Steak Dinner

 Charlie asked if we could have steak for dinner tonight. He even offered to help pay for it.  I told him I could handle it.  He also asked for asparagus and potatoes cooked the way a friends mom made them recently.  He didn't say how she cooked them, he explained how she cut them and seasoned them.  It sounded like the way my mom usually cooked potatoes... in a skillet with oil.  He said that was the way she made them.

Argentine Red Shrimp

 

Creamy Shrimp Linguine with Spinach and Sun-dried Tomatoes

Written by Chef Bao

If you’re a fan of shrimp alfredo, you’ll love this recipe. Aromatic rosemary and piquant sun dried tomatoes add a flavorful twist to this classic dish. All it takes is just 25 minutes to prepare this mouth-watering pasta meal that rivals any made in a high-end restaurant. SERVING: 2 PeopleTIME: 30 min

Sometime back, on a whim, I got a bag of frozen Argentine Red Shrimp, put them in the freezer and forgot about them. Yesterday I rediscovered them and cooked them today.  Google says they have lobster-like qualities. Charlie said they were really good. I used a recipe that served them in a cream sauce with spinach, pasta, corn and sun-dried tomatoes 

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 medium Onion
• 2 cloves Garlic
• 1 pinch Sea Salt [For Linguine Boiling]
• 1 bundle Linguine
• 1 tbsp Olive Oil
• 6 large Jumbo Shrimp, deveined
• 1 pinch Sea Salt [For the Shrimp]
• 1 tbsp Butter
• 1 sprig Fresh Rosemary
• 2 tbsp Sundried Tomatoes, chopped
• 3½ oz Baby Spinach
• ⅔ cup Heavy Cream
• 1 pinch Sea Salt
• 1 pinch Ground Black Pepper
• 2½ oz Parmesan Cheese   

Directions

Step 1 Finely chop onion and mince garlic

Step2  Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add a pinch of salt and cook linguine for 11-12 minutes, until al dente.

Step 3 Heat a pan on medium-high heat and add olive oil. Place shrimp in the pan and sear until the bottom turns pink.  Season shrimp with salt, flip to the other side, and continue searing until the shrimp is cooked through. Remove and set aside.

Step 4 In the same pan, melt butter over medium-high heat, and sauté onions and garlic until translucent. Add in rosemary and sun-dried tomatoes, place shrimp back in the pan, then add spinach and cream, heating the ingredients until the cream comes to a boil.  Season with a little salt and pepper, grate in some Parmesan cheese, and stir.

Step 5 Drain linguine in a strainer and toss into the pan to combine it with the sauce and other ingredients. Serve on a plate and top with grated Parmesan.

Coconut Chicken Curry

 

Chili

 This sure isn't chili wheather but I read an article in the newspaper titled "How to Use Baking Soda with Ground Beef"  It says this technique is most useful in recipes where you wand distinct, flavorful crumbles of ground beef with plenty of browning.  It says it also keep very lean ground beef moist.   It says it is helpful for Chili, Taco meat,Sloppy Joes, and  meaty pasta sauces.I decided I wanted to try it first with a pot of chili.

The amount used is 1/4 teaspoon baking water dissolved in 1 tablespoon of water.   You gently work it in and let it set for 15 minutes.  Serious Eats test found that it can rest for up to an hour wont hurt.  Once the time is up, you cook it as normal.  My chili recipe cooks the onions, garlic and green peppers first so the beef didn't really get a good browning test.  It does seem a little thinner than usual but I can't say it was the baking soda's fault.  I am going to suspend judgement on this technique for a while.  Right now the chili is too hot and need to cool down.  The article said of taco meat, it helpe the beef stay juicy while developing deep, browned edges.  That is what a plan to try next.  If anyone here tries this I'd enjoy hearing your comments

Chicken Breasts, Martini style

Petto di Pollo alla Martini  

Morso Restaurant Bar Cafe 420 E. 59th st. NYC

Chicken Breast Martini Style  -  one serving

Kosher salt

1/2 C. green beans (haricot vert)

1/2 C. baby carrots

1 boneless skinless chicken breast pounded out thinly (1/2 breast)

fresh ground black pepper

2-3 T. AP flour

1 lar. egg, beaten

olive oil

1/4 C. grated Parmigiano-Reggiano 

1/2 T. unsalted butter, melted

1/2 T. fresh lemon juice

1/2 C. good quality white wine

Preheat oven to 425º

Bring large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Fill a bowl with ice water.  Add the green beans and carrots to the boiling water until they are brightly colored but still crisp, about 3 minutes. Drain and transfer to ice water to stop cooking

Sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides of chicken, dredge in flour. Shake off excess. Dip in egg and then cheese.

Place olive oin in hot skillet and brown the chicken on both sides. Drain on paper towels

In separate skillet, combine wine, butter and lemon juice and bring to a boil. Place browned chicken in the wine mixture, top with carrots and green beans. Bake in oven 6-7 minutes @375º Remove and plate

The differences I make with this recipe: I pound out the breast meat thin so that it cooks all the way through in the skillet by the time it is has browned.  I make green beans like my mom ( Southern style)   and I steam the carrots until they are crispy soft -about three minutes.  The original recipe does not come with noodles or Alfredo sauce.

 

Korean Fried Chicken Wings--- -Sweet Sour & Spicy Version

Sweet, Sour, & Spicy Korean Fried Chicken Wings

Yangnyeom-tongdak 양념통닭.By Maangchi  Updated on March 5th, 2025

  3 to 4 servings

Ingredients 

For 3 to 4 servings

• 2 pounds chicken wings
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ½ cup potato starch
• ¼ cup all purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 2 large eggs ( I used 3 eggs to make the batter a little thinner.)
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeda

For the sauce:

• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 3 garlic cloves, minced & cook in the oil about 30 seconds - see directions below
• ⅓ cup ketchup
• ⅓ cup rice syurp
• ¼ cup gochujang (Korean hot pepper paste)
• 2 teaspoons white vinegar
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• corn (or vegetable) oil for frying

For a side dish, pickled radish, optional

Directions

Start the first fry:

1. Heat 2 inches of oil in a large heavy frying pan or pot over medium hight heat for about 10 to 12 minutes until the oil temperature reaches 330-350ºF. I used my 12 inch pan but if your pan is smaller, work by batches. If you don’t have a thermometer, test it by dipping one piece of chicken in the oil. If it bubbles, it is ready.
2. While the oil is heating, combine chicken, salt, ground black pepper, starch, flour, baking soda, and eggs in a large bowl. Mix altogether well by hand.
3. Add the coated chicken to hot oil one by one. Fry them for 12 minutes until the all sides of the chicken are golden brown and crunchy, turning over with tongs.
   
4. Take out the chicken with tongs or a large slotted spoon to wire strainer over a bowl to remove the excess oil.

Make seasoning sauce:

1. Heat the 2 teaspoons vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Stir in garlic until light brown for about 30 seconds. Add the ketchup, rice syrup, gochujang, vinegar and stir well with a wooden spoon. Reduce the heat to low and stir until bubbling. Remove from the heat.
2. Start the second fry:                                                                            1. Let the oil heat up for 2 minutes over medium high heat until it reaches 330-350 º                                                                                2. Fry the chicken one more time ], turning over with tongs for another 12 minutes until very crunchy.                                                             3. Reheat the sauce over medium heat until it is bubbling again.  Add all the hot crunchy chicken and mix well with a wooden spoon and tongs.                                                                                                      Finish and serve:  Garnish with a sprinkle of sesame seeds and transfer to a serving plate.  Garnish with pickled radish

 

Fried Catfish and Hush Puppies

This recipe is an excerpt form How To Make the Very Best Southern Hush Puppies from thekitchn.com.  It has a good explaination and  method for making hush puppies.   https://www.thekitchn.com/hush-puppies-recipe-23048114

James Beard wrote in American Cookery about catfish  A treditional fish in the Middle Wset, catfish is hardly know in the costal regions of the country.. It is tremendoulsy goo if properly done and is superb at fish fries.

Hush Puppies

In a large bowl, whisk together:

• 1 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 to 1.5 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional for heat)
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder (optional)

3. Prepare Wet Ingredients

In a separate bowl, combine:

• 1 large egg
• 3/4 cup buttermilk (or sub with milk + lemon juice)
• 3 tablespoons melted butter (optional, for richer flavor)

4. Mix and Fold

• Add the wet ingredients to the dry mixture and stir with a spatula or wooden spoon until just combined. Do not over-mix; a few lumps are okay.
• Gently fold in 1 small finely chopped or grated onion and any other desired mix-ins.
• Let the batter rest for 10–15 minutes. This rest period helps hydrate the cornmeal and yields fluffier hush puppies.

5. Heat Oil for Frying

• Pour vegetable or peanut oil to a depth of 2–3 inches in your skillet or Dutch oven.
• Heat oil to 350–365°F (175–185°C). Monitor with a thermometer for best results.

6. Fry the Hush Puppies

• Use a tablespoon or cookie scoop to gently drop rounded balls of batter into the hot oil. Do not overcrowd—work in batches.
• Fry for 2–3 minutes, turning occasionally to brown evenly, until golden on all sides.
• Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a paper towel-lined plate or a wire rack to drain excess oil.

7. Keep Warm

• If frying in batches, keep hush puppies warm in a 200°F oven on a wire rack set over a baking sheet.

Tips for Perfect Hush Puppies

• Don’t overmix the batter: Overworking can make hush puppies dense. Stir until the ingredients are just combined.
• Rest the batter: Letting it sit for 10–15 minutes hydrates the cornmeal and improves texture.
• Use the right oil temperature: Frying at 350–365°F ensures a crisp exterior while the inside cooks through. Too cold, and they absorb oil; too hot, and they brown too quickly but stay raw inside.
• Flip for even browning: Gently turn hush puppies as they cook for uniform color and crispiness.
• Fry in small batches: Avoid overcrowding, which can cause the oil temperature to drop and yield greasy hush puppies.
• Drain well: Allow excess oil to drain off for the crispiest results.

How to Serve Hush Puppies

Hush puppies are best served piping hot, their crispy crust giving way to an airy, tender core. Here are some classic and creative serving ideas:  with fried catfish, shrimp or chicken.  As a side for BBQ, with dipping sauces or appetizers with pimento cheese, spicy jam, smoked salmon

Flavor Variations

Jalapeño hush puppies: Add finely chopped jalapeños for a gentle heat.

Corn and cheese hush puppies: Fold in sweet corn kernels and shredded sharp cheddar.

Spicy Cajun hush puppies: Up the cayenne and add a dash of Creole seasoning

 Sweet hush puppies: Slightly increase the sugar and serve with honey or sweet butter.