September 2011 ~ Super Food Notes

Spatchcocked Spatchcock

By JOKO September 29, 2011

“Spatchcock” refers to the method of cutting open a whole chicken, so that it sits flat in a pan, or on a grill. However, it wasn’t always the highly amusing verb it is today. Originally, it was a highly amusing noun used to describe a small, young chicken. Since these tender birds were usually butterflied to cook faster and more evenly over the coals, “spatchcock” became...

Spatchcock Chicken Tease

By JOKO September 28, 2011

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Fig Brulee with Burrata Cheese – Let’s Burn the Top of Some Fruit!

By JOKO September 27, 2011

I love a crème brulee as much as the next portly chef, but when you consider the custard base is egg yolk-thickened, sweetened heavy cream, it’s not something you should be eating more than occasionally. But, why waste such a great technique when it can be applied to other things, like fresh fruit?In the spirit of full disclosure, I chose figs here because I received a generous...

Hello from Dunsmuir, California!

By JOKO September 24, 2011

Just a quick note to let you know we're up in beautiful Dunsmuir, California celebrating my father-in-law Al's 70th birthday. We'll be back at it Monday, so pardon any delays in responding to comments and emails. I hope you have a wonderful weekend, and as always, enj...

My Mayo Method Steak Sauce Formula – Looks Like Math, Tastes Like Magic

By JOKO September 23, 2011

When I need a fast and easy sauce for grilled steaks, I love to use this sort of mayonnaise-based condiment. As I explain in the video, the basic formula is mayo + salt + spice + acid + herb. I don’t think I’ve ever made the exact same one twice, which is not surprising when you realize how many combinations are possible. I’m not calling this aioli because it doesn’t contain...

My Mayo Method Steak Sauce Formula – Looks Like Math, Tastes Like Magic

By JOKO September 23, 2011

Cheesy White Chilli Chicken

By JOKO September 22, 2011

There was ricotta cheese sitting in the fridge and I had to make a chicken dish for dinner. I wanted to make something different to avoid the curry smell and the spicy taste which the kids are fed up of eating day in and day out. I imagined what kind of taste the kids would appreciate, so had to incorporate the ingredients to get the flavour I wanted. The smooth texture...

Black rice salad

By JOKO September 22, 2011

Yes, Black rice is the kind of food that can save your life! It is one of the special breeds of rice specifically reserved for kings in ancient times. It is chinese black rice and is different from wild rice and thai black rice. Rich in iron, vitamin E and full of antioxidants it has a natural healing power and anti-aging properties. It has more antioxidants...

Good Morning Sausage! Pork, Fennel, and Orange Breakfast Sausage Patties

By JOKO September 21, 2011

I know I say this a lot, but I can’t believe I haven’t done this recipe yet! There are few things as easy and amazing as homemade breakfast sausage, and this is my favorite formula. The key here is to get some properly ground fresh pork from a real live butcher. The ground pork in the meat case at the supermarket is not going to be coarse enough, not to mention the fact that...

Thin Beef steaks in coconut sauce

By JOKO September 20, 2011

Ingredients:Thin Beef steaks - 8 (1/4 - 1/2 an inch thick)Black pepper - 1 - 2tblspnsLemon juice - 2 tblspnsGarlic cloves - 2 medium size finely gratedSalt to tasteCumin powder - 1tspnOlive oil - 2 tblspnsCoconut sauce:Coconut powder- 2 tblspnsGinger garlic paste - 1/4 tspnCayenne pepper flakes - 1/4 tspnCrushed cumin seeds - 1/2 tspnBlack pepper - 1 tspnWater - 1/4 cupOlive...

Fried Stuffed Squash Blossoms – So Good, You’ll Have Them Standing!

By JOKO September 19, 2011

I try to stay as seasonal as possible when choosing which food wishes to film, so I’m pushing it a little bit here with these goat cheese stuffed squash blossoms. They’re generally thought of as more of a springtime thing, but are available into fall. In fact, if I’m remembering my past zucchini growing experiences correctly, the hearty vines seemed to produce blossoms...

Coming Soon: Fried Stuffed Squash Blossoms

By JOKO September 18, 2011

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Getting Overexpose by Hungry Nation

By JOKO September 17, 2011

When my friends at Hungry Nation were over here filming my “Fresh Five” secret ingredients, they also forced me, under threat of severe physical injury, to do an interview called a “Meet & Eat.” I spend most of my free time thinking of ways to avoid going on camera, so I’m really never comfortable (or very good) doing these things, but since they did such a great job on the production, and took the time to put this together for me, I feel the...

Getting Overexpose by Hungry Nation

By JOKO September 17, 2011

The Crazy Basil Peach Black Pepper Parmigiano-Reggiano Cobbler that Captured My Heart

By JOKO September 16, 2011

This unusual basil, peach, black pepper, Parmesan cobbler recipe started out as an innocent experiment making individual-sized cobblers, but somehow spun out of control into weird and wonderful new directions. I was thinking about a cheese Danish, so I grated some Parmigiano-Reggiano into the batter. I was thinking about Gougères, so I added some freshly ground black pepper...

Coming Soon: Crazy Cobblers and Secret Steak Sauces

By JOKO September 15, 2011

These incredibly tasty mini peach cobblers feature ingredients that will shock and amaze.Get ready to experience the magic of last minute, mayonnaise-based steak sauc...

Gumbo a Go Go – Duck, Andouille Sausage, Smoked Pork Hock, Gulf Shrimp and Langoustine Gumbo

By JOKO September 14, 2011

It’s not easy to pry gumbo-making secrets from a cook in New Orleans, but you should have better luck if you slip them some truth serum, in the form of several well-made sazeracs. This particular gumbo, featuring duck, andouille sausage, smoked pork hock, gulf shrimp, and langoustine, was inspired by my recent trip to New Orleans, where I sampled a half-dozen varieties.One...

Coming Soon: Duck, Shrimp, and Sausage Gumbo

By JOKO September 13, 2011

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Lettuce Entertain You and Get to Know a Farmer

By JOKO September 12, 2011

This quick and dirty video recipe for grilled romaine hearts was shot on location at Tanimura & Antle, a family-owned lettuce farm we toured as part of the Get to Know a California Farmer field trip Michele and I just returned from in Carmel, CA. The event was to introduce their website and, as the name implies, help us get to know a farmer, and that's what we did. We...

Chicken Satay Burger 1.0

By JOKO September 10, 2011

Hello from beautiful Carmel-by-the-Sea, California! Michele and I are here to tour a couple family farms as guests of knowacaliforniafarmer.com. Hopefully, I’ll have some photos and more info to share when I return to San Francisco on Sunday evening, but in the meantime I wanted to post this experimental chicken satay burger video.I’ve been thinking about how to do a chicken...

Our #AFundForJennie Auction Closes with $550 High Bid!

By JOKO September 08, 2011

They say every man has his price, but not every man gets to see that exact value calculated in public on a blog. The market has spoken, and apparently I'm worth exactly $550. Hey, at least that's more than I was appraised for by that carnival gypsy. Take that, Madame Corsi! Thank you to everyone who bid, and also to those of you who made individual donations to #AFundForJennie...

Our #AFundForJennie Auction Closes with $550 High Bid!

By JOKO September 08, 2011

It’s Easy Being Green Hummus

By JOKO September 07, 2011

This simple, basil-spiked “green” hummus is a great summer twist on everyone’s favorite spread. While making your own hummus is quite simple, as you’ll see, I completely understand why people don’t. Those big, ready-to-serve tubs at the grocery store are tempting when you’re party shopping and short on time.But, if you do have an extra 10 minutes, and access to some fresh,...

End of Summer Peach Gelee – When Candy was Special

By JOKO September 05, 2011

I was reading some comments under this peach gelee video on YouTube, and was shocked by the number of “omg! the sugar!!” type remarks. People, this is a candy, not a dessert. Candy is supposed to be an extraordinarily indulgent bite, enjoyed in small amounts only on certain very rare and special occasions. Unfortunately, candy has lost its specialness, and somehow turned into...

A Happy Labor Day Weekend Pep Talk

By JOKO September 04, 2011

Feeling a little melancholy this holiday? That’s okay, you’re not alone. Sure, this weekend is supposed to acknowledge and celebrate the labor movement in America, but what it does even better is remind everyone that summer is gone. Wow, that was fast. It seems like only yesterday I was phoning in a Memorial Day post. But, before you get too down, remember, we are now entering...