Jerzee Bites

Grilled. Spinach. Artichoke. Dip. Sandwich. I couldn’t...

Sun, 21 Apr 2013 17:13:53 -0400

Grilled. Spinach. Artichoke. Dip. Sandwich. I couldn’t find a recipe, but I use a reverse engineered the recipe for the Houston’s restaurant spinach artichoke dip (see below).

For the Houston’s experience, serve in bowl, sprinkle extra cheddar on top and microwave till melted, then serve the dip with side of chips, salsa and sour cream.

For the grilled sandwich version, looks like it’s all served on some thick, chewy, delicious sourdough. A side of salsa for sandwich dipping would be epic.

Houston’s Spinach Artichoke Dip

Prep. Time : 0:50

(2-3) 10 oz. boxes frozen spinach – thawed (it called for 2 but I use more spinach because it makes it, well, more spinachy)
1/4 cup real butter
3 Tbls. minced fresh garlic
2 Tbls. minced onion
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 pint heavy cream
1/4 cup chicken stock
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1-3 tsp. hot sauce
1/2 tsp. salt
2/3 cup grated fresh Pecorino Romano cheese
1/4 cup sour cream
1 cup shredded sharp white cheddar
12 oz. jar artichoke hearts - drained, coarsely chopped

-Strain spinach and squeeze through a cheesecloth to remove as much liquid as possible; mince; set aside.
-In heavy saucepan over medium heat, sauté garlic and onions in butter until golden, about 3-5 minutes.
-Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute.
-Slowly whisk in cream and stock and continue cooking until boiling.
-Once boiling, stir in lemon juice, hot sauce, salt, and Romano cheese; stir until cheese has melted.
-Remove from heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes.
-Stir in sour cream, then fold in dry spinach and artichoke hearts.

Imma Eat Dat! Spicy Sesame Avocado Salad @PureFood&Wine

Sun, 21 Apr 2013 12:41:09 -0400

Pure Food & Wine — right near Union Square. Go there.

Spicy Sesame Salad pic: http://instagram.com/p/YX5pACJOPY/#

Kentucky Fried HEAVEN

Sun, 21 Apr 2013 10:02:00 -0400

Welcome to a little bit of southern love. Jerzee Guy was treated to this feast by a fellow grad student Country Girl. She notes that the recipe isn’t exact, but this is more or less how it rolls.

“Gilliam’s Fried Chicken”

Ingredients:
-chicken (I prefer boneless thighs. Boneless because it’s easier to eat, and thighs because they’re juicier than breasts.) [10 pieces]
-Eggs [3]
-Milk [half a cup]
-honey [3 tbs]
-flour [1 cup]
-Panko bread crumbs (I prefer “Panko” because they are so bland that they absorb the other seasonings well.) [between one and two containers/baggies of them… enough to fill a mixing bowl]
-Old Bay seasoning
-Garlic Powder
-Salt
-Pepper
-canola oil

1. Mix milk and eggs together. Add a bit of salt and pepper (a pinch of salt— not too much). Add honey (more if you want it sweeter).

2. Put the chicken in a large bowl. Add the milk/egg/honey mixture. Make sure to mix it all up so that all the chicken pieces are coated in the eggy, milky goodness. Pop it (covered) in the fridge for at least 2 hours— the longer the better. Overnight is great.

3. Get a large mixing bowl, and add flour and bread crumbs. The flour/bread crumb ratio is up to you: more bread crumbs = crunchier chicken, more flour = less of a “crust.” Now add the seasonings. Start by adding about 2 tbs of Old Bay and a tsp of garlic powder, plus a bit of salt and pepper. Then taste and adjust. More garlic powder will give it more “kick.”

4. Get a big ol’ pan (cast iron skillet = ideal), and fill it about half-an-inch deep with canola oil. You want to have the oil come up halfway each piece of chicken. Turn the burner on to medium-high. Make sure the oil gets nice and hot. Test it with a small piece of chicken or a pinch of the breadcrumb mixture— when it’s ready, the oil will hiss and bubble around whatever you put in.

5. Take the chicken from the fridge, and, in batches, dip it in the breadcrumb mixture. Make sure it gets good and covered! If you’re having trouble getting it covered, but the mixture in a paper bag, add a piece of chicken, and shake the bag like hell til the chicken is covered with breadcrumbs and spices.

6. Cook the chicken in the oil, about 7 minutes per side to start. As time goes on and the oil heats up more, you’ll be able to do it a bit faster. When you remove each piece from the oil, put it on a plate with paper towels. Cook in batches, and be careful not to “crowd” the chicken in the pan.

7. Keep in mind that you may want to budget an extra, “tester” piece of chicken to cook first. As my dad says, “Frying chicken is like raising kids. The first one doesn’t always turn out quite right.”

- - -

Serve this up with some of your favorite southern green and starchy sides* and you got yourself quite a feast. Mmmm, mmm. Finger lickin’ good! Thanks Country Girl!

*Southern sides liiiike Cajun Roasted Potatoes, Green Beans, Scalloped Sweet Potato Stacks, Succotash…

The Life-Changing Loaf of Bread | My New Roots

Sun, 21 Apr 2013 09:56:36 -0400

The Life-Changing Loaf of Bread | My New Roots:

I was spending a lazy Sunday morning geeking out on breakfast food blogs when I came across this amazingly easy bread recipe. I’ve never made bread — always seemed kind of complicated with breadmakers and yeast chemistry and kinda messy and I live in NYC and am surrounded by amazing local bread makers. But for this bread you toss some simple ingredients like nuts, seeds and maple syrup in the bread pan, let it sit and then bake it. Done. No yeast, no flour, no refined bad stuff. I cannot wait to make toast with it and maybe give it as the perfect thank you gift when invited to dinner parties.

Brussel Sprouts: warm walnut salad & fritters

Sat, 13 Apr 2013 23:33:29 -0400

I’m on a brussel sprout jag tonight. Made a warm brussel sprout and walnut salad and found an amazing recipe for brussel sprout fritters.

We previously posted the life altering brussel sprout, grana padano and walnut summer salad, but it’s cold outside and so I made pretty much the same salad… but warm. One of life’s great joys: modern conveniences. If you’re near a Trader Joe’s, you can make this dish in about 15 minutes.

1 tbsp unsalted organic TJ’s butter
1 bag TJ’s shredded brussel sprouts (maybe 10-12 sprouts?)
1/2 bag crushed candied TJ walnuts (1/2 cup)
Handful of TJ shredded parm and grana padano cheese
1/2 of a lemon’s juice
salt
pepper
drizzle of TJ’s balsamic glaze

Melt 1 tbsp butter in sautee pan (cast iron if you’ve got one). Throw in the brussel sprouts and sautee until wilted (about 7 minutes). Take a couple of handfuls of candied TJ’s walnuts, smash em in a ziploc bag, throw them in with the sprouts, some salt, pepper and lemon juice for a few more minutes. Serve in bowls, fold in shaved parmesan and grana padano cheese. Drizzle with balsamic glaze. Serve. Mmm… warm toasty goodness.

While eating, google brussel sprout recipes and dream of making this concocted by the genius over at LittleBite:

Brussel Sprout Fritters
http://thelittlebite.com/2012/11/25/brussels-sprouts-fritters/

Makes 4 fritters

1/2 pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed and outer leaves removed
1 large egg
1/4 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon lemon juice, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, divided
2 Tablespoons canola oil
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Tablespoon whole grain mustard
1 Tablespoon white balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper, to taste

Begin by shredding the Brussels sprouts and placing them in a medium bowl. Add the large egg and 1/4 cup flour with 1 Tablespoon lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix thoroughly.

Heat the canola oil in a large cast iron skillet. Divide the Brussels sprouts mixture into fourths and, with your hands, make pancakes, approximately 1 inch thick. Place in the hot pan and cook on medium heat until both sides are browned.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the olive oil, whole grain mustard, white balsamic vinegar, and remaining lemon juice and ground nutmeg. Whisk to combine. Test for salt and pepper, adding more if needed.

When the fritters are done, remove them to a paper towel to drain. Just before serving, drizzle with the sauce and serve hot.

What could Jerzee Guy be up to now?

Sat, 16 Mar 2013 17:12:00 -0400

What could Jerzee Guy be up to now?

Fromage! (Merci Bedford Ave Cheese Shop)

Mon, 18 Feb 2013 23:35:11 -0500

Fromage! (Merci Bedford Ave Cheese Shop)

Ashbox Cafe - Japanese Black Eggplant & Wasabi Soup & Wrap

Tue, 11 Dec 2012 20:33:42 -0500

Lunch after a studio visit in Greenpoint. Ashbox is a Japanese cafe at the very end of Manhattan Avenue. This was beautiful, light comfort food. Both the wrap and soup were wasabi, eggplant, seaweed — but the wrap also had avocado. Lovely.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/ashbox-brooklyn

Fall special pizza: roasted slivered brussel sprout, fennel...

Tue, 11 Dec 2012 20:23:00 -0500

Fall special pizza: roasted slivered brussel sprout, fennel sausage, spicy honey, taleggio, mozzarella, pecorino, black sea salt. Sweet, salty, savory, spicy — incredible. (Fornino Pizzeria, Bedford Ave, Williamsburg Brooklyn)

Simply Heaven: Avocado, Balsamic, Truffle Oil

Tue, 11 Dec 2012 19:26:52 -0500

Happiness = fresh, perfectly ripe avocados on sale at the grocery store today.

Ingredients:

1 ripe avocado, sliced in half
Sea salt
Fresh ground pepper
Aged balsamic vinegar
Drizzle of balsamic reduction
A few droplets of truffle oil

Heaven. Just heaven.

Battle Summer 3rd Place: A-ma-zing Pulled Pork Sliders

Wed, 25 Jul 2012 03:03:00 -0400

To refresh: battle dinner parties are parties where chefs compete on a theme, everyon gets really drunk aand really full, and an anonymous and statistically impeccable voting process is taken at the end of the night. Chef MediaMogul and her hubby ChefSciFi may have pulled the pork for these sliders, but they sure as hell didn’t pull any punches! (Why does that sound so naughty?)

Good lord these were fantastic. Melt in your mouth slow-cooked southern style pork, brioche style homemade buns, the bite of the pickle and sharp tang of the pickled red onion. Yowza! Who the hell makes their own tiny little golf ball sized BUNS?! And they pickled their own onions (only takes a few hours — who knew?). And they presented beautifully this pop in your mouth delight. So so so so so so goooooood!

The recipes look a little long at first, but so worth it!

(Note “Bread & Butter” style pickles were store-bought)

Pull-No-Punches Pulled Pork Sliders

The Pork:

(Thank you WashPo)

This recipe can be made in a 4- to 5-quart slow cooker.

There’s no smoke involved, but this has a pit-barbecue taste nonetheless. Brown the pork in the morning, combine it with the other ingredients in the slow cooker and let it go for 6 to 10 hours on LOW. You’ll be rewarded with tender, juicy pork perfect for sandwiches.

MAKE AHEAD: The recipe works best when the pork is seasoned, wrapped and refrigerated overnight. The cooked pork freezes well, for up to 3 months.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon onion salt
2 tablespoons sweet Hungarian paprika
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 1/2 pounds boneless pork shoulder
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce, such as Tabasco

Directions:

Combine the onion salt, paprika, 1 tablespoon of the brown sugar, the chili powder, allspice and black pepper in a medium mixing bowl. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the spice mix; rub the remaining spice mix all over the pork. Wrap the pork in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pork and cook, turning to brown it on all sides; this will take about 16 minutes. Transfer to a 4- to 5-quart slow cooker.

Add the vinegar, the reserved tablespoon of the spice mix and the remaining 3 tablespoons of brown sugar to the skillet; as the mixture begins to boil, use a wooden spoon or spatula to dislodge any browned bits on the bottom of the skillet. Transfer the mixture to the slow cooker.

Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 10 hours, until the pork is fork-tender.

To serve, remove the pork from the cooker and cut it into 1/2-inch-thick slices, then use 2 forks to shred the slices into bite-size pieces.

Add the hot pepper sauce to the liquid in the cooker, then return the pork and any accumulated juices to the cooker and toss to coat with the liquid. Serve warm, or keep warm for up to several hours.

Buns:
(Thank you EggsonSunday)

Ingredients

4 1/4 cups unbleached bread flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons instant yeast
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups buttermilk or milk, at room temperature

Directions

Mix together the flour, salt, sugar, and yeast in a large bowl. Pour in the egg, butter, and buttermilk and mix with a large metal spoon until all the flour is absorbed and the dough forms a shaggy ball. You can trickle in a little water if the dough seems very stiff, until the dough is soft and supple.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured countertop, where you’ll do your kneading. Knead for about 8 minutes, until the dough is soft, supple, and tacky but not sticky. You can test if you’ve kneaded it enough by pulling off a little piece of dough, gently stretching and pulling it with your hands until it’s paper thin, and holding it up to the light: if the dough stretches and holds its shape without breaking, to the point where it’s translucent, it’s done. This is called the windowpane test.

Lightly oil a large bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl. Roll it around to coat it with the oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a towel and let it rise at room temperature for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until doubled in size (I use an electric heating pad under the bowl, as we keep our house on the cool side.)

Remove the risen dough from the bowl and divide it into eighteen 2-ounce pieces (for slider buns) or twelve 3-ounce pieces (for standard size burger buns.) Shape the pieces of dough into rounds, transfer them to baking sheets lined with Silpats or parchment paper, and cover them with a towel. Let the buns proof at room temperature for 60 to 90 minutes, or until they’re nearly doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Whisk together 1 egg with 1 teaspoon of water, for an egg wash. Brush the tops of the buns with the egg wash, and sprinkle with sesame seeds if you like. Bake the buns for 15 minutes, until the tops are golden brown. Remove them immediately from the pans and cool completely on a wire cooling rack (cool them at least 1 hour before slicing.)

Makes 18 slider buns or 12 regular burger buns.

Pickled Red Onions:
(Thank you David Lebovitz)

These onions make a over-the-top side dish and I serve them not just with Mexican food, but with barbequed meats and even chopped in potato salad. Reserve any liquid and use it to add tang to cole slaw or chopped vegetable salad.

You can vary the seasonings. I used allspice and bay leaves, and sometimes I add a few kernels of black pepper and cloves. But cinnamon sticks and star anise would work, and I’m thinking of experimenting with very thinly sliced cloves of garlic or carrots, for contrast.

3/4 cup (180ml) white vinegar
3 tablespoons (50gr) sugar
pinch of salt
1 bay leaf
5 allspice berries
5 whole cloves
a small, dried chile pepper
1 large red onion, peeled, and thinly sliced into rings

1. In a small, non-reactive saucepan, heat the vinegar, sugar, salt, seasonings and chile until boiling.

2. Add the onion slices and lower heat, then simmer gently for 30 seconds.

3. Remove from heat and let cool completely.

4. Transfer the onions and the liquid into a jar then refrigerate until ready to use.

Storage: The onions will keep for several months, but I find they’re best the week they’re made.

Battle Summer First Place: ItalAsian Caprese

Wed, 25 Jul 2012 02:34:10 -0400

The only thing better than summer… is Battle Summer! At the request of a birthday boy guest of honor (ProfessorChef) everyone was asked to bring their best darn summer dish. No rules, no ingredient limitations, just make summer happen in our mouths.

The winning chef team (TeamCocktail) not only concocted the Corpse Reviver cocktails that night, but also threw down this deceptively simple asian-italian “caprese.” In addition to the transporting flavors this dish has the element of surprise — you think you’re tucking into a nice little caprese but the sesame hits, the soy, the “wait that’s not basil! it’s shiso!” moment.

I guess the recipe originally called for tofu, and much as I love tofu the chefs made the right choice going full on for freshly made mozz.

This recipe will seriously have you mumbling “shiso chiffonade… shiso chiffonade…” to yourself with a smile on your face as you drift off to sleep at night. Hell if I don’t watch out I might name my first child Shiso Chiffonade. Or at least my first Bichon Frise. But we digress.

All in all, a pure delight of a dish. Enjoy and congratulations to our Battle Summer champions and all the chefs who spoiled us with their amazing recipes! More recipes as they come in…

-JerzeeGirl

Momofuku Inspired “Ital-Asian” Cherry Tomato Salad

Ingredients for 4 generous servings:

One 12-ounce block silken tofu, drained (we used fresh mozzarella instead)
2 Pints Cherry tomatoes
1/4 C. Sherry vinegar
1 Tbsp. Usukuchi (light soy sauce)
1 tsp. Asian sesame oil
1/2 C. Grapeseed oil or other neutral oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
6 Shiso leaves

If using tofu, cut the block in half and use a 2- to 2 1/2-inch ring mold (or a straight-sided glass) to cut cylinders out of each slab. Carefully turn each cylinder on its side and slice in half, yielding 8 rounds of tofu. Save the tofu scraps for another use.

Bring a large saucepan of salted water into a boil. Prepare an ice batch in a large mixing bowl. Cut a tiny slash into the bottom of each tomato. Drop them, in batches, into the boiling water, and after 10 seconds, remove them with a slotted spoon and transfer them to the ice bath to cool. Slip the skin off the blanched tomatoes, put them in a bowl, and refrigerate. Cut some of the tomatoes in half. And dudes, don’t cheat and leave the damn skins on. NOT THE SAME.

Stir together the vinegar, soy sauce and sesame and grapeseed oils in a large mixing bowl. Add all the tomatoes and toss to coat.

To serve, place 2 slices of tofu (or mozzarella cheese) in each of four shallow serving bowls, and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Top each portion with about a cup of dressed tomatoes, season with a pinch of salt and a few turns of freshly ground black pepper, and garnish, generously with the shiso chiffonade.

JANSSON’S TEMPTATION Guest Chef BrooklynBoy throws down...

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 00:08:00 -0500

JANSSON’S TEMPTATION

Guest Chef BrooklynBoy throws down with the (spectacularly named) Jansson’s Temptation from the NYT Cookbook. Jerzee Girl isn’t one for anchovies, but this recipe was beautifully executed and — by all accounts — delicious. Future improvements would include: leeks, breadcrumbs and a bit more of some kind of strong, feisty delicious old cheese.

To Make:

Preheat oven to 350
Peel potatoes cut into 1/4” thick slices, stack and cut again into french fry style strips.
Cover bottom of baking dish (13x8x2) with half of potatoes. Drain anchovies, reserve liquid, arrange them symmetrically over layer of potatoes. Pour anchovy liquid over all.
Scatter onion slices over top, sprinkle with pepper. scatter remaining potatoes. pour half the cream over and sprinkle with more pepper. Dot top with butter, bake for 30 minutes. Pour remaining cream on top, bake another 30 minutes until potatoes tender.

And there ya have it. Scandinavian winter dream dish.

Winter Veggie Wellington

Tue, 03 Jan 2012 23:12:00 -0500

Say hello to our newest guest chef — Michigan Girl! To survive the dreaded, freezing Michigan winters she likes to whip up this little vegetable “Wellington.”

Most of the ingredients (cheap white wine, pastry dough, precut butternut squash, etc.) can all be picked up at Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods. Yes, you can go buy a butternut squash and chop it yourself, but it’s kind of a pain in the twink. And yes, you could make your own darn pastry dough, but really? Come on. We’re working people. We have other things to do.

Special supplies: 1) optional leaf shape cookie cutters (We used to get them from Williams Sonoma. They don’t have the exact ones but there are some leaf fondant cutters which would work), and 2) about a 8x8” and 4” deep baking dish.

Ingredients
Enough for 6

- 8 tablespoons butter
- 2 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (you can buy it precut from Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods)
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked sweet paprika or 1/4 teaspoon regular paprika
- 1 tablespoon chicken or vegetable Better Than Bouillon (ya gotta have the Better Than Bouillon around at all times — it saves sauces, soups, etc. Great stuff.)
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped (used 2 tbsps pre-chopped)
- 3 large shallots, finely chopped
- 1 large white onion, chopped
- 1 container (1.5 lbs) cremini mushrooms, trimmed and roughly chopped
- 2 chopped zucchini
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 4 tablespoons chopped parsley (optional)
- 1 (28 ounce) package puff pastry (14- to 16-ounce, should have at least two sheets of pastry)
- 1 bag (6oz) prewashed fresh organic spinach
- 5 oz crumbled goat cheese
- 1 egg white to brush on pastry (can use damp paper towel to dip and apply if you don’t have a kitchen brush handy)

Directions

Heat the oven to 400 degrees.
In a very large skillet over high heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Add the squash in a single layer and cook, undisturbed, for 4 minutes. (If squash won’t fit in a single layer, cook it in batches). Stir and continue to cook until squash is golden, 7 to 10 minutes more. Stir in the syrup, thyme, paprika and teaspoon salt; cook a couple of minutes. Scrape mixture into a bowl.
Turn the heat down to medium and melt the remaining butter in the skillet. Stir in garlic, onion and shallot; cook 2-4 minutes. Add the mushrooms, zucchini and dash of salt. Cook until mushrooms are soft and their juices evaporate, about 10 minutes. Stir in the wine, bouillion and cook until the mixture is dry, about 5-7 minutes. Stir in the pepper. Taste and add more salt if needed.
In 8”x8” and 4” deep square pyrex dish, lightly butter dish (we used a spray) then layer squash, spinach, goat cheese and mushroom zucchini mix.
Then lay pastry dough on top and use optional leaf shaped cookie cutters to decorate the top. Brush the dough with egg white.
Bake until dough golden and mix is bubbling, about 30 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes, slice and serve.

Note: The original inspiration for this came from Food.com, but MI girl made significant changes.

A Gourmet Extravaganza - Part 2, The Latinos Strike Back

Sun, 25 Dec 2011 02:53:00 -0500

You know you’re in for a night of tastebud heaven when the dinner invite includes this video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ab2PgEVg4g and los tcheffs hail from Colombia and Costa Rica.

A Genius At Work

Tantalizing the Tastebuds

Which way to the culinary MoMA?

Homemade Arepas with a Kick!

Pollo a la Yuca-tana

Dessert in Various Stages of Dress

It Just Makes Everything Taste Better

A Gourmet Extravaganza - Part 1

Sun, 25 Dec 2011 02:41:00 -0500

What happens when you leave a German holed up in a kitchen in central Jerzee? You’re about to find out!

First Course: Spanish Sausage Made of Jamon Iberico, Fresh Greens and Cherry Tomatos, Toasts and a 2008 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon

Second Course: Gaspacho a la Alemania

Third Course: Fresh Greens with Balsamic/Cherry Reduction, Toasts, and Foie Gras….

Pear-Rose-Geranium Gelato Palate Cleanser

Fourth Course: Roasted Potatoes, Warm Cherry Tomato Salsa, Pan Seared Scallops with Turmeric-Cream Sauce Paired with a Kendall-Jackson Sav Blanc.

The Grand Finale - Grand Marnier Crepes with Nutella, Whipped Cream, and Berries!

The Dinner May Have Been So Tasty That It Inspired Dancing with Dishes….

In A Serious Way!

Guest Star: Porteño Boy's Sea Bass Ceviche & Roasted Corn

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 02:37:00 -0500

This week we have a guest star chef from Argentina. Behold! Porteño Boy’s much-lauded sea bass ceviche with roasted corn. Como se dice…. YUM.

Ingredients for eight generous servings.

-3 pounds of Sea Bass, or any other firm white flesh fish, chilled and cut in 1/2 inch cubes. Freshness is everything, talk to the fish person, tell them it is for ceviche.
-1 cup red onion, chopped tiny.
-1 cup green pepper, chopped tiny.
-1/2 cup hot red pepper, chopped tiny. The actual variety is on you, from mild jalapenos to fiery scotch bonnets.
-1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped tiny.
-1/2 cup chives, chopped tiny.
-2 cups roasted corn. Just char a couple of corn cobs on the open flame, finish them for three minutes in the microwave and remove the kernels with a sharp knife.
-6 limes, juiced and strained for seeds.
-1 tbsp salt.

Mix in a non-reactive pan the fish, lime juice and salt. Toss around until all fish pieces are well bathed in the juice. Reserve in the refrigerator for half an hour.

Remove the marinated fish from the fridge, and gently mix in the rest of the ingredients. Taste it and adjust the salt if needed.

For plating, place a ring mold on a plate and pack tight with the fish mix. If you don’t have a ring mold, fill a squatty glass, like a scotch glass, with the fish mix, and gently invert over the plate. Serve immediately.

Consider the Lobster...

Thu, 25 Aug 2011 12:10:00 -0400

“A woman should never be seen eating or drinking unless it be lobster salad and Champagne, the only true feminine and becoming viands.” — Lord Byron

Sign me up for the Lord Byron lady diet! I, le Jerzee Girl, was just about to quickly reblog some lobster recipes from the NY Times when I realized that my summertime lobster adventures deserved a more thorough treatment. Behold, the Lobsterganza post.

1. If you are ever anywhere near Mt. Desert Island in Maine, run, do not walk, RUN to the Jordan Pond House and stuff thyself on the world’s most.amazing.popovers and the creamy, sherry infused lobster bisque (below). I highly recommend a 1-to-1 butter-dish-to-popover ratio. I do not, however, recommend then going on a 2-hour post-popover-death-march bicycle ride immediately afterwards.

2. If you are ever near Buzzard’s Bay in Massachusetts, stop in at the Back Eddy for the lobster casserole…yyyuummm… (and try the apple wood bacon wrapped scallops)

3.And then of course, there are the Jerzee Bites lobster roll recipes which started out this whole blog!

4. Have you ever wondered what people who catch lobster for a living call themselves? After polling numerous people in Maine, the debate raged on about whether they call themselves lobstermen or lobster fishermen or fishermen. The results were inconclusive, but we did learn that they call lobsters “bugs.” (Mmmm… hot buttery bugs…)

5. All this talk about lobster’s got me ready to head off to my favorite NY dealer — the Red Hook Lobster Pound. But how to prepare?

Here are 12 recipes from the NY Times Magazine: Thai Lobster Soup, Lobster Grapefruit Salad, Lobster with Curry Mayo, etc.

And a great lookin recipe I came across online:

Summer Shack’s Pan-Roasted Lobster with Chervil & Chives Recipe

(props to Chef Jasper White Scribner)

“The bourbon in this recipe adds a sweetness that mingles potently with the sweetness of the lobster. An excellent Cognac or brandy can be substituted for similar results. Fresh chervil imparts a hint of anise flavor to the lobster; if unavailable, fresh parsley mixed with a small amount of fresh tarragon (1/2 teaspoon) will give a taste almost as good.

Equipment: You will need a medium Chinese cleaver or large chef’s knife, a heavy oven-proof 12-inch sauté pan and tongs.”

2 live 1 ¾ pound hard-shell lobsters
2 tablespoons peanut oil
2 shallots (1 ½ ounces), finely diced
¼ cup bourbon or cognac
2 or 3 tablespoons dry white wine
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and chilled
1 tablespoon finely chopped chervil
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives
kosher or sea salt
freshly ground pepper

1. Preheat the broiler or preheat the oven as hot as possible (500 or 550F). Position the oven rack in the upper third of the oven. You may need to shorten the cooking time slightly if the broiler rack is close to the heat.

2. Split the lobster lengthwise (it will kill the lobster instantly). Remove the tomalley and the roe if present. Now cut off the claw with the knuckle attached (where the knuckle meets the carapace). Cut the lobster halves into quarters. You will now have 6 pieces of lobster. Place the pieces of lobster, shell side down, on a plate.

3. Place the tomalley and roe in a small bowl. With a fork, break them into small pieces.

4. Place a heavy 12-inch sauté pan over the highest heat possible. Allow the pan to heat for 3 to 5 minutes until it becomes extremely hot. Add the oil and heat until it forms a film on the surface of the pan. Slide the lobster pieces, shell side down, into the hot oil. Using tongs, move the pieces in order to evenly sear all the shells. Because the lobster pieces are not flat, you will need to hold them with the tongs and press the shells into the hot oil to accomplish this. The claws need to be seared on only one side. When the shells have all turned bright red, which should take no more than 2 minutes, turn the pieces over. The oil will also have taken on a beautiful red tinge. Add the tomalley and roe to the pan.

5. Place the pan in the oven. If using the broiler, cook for 2 minutes. If using the oven, cook for 3 minutes. The shells should be slightly browned, even a bit charred in places.

6. Remove the pan from the oven and return it to the stove at maximum heat. Turn off the oven and put your plates in to warm. This will take only a minute. Warning: The handle of the pan will be red-hot and will stay hot until the dish is complete. To avoid burns, wear oven mitts from now until the dish is complete.

7. Add the shallots to the fat in the pan and stir. Add the bourbon and ignite. Shake the pan until the flames die down. Add the wine and let liquid in the pan reduce until the pan is almost dry. Turn the heat to low.

8. Quickly remove the pieces of lobster and place, shell side down, on warm plates. I like to “reconstruct” the lobster so that it looks similar to a split lobster. Arrange the claws so that they lean into the center of the lobster.

9. Return the pan to the heat and add the butter, chervil and chives. Swirl or stir the butter in the pan to create a creamy sauce with the pan juices. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Use very little salt, if any, because the lobster adds its own salt. Spoon the sauce over the lobster pieces (see photograph insert following page 50) and serve at once.

Serves 2 as a generous main course.

Viva the Sea Bug!

Ah, Indian food, how I love thee...

Fri, 01 Jul 2011 00:00:06 -0400

This past week a friend took me to Desi Galaxy in Metuchen NJ for a little chat, chaat and chai. Indian is one of those magical cuisines where you can tuck into a hole in the wall and be in utter delight. The chai is perfectly spiced and only one dollar, too (*aHEM* Starbucks with your $4 shitty chai!).

If you’re ever in Metuchen, check this place out for a little bite. It’s right next to Apna Bazaar where you can stock up on awesome Indian groceries.

Apna Bazaar – Cash and Carry Food Store
http://apnabazarcashandcarry.com/

Buy this mozz @ Trader Joe’s. For the record, this is the...

Tue, 28 Jun 2011 10:00:06 -0400

Buy this mozz @ Trader Joe’s.

For the record, this is the best buffalo mozzarella commonly available in America. Trust the Jerz Girl when she tells you this. She and her sister (Michigan Girl) are obsessed with the buffalo mozz ever since a visit to Italy long ago. We are on an eternal quest, and this is about as good as it gets.

A little sea salt, a little pepper, a little tomato, fresh basil, olive oil and some balsamic or homemade vinegar and you’re in heaven. Close your eyes while you eat and you’ll be transported to the little cheese shop in Florence where Jer-z girl was converted to a cheese lover by two octogenarian twin brothers who owned the shop. Mozz was the gateway drug…