Some Tasty Thai ~ Cooking 129

Thai food is not about simplicity....it's about creating a balance of flavor with an insane number of ingredients.

That pretty much describes these Thai Fish Cakes with Nuoc Cham Dipping Sauce and Sriracha Aioli. A shit load of ingredients, killer delish and worth the effort, this masterpiece was our first course for the Thai Cooking Class.  

My girls, Linda and Vicki nailed the fish cakes! Tom and Kitt made the Nuoc Cham, even though they couldn't say it and Scott and Shawna made a great sesame vinaigrette (recipe courtesy of Pisces award winning chef, Nia) for the greens and when it all came together it was everything you would expect to find in great Thai cuisine. But don't get too excited just yet because I'm not posting the recipe for this dish until next time...This is just a teaser....so read on.

Kim, serving it up.

February's Thai Cooking Class was probably one of the all time favorites for the Sauce du Jour chefs. We started the night with Mango-Curry Shrimp Salad, which is a recipe I first posted here a couple of years ago. I usually serve this salad in wonton or phyllo cups but this time I served it in spoons. Using cooked shrimp and mango chutney, this appetizer comes together in minutes. Click here for the recipe, or find it under the appetizer tab.

My Coconut-Curry Soup was the big hit of the night! I made several test runs trying to perfect this soup before I came up with this winning combination. With three curries in it, plus lemongrass, shiitakes and chicken, it really is a party in your mouth. Remember what I said about an insane number of ingredients? This is what I'm talkin' about. Jaynee, Lisa and Kim tag teamed it and made their momma proud!

Jaynee, workin' the soup spoon

Almost everyone agreed it was one of, it not the BEST soup they had EVER eaten...I mean EVER!!! Don't miss out on this one and don't be intimidated by the long list of ingredients. That's typical of Thai, but it really doesn't take too long to pull it together so line up the ingredients and go for it.

My Pad Thai recipe has been up on this blog for quite awhile and it's the perfect combo of sweet, spicy, salty and sour. If possible use authentic palm sugar (it's a paste - not granular, like brown sugar) and tamarind paste. Amazon is your friend if, like me you don't live within 500 miles of an Asian grocery store. You can find the recipe here or under the Pasta Tab.

We whipped up two big batches with Connor and Cristina on one side of the stove and Brandy and June on the other side. What you see ↑ is the beautiful result of  Pad Thai SdJ style.

We wrapped up the night with a traditional Thai dessert of sticky rice and mangoes with coconut cream.

Click on the links below for the recipes for the Coconut-Curry Soup, Pad Thai and the Mango-Curry Shrimp Salad. Fish Cakes coming up later.

PRINT RECIPE:  Coconut-Curry Soup with Lemongrass, Shiitakes and Chicken

PRINT RECIPE:  Pad Thai

PRINT RECIPE:  Mango-Curry Shrimp Salad

Sticky Rice with Mango in Coconut Cream

Perfect Chicken Cordon Bleu (and the secret on how to avoid early emeltulation)

I made my first Chicken Cordon Bleu back in the 90's, when Chicken Cordon Bleu became really cool and started spelling it's name "Bleu" rather than "Blue".

My recollection of those early attempts amounted to a piece of Budding ham and a thin slice of Swiss cheese rolled into a plump chicken breast which I then dusted up in some flour. Upon cooking it, the cheese promptly melted out of it, leaving a gooey blob in a greasy pan that I attempted to turn into a sauce worthy of such a fancy sounding entree. Meh.
My early attempts looked something like this.↓  

You can just tell by looking at it that all of that cheese is going to melt out the minute it hits the pan. This is NOT what you want!
     I'm no quitter...you know this about me, if you know me. In the past two decades I've tweaked and perfected the Bleu! Here's what you need to know to make the perfect Chicken Cordon Blue Bleu.

Tip #1: You gotta beat the meat! Pound that chicken, so it's thin. Put it between saran wrap or parchment paper so the icky juices don't splatter everywhere.

Tip #2: Use the best Gruyere cheese you can afford and cut it into a log about 1/2" x 1/2" x 3 to 4 inches long.
Tip #3: Load the breast up with about 1 ounce of thinly sliced deli ham (I like black forest ham best), a slab of cheese (an asparagus spear, if you want) and roll it up tight, folding the ends of the ham over the ends of the cheese to seal the cheese in it's own little ham hug. Secure with toothpicks and put it in the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes. Pour yourself a glass of wine.
Tip #4: Panko baby! Panko makes for a perfect crust, so use the three coating rule and dip it in flour, egg, panko...in that order.

Tip #5: This is the money tip, so pay attention! After it's crusted (sides and ends) put it on a baking rack and pop it back in the freezer for about 20 minutes and have that second glass wine while you wait for it to properly chill. By doing this the cheese gets hard, preventing early emeltulation and the crumbs freeze just enough to hug up on the breasts and to guaran-damn-tee that they won't fall off when they hit the hot grease.
Tip #6: Fry breasts in hot oil just until they are beautifully browned.
Tip #7: Finish it in the oven for 10-15 minutes while you make the sauce. (Don't be afraid to poke a thermometer in it. Internal temp should be about 165. You can pull it out at 160; it will finish and come up to 165, if you let it rest for about 5 minutes)

If you do this it will turn out perfect, I promise! The cheese will still be inside of it when you slice it open and will come out all melty and yummy.

I used to try to make a pan sauce but since breasts don't render any fat, it mostly came out without much flavor. This Parmesan-Dijon sauce is way better than any pan sauce so just dirty up another pan and make this lovely cream sauce while the chicken is baking. It's so simple and so worth it.

The January SdJ cooking class was called "Stuffed Stuff", hence the reason for the Cordon Bleu. Here is the complete menu.

The Stuffed Baguette is a great "do ahead" appetizer and can be made the day before. It's versatile and adaptable to what ingredients you have on hand. I went with Mediterranean flavors for this one, but you could easily switch it up to whatever you're in the mood for. (Mexican, Italian...)

I was bound and determined to do a S'mores stuffed chocolate chip cookie but I was underwhelmed by my 20 attempts. Pissed off, I finally thought screw it, we should drink dessert. The result is still S'mores and although it's not really drinkable, it does have marshmallow vodka (lots of it) in it so I'm calling it a cocktail. FYI, it did kick the chocolate-chip-cookie's ass!

To find out how to make all of this Stuff, go to the "Recipe Index" or click on the links below.

PRINT RECIPE: Mediterranean Stuffed Baguette

PRINT RECIPE:  Chicken Cordon Bleu with Parmesan-Dijon Sauce

PRINT RECIPE:  S'mores Dessert Cocktail

Giving Instead of Gifting

NOTE:  I had stared writing this blog post about "Giving Instead of Gifting" the week before our close friend's, the Nicholson's, daughter was in a horrific car accident, but hadn't posted it yet. Now, with what Mike, Karen and Amanda are going through I am adding this to the top of my list.
     My daughter, Savannah (aka Hates Everything) started this campaign for her sister-partner-in-crime-BFF-for-life, Amanda. This sweet girl has life changing injuries and now has needs one can hardly imagine.
     She's tough, she's brave, she is a fighter and she will win this battle! Love ya 'manda! Keep the faith!

GO FUND ME FOR AMANDA

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  

Really... I don't want or need anything for Christmas. (Unless it's wine.) And neither probably do you. So instead of scoring the mother of all deals on another electronic during the Christmas shopping rat race or pouring hundreds of dollars down the drain for the latest, greatest toy, consider giving at least a few of those dollars to a worthwhile cause.

The following charities listed below (with links) are some of my faves that I support on a regular basis and they would all benefit from your generosity.

Hope for Paws: 
I personally tried to adopt a darling little Chihuahua but because I don't live in southern Cal, was not able to do so. That little policy saved Elvis and Gracie from needing their own therapy dogs and kept The Big Guy and I on speaking terms. 
     Hope for Paws is a non-profit animal rescue organization, based in LA. They rescue dogs (and other animals) who are suffering on the streets and in the shelters. These wonderful rescuers foster the animals in their homes until they can find them permanent, loving  families.

     Their goal is to educate people on the importance of companion animals in our society and to stop the cycle of animal neglect and abuse. They do incredible work and I give them a few kibbles each month. 

My own spoiled rotten pups.
Gracie is giving her best "poor me" look. Elvis...he's just cool!

St. Jude Children's Hospital:

If you know a kid, have a kid, want a kid or ever were a kid, you should be emptying your piggy bank each month to donate to this wonderful organization. STAT! 
     St. Jude is leading the way the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. 

     As soon as I had kids of my own I understood how important the work of St. Jude is and I have been a supporter for the past 30 years. If you don't know who St. Jude's is you have, a) been living on another planet, or b) are a moron. 

The Dog and Cat Shelter (of Sheridan Co.)
I may be a teensy bit partial to this Shelter since my very own ELVIS PARSLEY was Mr. March 2009. (I have been accused of "buying votes" but prove it, just prove it.)
     Their mission is to provide a shelter where unwanted and abandoned dogs and cats can be humanely housed until adopted to qualified homes. The shelter also cares for lost animals until they are reclaimed by their owners. Their goals are to reduce the number of unwanted companion animals. They work tirelessly so give your money to them...they will truly appreciate it!

A couple of my other favorite charities are:

The Montanta Rescue Mission:
I do know first hand how worthwhile the Montana Rescue Mission is and I'll admit I am not as loyal to this charity as I should be. My soft spot for animals probably gets in the way. 
     You see, back in the 1990's when I lived in Montana and my own kids were under the age of 10 and were not yet complete little shits, it broke my heart to see some of these families so desperate for anything. I saved up all year and at Christmas took all the kids from the MRM (about 25-30) to Target to shop for a new coat and winter clothes. It was a priceless lesson that I got way more out of than I gave.   
     What I learned is that the people at the MRM are truly folks in need. They are NOT the losers who don't want to work and who want a hand out. They are decent people who are down on their luck and who need a hand up.
     If you are looking for something (fairly) local this is a good one. For only $2.05 you can buy Christmas dinner for one of the homeless. I am now officially kicking myself in the butt for not giving more.  I'm pledging...that will change.   

 
Cal Farley's:
Cal Farley's is one of the nation's largest privately funded child and family service organizations, with an equine based program.
    Their mission is to provide professional programs and services in a Christ-centered atmosphere to strengthen families and support the overall development of children.
    For more than 75 years they have worked to meet the needs of children and families...at NO COST to the people they serve and WITHOUT seeking state or federal funds.
     Many of their programs are "boy and equine" based, with young men and horses growing, learning and teaching together. 
     My few extra bucks goes here and it makes my heart feel good in all the right places. Check it out.

The Tasting Library:
Just kidding! I donate hundreds of dollars each year to this cause. Not kidding. This one is for my own enjoyment and enlightenment and where you should go if you are insistent on buying me a Christmas gift or want to fill my *coughbullshitcough* "Library Card". 

So there you have it. Now instead of spending your money on useless, silly,  and unneeded gifts that will end up being re-gifted, unwanted, or unused do something that matters. Something that makes a difference in someone's life.  

Celebrate our Lord and Savior's birth by giving from your heart. If you can't give from your heart. Give wine. Wine is good. Wine is Godly.  
Live, laugh and love... 

The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated…I hold that, the more helpless a creature, the more entitled it is to protection by [people] from the cruelty of [human kind]”—Mahatma Gandhi

Autumn Harvest ~ Cooking Class 126

Our mad pumpkin carving skills!

For my October class I wanted to feature the flavors that bring the taste and feel of the harvest of fall to mind. From pumpkins, squash and sweet potatoes to a hearty soup; roasted beets, pecans, and cranberries; the taste and smell of sage, plus a horseradishy mustard sauce all come to mind. It was a bountiful feast indeed!  

Red and golden beets with burrata, pears, pistachios, thyme and balsamic.

I had planned to do a beet appetizer until my sister sent me a recipe for a sweet potato appetizer that she'd recently had at a party, saying it was one the best appetizers she had ever eaten. I know she knows good food, and I'm not pickin' on her, BUT she is a vegetarian so I also know that she's missing out on a lot of really great appetizers. My top ten list would probably all include some kind of meat or seafood. Immediately coming to mind is a crostini of elk carpaccio with huckleberry preserves that I had in Beaver Creek, Colorado and it was to die for; mussels with chorizo in coconut curry in St Croix that we couldn't get off our minds so we went back for more, a year later. There are the duck confit nachos from Coco Maya, and sushi and crudo from Zengo! She is really missing out!

Anyhow, since my upcoming cooking class was "Autumn Harvest," I decided to give the recipe a try. I didn't expect to be blown away but  I was so wrong (sorry sis, you were right, there I said it, into the microphone), it was fantastic!

You start by giving the potatoes a good blistering in a hot oven. The "salad" is a mixture of pecans, celery, cranberries, parsley and shallots. Add some goat cheese and dress it with a vinaigrette of red wine vinegar, olive oil and Dijon mustard. It's simple, comes together fast and is unbelievably delicious. You know me....I was tempted to add bacon, but was glad I didn't.

You can use yams and/or sweet potatoes; I used both and liked the presentation of the two colors. I sliced them thick and hearty, which gives you a nice mouth full of creamy potato. You could slice them thinner to make them go farther, for a big crowd but if you do I think you would lose some of what makes them so great: the creamy, sweet texture, so go big or go home is my advice.

For our first course we made a Carrot-Coconut-Curry Soup. This is a soup that I first fell in love with last winter. I have been making it all summer long with the abundance of carrots that my friend Linda, has been supplying me with and I love it even more each time I make it. I've tweaked this recipe from a basic carrot soup I found in Bon Appetit, by kicking it up with the curry, some Thai red chile sauce and creme fraiche. Fresh garden carrots make it delicious and the coconut and curry add a nice Asian feel to it while the Thai chile sauce leaves a good kind of heat at the back of the throat. The creme fraiche cools it off and adds a silky richness that leaves you wanting seconds. It's super easy and has only a few ingredients so it comes together pretty fast. Win-win, plus it tastes as good as it looks!

For our entree we whipped up a Pecan Chicken with Creole Mustard Sauce (recipe from the amazing Cabernet Grill) and a stuffed acorn squash, plus we made Butternut Squash Gnocchi.

Cristina and Kim, the Gnocchi Queens

Connor and Scott, the backup Gnocchi team

We finished up the night with a Pumpkin Waffle dessert and a cigarette. Yeah, it was that good.

Here was the full menu...give me a shout if you want me to post any of the other recipes. (The Acorn Squash with Sun-dried Tomato Polenta, is already up.)

PRINT RECIPE:  Blistered Sweet Potatoes Loaded with an Autumn Salad of Pecans, Celery, Cranberries and Goat Cheese

PRINT RECIPE:  Carrot-Coconut-Curry Soup


*Thanks to Kitt for many of the pix!

A Coddled Egg and an Anchovy Walk Into a Bar

The bartender says, this is a bar and we don't serve Caesar salads in here....yuck, yuck, yuck, or something like that. Yeah, I just made that up.

Anyhow...While I wouldn't exactly call myself an "anchovy hater", I'm not exactly a "lover" either. When asked if I want anchovies with that, I usually take a pass, but if they come on my salad, my pizza, or my bacon I don't pick them off. I just eat them.

When I saw a recipe on Food 52 for a salad with an anchovy dressing I decided I had to try it  ~ ONLY because it had a coddled egg in it and I had never coddled an egg before. I didn't even know how. Or that you could. Or why you would want to. I was asking myself, do you baby it, do you talk nice to it and tell it that it's a good egg and that it played a good game and that it deserves a trophy. I mean what the hell is a coddled egg anyway? Cranky eggs I know; I've been making them for years, but I have never even coddled my own kids (I'm more about an ass whoppin') let alone an egg; so I was all about finding out how. And why.

                                                  cranky eggs ↓

                             eggs begging to be coddled ↓

Now you know.

I had to try it and it turns out that I'm quite good at coddling eggs, and a happy coddled egg loving up on a few anchovies makes for a tasty dressing. 

A perfectly coddled egg ↓

                          

So a coddled egg means that the yolk is still raw and the white is just barely set around the shell. It's still pretty much yucky* but don't let it bother you. (*yucky is a chef term for "gross, but tastes good.")

Put the coddled egg in time out, while you beat up the anchovies. To do that, start by mashing up some garlic; add the anchovies, and using a mortar and pestle, turn it into a paste.

It's gonna be a stinky paste, but just go with it...Trust me!

Add the paste to the coddled egg

Then add the remaining ingredients and whip the hell out of it for whining and this is what is looks like when you whisk it all together. No more coddleing.

↓

This dressing will remind you of an old school Caesar dressing; raw egg, garlic, anchovy, Dijon, Worcestershire, and lemon juice. The twist is the creme fraiche, which I think is the secret ingredient that makes this dressing so genius and so wonderful.

As I said, it's been my favorite salad of the summer and since the grill is usually fired up I've been serving it with a salad of grilled romaine, grilled avocados, summer tomatoes, shaved Parm, and a big chewy, grilled sourdough crouton. If you have a fresh ear of corn on hand, grill that too and cut it off the cob and add it to the salad.
     With summer on it's way out, fire up the grill one last time, coddle an egg and make this salad. It's so worth it.

(Shitty picture, I know...new computer and I haven't figured out the format to send pix from my phone.) Insert cranky egg face here.

(Note to egg coddlers: This dressing is best eaten within the first few days...it turns out coddled eggs, like coddled kids, don't stay happy for too long. I've kept it for a week or so, but notice that the anchovy (smell and taste) gets stronger. It really is delish, so step out of your bottled Caesar comfort zone and don't be afraid to coddle then eggs.)

PRINT RECIPE:  Grilled Romaine Salad with Anchovy Dressing

Grillin' and Chillin" ~ Cooking Class 123

We were Grillin' and Chillin' for the June SdJ Cooking Class.  
Here was the menu and a few of the recipes.

Grilled ‘n Chilled Ancho Chile Rubbed Shrimp Shooters 

with Cool Corn-Avocado Salad

Grilled and Stuffed Jalapeno Popper Sliders

with Bacon, White Cheddar + Avocado-Ranch Sauce

Whole Copper River Salmon, Stuffed with Lemon + Herbs

Grilled and Served with Dijon-Tarragon Beurre Blanc

Grilled Potatoes in Mustard Aioli + Fresh Herbs

OOPS, NO PICTURE, BUT YOU GET THE DRIFT.

Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus Bundles

Grilledand Topped with Gremolata

Grilled Bananas, Maple-Rum-Butter Sauce, Ice Cream + Toffee

The Copper River Salmon was a huge hit and many said this was there favorite menu EV-VER! I'll share that recipe at a later date, but for now here are a few of the others. They are perfect for the summer, so fire up the grill and prepare to chill with some tasty hot and cold combos that are a snap to prepare.

PRINT RECIPE:  Ancho Chile Rubbed Shrimp Shooters with Cool Corn-Avocado Salad

PRINT RECIPE:  Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus Bundles with Gremolata

PRINT RECIPE:  Grilled Bananas with Maple-Rum-Butter Sauce, Ice Cream and Toffee Chunks