Kosher Dosher...“I am a culinary Heretic"

Asian Coconut Curry Sauce? I just made this name   up last night. I have been making this sauce for over 15 years and have finally decided to write it down. Over the years I have made several variants and versions of this incredible sauce that include many Asian herbs, spices and veggies. The recipe that I have decided to write down is my base version. There are other herbs/spices and veggies that go great with my recipe but it's entirely up to you what you add. In fact feel free to change the amounts in the original recipe to create your own. I do this every-time I make it. ASIAN COCONUT CURRY SAUCE 1 can of coconut milk (13-15 oz) 1/2 cup of Canola oil 1/2 cup of Honey 1/3 cup of Fish sauce 1/2 cup of Curry powder 1 Tbl + 1 tsp of Coriander 1 Tbl + 1 tsp of Cumin 1 Tbl + 1 tsp of Garlic Powder (or fresh) Cayenne powder (optional for heat) Use a blender to combine everything.  The abo...

Gobble Gobble My Turkey escapade  I can't take credit for this delicious Turkey!!! All I did was cook it and follow the recipe and techniques on  Amazing Ribs.com . If you want to learn about cooking a turkey and the science behind this simple but sometimes difficult endeavor look no further than Amazing Ribs.com .  I thought I knew a lot about cooking a Turkey and I do but the author was able to describe from start to finish what's involved when taking on the task of making the perfect Turkey.  My knowledge base on cooking a great Turkey was near perfect; so I thought until I read the article. The author was able to describe and write in such a way that really impressed me and more importantly taught me a few things.  I am always learning!!! This is a picture of my Turkey in my Weber Smokey Mountain 22.5. I used a Spanek vertical Roaster   which is suppose ...

Ottomans's Basturma?   Funny name for air-dried beef don't you think? I was researching different kinds of cured meats and styles when I came across ... Basturma , also called Bastirma or Pastirma . Hmmm, I thought to my self, with  names like this you know there must must be an interesting story behind this cured meat. What I found interesting was the ingredients that were used to make this air-dried beef and the techniques to make it. I also like the notion of a beef cured meat that I do not have to modify to make it Kosher. I will go into detail later on but as far as I can see the technique and ingredients have not changed except for some minimal variances over thousands of years.  Why did I call this Ottomans's Basturma? The Air-dried beef was universally consumed and loved by the former Ottoman countries so I thought if fitting to call it Ottomans Basturma. We are talking old!!! Before there was Prosciutto, Pancetta, and Bres...

Bresaola Bresaola Bresaola io ti adora!!!! For those of you that do not speak Italian "io ti adora" means "How I adore you" I don't  speak Italian either so I goggled it because it sound sophisticated. That's right I love just adore my Bresaola.  In a privous post titled Bresaola using UMAI Charcuterie Bags I talked about how I cured it and here are the results of that effort.  A special thanks to Jason Molinari of cured meats blog for sharing his recipe!!!  After 21 days of curing and 51 days of dry curing the Bresaola met its target weight of 2137 grams which was a 35% loss in weight. I originally was shooting for 30% but decided to go for an extra 5%.  My thoughts?  The Bresaola tasted meaty and the texture was silky and creamy. Overall I would say it was a symphony orchestrated and executed with precision.   Perhaps, and I am still debating this I will pu...

8 oz fresh Salmon    4 oz smoke Salmon ½ Cup Mayonnaise ½ Cup Cream cheese (use Salmon Cream Cheese if you want a pronounced Salmon Flavor) ½ Cup Sour Cream 1 tsp Lemon Zest 1 Tbl Lemon Juice As much as you like ¼ Cup of finely chopped Chives or Green Onion ¼ Cup of dill finely chopped  2 Tbls Roasted Garlic (more is always optional) Click here to learn How to Roast Garlic Salt.....to taste Pepper.....to taste Shot of Hot Sauce Poach the Fresh Salmon in a Court Bullion first.  Court Bullion Recipe Add to a quart of water several pepper corns, bay leaf, Lemon Peel, half the juice of one lemon (optional ½ cup of wine), 1 Tbl Salt,  half of a very small chopped onion and bring to a boil for five minutes then reduce heat to just a simmer.  Add fish and poach for several minutes until cooked through.  Cool off fish.  Using a fork mash the poached fish with the smoked fish.   Add rest of ingredients....

There is nothing better than roasted garlic.  Roasted garlic on almost anything is an experience. It's sweet, it's forgiving, it's impetuous and it ignites your palate and culinary imagination.  Roasted Garlic is sweet and mellow.  I use it in many different ways.  I use it in soups, as a spread, condiment, and I use it in compound butters too.  It's only limited to your imagination.  I love spreading it under the skin of a turkey or chicken too.  HOW TO ROAST YOUR GARLIC Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  You will need some Aluminum Foil and a healthy head of garlic or several if you want to do a big batch.  Salt, pepper and Olive oil.   Peel the outer layers from the garlic head, leaving several layers intact to hold head together.  With a very sharp knife , cut off the top of head to expose cloves.  Be very careful because if the knife is not shar...

Dry Age Rib-Eye steak!!!! The year is Oct 1991 and I am spending part of my honeymoon in  NYC  visiting family.   My mom thought it would be a great gift to take my bride and I to a very famous steak house located in Brooklyn New York. Famous is putting it very mildly.  I am talking about  Peter Luger Steak House EST 1887 .  It is a world class steak house and to my knowledge there is no better.  They only sell prime aged meat and don't take visa or master card. You better have cash or American Express. You cannot simply order a steak either.  You have to order a steak for one, two, or three people etc. The steak comes plated and pre-cut and sits next to the bones for presentation. The experience was incredible and so was the food but the price was exorbitant. To this day I still remember the bill. My mom paid $586 for the meal (+ $100 tip) which only included ...