 375° about 45 minutes
Mix with hot skillet of canned tomatoes/garlic mixture
Toss with kale
Put into serving dish
Top with mixture of toasted bread crumbs, parm cheese, parsley, toasted pine nuts, black pepper

Option . Broil 5 minutes

Acorn squash

Butternut squash . THICK NECK- all meat
. Thin necks, after peeling, are not as much meat
Peel . Piece . roast 25 minutes

Braised Veal Shank

If you want to serve family style ask your butcher to special order you an entire veal shank.  For giving each person their own special veal shank Osso Buco Style ask your butcher for a nice big thick oso-buco veal shank.  Spaetzle is a GREAT side for this recipe.  Exotic and easy.

Tie your meat with twine, because it WILL end up falling off the bone near the end.

Season/coat with Grandpa's Thunder Powder or Arghhh Powder depending on how spicy you want your coating.
Put into heavy cast iron skillet or Dutch oven with EVOO
Heat skillet/pot to about 350-400 degrees.
Oil should just be starting to smoke.
Brown veal on all sides.  This could take about 10 minutes total.

Remove meat and set aside, add the following into the skillet:
Carrot, celery, onion (chopped about the same size)
Cloves
Tomato paste 2 spoons to roast in hot spot
Fresh bay, rosemary, thyme and parsley
Mix all together
. Deglaze with 3 C wine
Add Orange peel . No pith . Big pieces
Add back veal shank
Add 4 cups beef or chicken stock – Nearly to top of meat
Return to boil then cover and reduce heat
Simmer for 3 to 3.5  hours.

Start your Spaetzle at about 2.5 or 3 hours into your oven time.

SAUCE – TOP MEAT WITH THIS AND SERVE ON THE SIDE AS WELL
Remove meat . Detwine . Remove fatty skin
Strain sauce . Mash veggies thru screen
Reduce liquid on medium high in flat skillet  (About 10 minutes)
Add a bit of cornstarch slurry to thicken – Little by little, then return to a simmer.
. Do not over-thicken. Stir frequently or continually.
. Sauce should coat the back of a spoon when dipped into the sauce
Spoon some sauce over meat, some on side
Top with lemon zest and chopped parsley

Serve with roasted garlic . Salt, evoo, 350° 40 minutes.

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