Springtime Jerk!

You've heard of spring break; well here is a spring jerk!

This weekend I was inspired to pull out an old favorite, jerk chicken. I hadn't done this in a while; so after a request from the family, I gathered the necessary ingredients and went to work. I referenced an article by Marcia Kiesel, which listed a jerk chicken recipe by Paul Chung, published in the July 1995 issue of "Food & Wine" magazine. I loosely followed the published recipe to prepare my version of spicy jerk marinade.
Note: Scotch bonnet or habanero are the hotest of peppers! To reduce the degree of heat intensity, remove the pepper veins and seeds. If you like yours spicy, leave the seeds and veins in the peppers.
Additionally, I like to add a tablespoon of brown sugar and a dash of season salt to round out the recipe below.

This recipe will serve eight or more people

JERK CHICKEN
by Paul Chung

1 medium coarsely chopped onion
3 medium scallions, coarsely chopped
2 Scotch bonnet chilies (habanero peppers), coarsely chopped
2 Garlic cloves, chopped
1 tablespoon five spice powder
1 tablespoon allspice berries coarsely ground (or allspice powder if you can't find the berries)
1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 teaspoon thyme, crumbled
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon vegetable oil (or olive oil)
two 3 1/2 to 4 pound chickens, quartered

- Combine in a food processor the onion, scallions, chilies, garlic, five-spice powder, black pepper, thyme, nutmeg and salt into a coarse paste.
- With the machine running add the oil and soy sauce in a steady steam until combined.
- pour the marinade into a bowl or gallon size zip lock bag. Add the chicken and turn to coat. Refrigerate no less than 4-6 hours; marinate overnight if you can.
- Light your grill, and cook thoroughly turning occasionally (I usually will not turn the chicken for at least 15-20 minutes). The heat of your grill will dictate how often you need to turn the chicken. If you are using an indirect method as shown in the picture, you should not have to turn the chicken as often.
- Cut the chicken quarters in half and serve on a platter.

Back in the Saddle

It has been over a year since I posted anything to this blog. I've been going through a few transitions - life changes the last few months... and have not had the opportunity to update this site on a consistent basis. I promise to blog about my food adventures on a bi-weekly basis. Additionally, expect a few comments on current events as well, particularly if they are related to cooking and unique food items.

Regards,

Bert

Roman Pizza - quick and easy

Sitting at home one night trying to figure what to prepare for dinner, SL and I decided we'd try something off the beaten path for us... Homemade Pizza.

Turns out this was a very good move. 90%, my better half, claims she cooks "90%" of our meals. In reality its more like 25%, and I frequently remind her that her cooking percentage drops daily. Anyway, SL and I wanted something different. The illustrations above represent the final result.

The dough was purchased from a local pizzaria ready for use; total cost $3.20 for 16oz. We were able to get two pies out of what we purchased. Yes we cheated - a little; however, this was easier than making the dough ourselves. All we needed to do once we got home was roll it out. As for the marinara sauce, we bought 2 cups for $1. 50 from the same pizzaria.

Next we shredded some mozzarella and fontina cheese, chopped and browned some pancetta (bacon is a suitable sub), chopped a small onion, and sliced about 6 mushrooms. We shaped the pizza in the traditional Roman style - a sort of long oval shape, and baked the pies for 6-8 minutes at 450 degrees.

We had more than enough for the four of us to eat, and SL and I had fun in the process.

SALMON ARE RUNNING IN ALASKA!

Hello all:

I'm back in the saddle again. I just returned home from Alaska. It is gorgeous country. The population is sparce. The largest city is Anchorage; approximately 250,000 people. So if you like the great outdoors, Alaska is the place for you. Check out a few pictures of the countryside and some fishermen hoping to catch a salmon or two. During the summer, its light for 24 hours and the temperature stays between 59 and 72 degrees. Its nice, but your sleep pattern goes haywire.

As a service to the people I worked with, I broiled some fresh salmon and halibut on the grill two nights before I left. Unfortunately, I failed to photo document the entire process. You'll have to take my word that it turned out very good. I deviated from the Alaskan way of preparing both types fish. They like to batter fry halibut, and bake or fry salmon with a bunch of different spices. My method was was to grill/broil them both, massaged in olive oil and seasoned with salt, pepper, lemon pepper, fennel, dill, and butter. My peers loved it. Even those from Alaska found it good as they never had their salmon prepared in such a manner.

The Bonterra Experience

In my business I get frequently get the opportunity to entertain clients at local resturants in Charlotte, NC. One of my all time favorite places is Bonterra Resturant. The Owner is an all around good guy, and one of my favorite people. He's always been gracious to my guests and me, and last evening was no exception. The wait staff is excellent as well, and very well versed on the resturant's extensive wine list.

Our meal was delicious! Seared halibut on a bed of sauteed garlic spinach served with a crusted potato cake and garnished with a berry vinegarette sauce.

I'm going to try to recreate this at home from scratch. I'll let you know how it turns out!

Best wishes and Happy Mother's Day,

Bert

Future vacations

It has been a while since I had a chance to update you on what's been happening. This is what I've been up to as of late.

I've been prepping for a family gathering the day after Christmas. Things are still in the planning stages. My wife, through a friend suggested Turducken. But I rejected that notion since a dish of that sort does not lend itself to a setting of finger foods, drinks, and card games among a slew of relatives and friends just hanging out. I suggested smoked pork loin with some sort of cranberry mustard, grilled chicken wings, a salmon roll, and other "nibble" type foods and condiments that can be easily stored and discared. For drinks, we'll serve wine, and mixed beverages for adults, and non-alcoholic frozen drinks for the youngsters. I'm sure there will be more discussion on this as we get closer to the actual event.

I've successfully created two dishes my family likes that consist of chopped garlic, onions, and sundried tomatoes sauteed in olive oil, lemon or lime juice marinated chicken or shrimp, topped with broccoli, served in a cream sauce over pasta. My hardest critics - my wife and kids loved it!

I'm trying to generate interest in visiting Germany or France with my immediate family members and a few close friends and relatives. Several times over the last eight years I've had the pleasure of visiting Northern Italy (Venice, Trieste, Cortina), France (from Paris west to Normany and east to Reims and Epernay), Belgium, Luxembourg, the Rhineland of Germany, Spain and Turkey. Most of my time was spent along the Mosel and Rhine River region of Germany, so the bulk of my familiarity lies within that area. Nevertheless, I find the history of Europe facinating; the landscapes breathtaking; the cuisines superb and diverse; and the wine variety is ... well outstanding! On many occasions I've cooked from memory dishes I've had while in Europe.

Check out these photos:
1) Taittinger Champagne Caves, in Reims, France
2) Piesport, Germany from a hill over looking the Mosel River
3) The 1933 World's Fair Site in Brussels, Belgium
4) Notre Dame & Statue of Joan of Arc - Reims, France

My first entry.

It is a pleasant autum afternoon in the Carolinas, about 65 degrees, a light breeze blowing and sunny. Yesterday was Thanksgiving Day. Dinner was excellent! I fellowshipped with my neighbors, had a good meal, made some new friends and met a developing chef from Atlanta. Overall, a good day.

Drinking a glass of chardonnay and relaxing on my deck was the agenda for this lazy afternoon. I had plenty of time to think while overlooking my back yard, when I was moved to do some holiday party planning. My son had been pestering me to make some salsa. So I thought, why not post my recipie and see what others think. So here goes my first "blog" entry, a simple homemade salsa.

Lobo's Homemade Salsa
(makes about one cup)

Slice 3-4 Roma Tomatoes (vine tomatoes will work fine, I've used both)
Chop one clove of garlic
1/4 of a red onion (yellow or vidalia work well too)
1,2, or 3 jalepeno peppers (accroding to your heat index, I like mine with kick)
Fresh cilantro - 3-4 short stems (more or less depending on your taste)
2 teaspoons of vinegar (or to taste)
2 teaspoons of lime juice (or to taste)
2-3 teaspoons of olive oil
a pinch of sea salt (to taste)
a pinch of black pepper
a pinch of sugar (to taste)
Combine these ingredients in a food processor, pulsing the unit until your desired texture is reached.
If you want your salsa thicker add more tomatoes; for a less thick mixture add a little water (2 teaspoons at a time). Sometimes the lime juice can be used as a substitue for vinegar - my family and friends likes it either way. Hopefully, your friends and guest will too!