At The Foot Of The Master!

The Master CHEF, that is!!! I was fortunate to attend a class last night with Tre Wilcox! Yes, THE Tre Wilcox of Top Chef fame, and winner along with Kent Rathbun on Iron Chef against Bobby Flay!

I have cooked with him before, but it has been about 2 years ago. Tre is self taught, never having attended culinary school. He has traveled the world, cooking for free, just to gain knowledge, insight and experience. He devours cook books (like me!) and is always seeking to reach greater heights. He has an infectious laugh, a body that should be on the front of Sports Illustrated, and a true knowledge of how, why and when to make the perfect recipe. Yep. I was at the foot of The Master!

We did 5 recipes last night. I will share one of my favorites! Now remember, I was raised in Baltimore, home of the PERFECT lump crabcake. No one else could do a crabcake like me. NO ONE. Until last night. A few simple changes, and one delicious sauce. Although ( and don't tell Tre) I would have added one dash of Old Bay. But, hey, some old dogs gotta stay with their old tricks.

Jumbo Lump Crabcake in Chardonnay Sauce

For the Crabcake

1 lb. jumbo lump crabmeat picked clean
1/3 cup apple smoked bacon diced very small and cooked until crispy
2 tbpns shallots----peeled and diced
1/4 cup red bell pepper diced MICRO small
2 tbsns poblano pepper diced very small
1/4 cup scallion chopped
1 cup Panko bread crumbs plus 1//2 cup
1 1/4 cups mayonnaise ( Dukes is the BEST!)
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup champagne wine vinegar
3 tbsns Tabasco sauce
2 eggs

For the Sauce

3 cups chardonnay ( champagne if you want to splurge. Call it champagne sauce!)
1 cup shallot peeled and coarsely chopped
2 bay leaves
1/2 tspn. black peppercorns
5 sprigs thyme
4 sprigs tarragon
1 tbspn champagne wine vinegar
1 tbspn lemon juice
3/4 cup heavy cream
3/4 lb unsalted cold butter

Heat oil or fryer to 350 degrees. Quickly sautee shallots, red and poblano peppers in a small hot pan. Season with salt and put on a small sheet pan to cool. In a large mixing bowl GENTLY toss together cleaned crabmeat, ( do not break up the lumps) bacon, scallions, panko and chilled pepper mixture. In another bowl whisk together mayonnaise,lemon juice, vinegar, Tabasco and eggs. Fold mayonnaise and crabmeat mixture together Season with salt. Make 2 oz. hockey puck sized cakes. Make sure they are solid and roll in reserved Panko. Place cakes in hot oil and cook until browned on all sides. Remove and place on paper towels. Serve hot!

FOR THE SAUCE In a small pot combine chardonnay, shallot,thyme,tarragon,peppercorns and bay leaves. Remember, you will strain this so you don't have to chop, except for the shallots a little bit. Reduce this by half on medium high heat. Add cream and continue to reduce until thickened. Add lemon juice and champagne vinegar and begin to mount with butter. Season with salt and strain through a fine mesh sieve and reserve warm until time to serve.

FOR THE PLATE UP Spoon Chardonnay Sauce in the center of a small plate. Place one crabcake in the center of the sauce. Toss some micro greens in olive oil and season with salt. Top crabcake with greens and serve.

Now, to the crabcake mixture I would add a dash of Old Bay and leave out the salt.

Just WAIT until you taste this! Remember to have all of your ingredients prepared ahead of time. This cooks quickly, so you want to be ready! This is cooking to impress, people!

Thank you, Tre!

PS. Tre is having private cooking classes for 12 only at his new restaurant Loft 610 in Plano. These are held once a month on a Sunday and you arrive at 1. At five you have a guest arrive, and everyone is treated to a gourmet 5 course dinner that you have prepared yourself! The evening begins with hors deorves and every course is complimented with wine!

Call (972) 377-2500 for information and a reserved spot!

I am now into FAST meals!

Well, for today, anyway. Lately I have been working until 8 pm, and it is hard to do my usual. Meaning, cooking all day or creating elaborate sauces and concoctions. Gotta find some ideas for relatively quick, easy and delicious suppers. Gotta love this one! Especially because the ingredients can so easily be changed!

Linguini with Sole, Tomatoes and Bacon

Come home from work, kick off your shoes, and pour yourself a glass of wine. This is imperative to the success of the recipe.

Get a lb of sole ( or cod or peeled shrimp) and cut into chunks. In a frying pan heat 3 tbsps of olive oil and 4 strips of bacon cut into julienned strips. Stir until crisp, about 5 minutes. Add the fish and stir for 2 more minutes. Add 10 oz. ripe plum tomatoes that have been chopped. San Marzano tomatoes are THE BEST and are so worth the extra buck or two. Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes and sason with salt and pepper.

Boil water. I know this may be difficult for some. ;) Add some good quality linguini, and boil until barely al dente. This means don't cook the shit out of it. Drain the pasta and add to the frying pan. Stir and cook for 2 more minutes.

Pour yourself another glass of wine and eat. Presto. Delicious in under 15 minutes. Hell, I beat Rachel Ray. She takes 30.

Valentines Day Osso Bucco

This is a favorite of my Sweetie! I made it yesterday and the house smelled amazing! Nothing better than vegging on the couch all day, having a crackling fire, drinking awesome wine, and watching sappy love movies on tv! Then to top it off with this meal...........= a Perfect Day!

Osso Bucco

4 real meaty veal shanks
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup all purpose flour. Season it with more salt and pepper.
1 stick of butter
6 shallots halved
4 large carrots cut in 3 pieces
16 large cloves of garlic left whole
1 lb. of new potatoes halved if large
1/2 cup of brandy
1 tbspn fresh chopped rosemary
2 bay leaves
1 lb. of fresh exotic mushrooms. Morels, porcini, oyster, chanterelles, etc.
4 orange slices

Season the shanks with salt and pepper. Preheat your oven to 350.

Get a large lidded dutch oven. Yes, Le Creuset is perfect! Melt the butter on medium high heat, and add the shanks. Sear about 4 minutes on each side to get them crusty brown. Remove from pan and set aside.

Add the shallots, carrots, garlic, and potatoes to pan. Cook until all veggies are browned, about 10-15 minutes. Add the shanks back to the pan and add the brandy. Cook for about a minute. Now, add the rosemary, bay leaves, and the mushrooms. Add enough water to the pan to come up to the top of the shanks. Put 1 orange slice on top of each shank. The orange acts as a tenderizer. Now, cover and place in the oven for 2 hours.

When cooked, pour out the liquid into a separate container. Ice it for 20 minutes. Remove any fat. Put it back into a pan and heat, adjusting your seasoning to taste. Pour this liquid over your shank and vegetables in a large pasta bowl. Make sure you eat the marrow in the center of the bone. It is a delicacy!!!

This is some seriously good stuff!!

Shrimp Bisque with Shrimp Boulettes

OK. This is a bit labor intensive, but what the heck?? (h*ll) Do you want awesome, or Mickey D's??? This is a request from one of the cutest, funniest people on the planet. She also happens to be smart as a whip and have an adorable family. Carol, this is for you! Emeril helped me......

SHRIMP BISQUE WITH SHRIMP BOULETTES

( Named after my 2nd husband ;) )

Feeds 8

You hafta make your shrimp stock for this bisque. There is no getting around it. Just get a bottle of wine, settle in, and do it. Folks are gonna be kissin' your behind, so enjoy every minute of it. You'll need:

2 tbsps unsalted butter. ( Hell, use the salted. Who cares?)
1 cup roughly chopped onions
2 roughly chopped carrots
2 stalks roughly chopped celery
2 lrg cloves of garlic peeled and smashed
2 bay leaves
1/2 tspn salt
a few black peppercorns
1-1 1/2 lbs medium shrimp,peeled, deveined. Put the meat aside and throw the shells and the heads in the pot.
1/2 cup white wine ( if you wouldn't drink it, don't use it)
8 cups water

To make the stock melt the butter over high heat. Add everything else except the shells and stir for 3 -5 minutes. Have a glass of wine. Add the shells and the heads and stir until golden about 3-5 minutes more. Add the wine and bring to a boil and cook until almost evaporated. Add the water and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 30 minutes and remove any foam that comes to the surface. Remove from heat and pour through a fine mesh strainer, pressing on the shrimp shells to extract as much liquid as possible. Throw the shells and other stuff away.

Now, you are gonna make your Bisque. Have another glass of wine, and get this stuff together:

2 tbspns butter
1 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped carrots
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 tspn salt
1/2 tspn cayenne (AAAAA YYYEEEEEE!!!)
1/2 tspn chopped garlic
2 tbspns tomato paste
1/2 cup cognac or brandy ( Sample it first!)
4 cups of your awesome shrimp stock
1 1/2 tspns fresh tarragon
1/2 tspn chopped fresh thyme
1/2 - 1 lb of shrimp reserved from the stock recipe
3/4 cup heavy cream ( Yeah, Baby!)
2 tspns fresh lemon juice

In a large pot melt your butter over medium high heat. Add your veggies, salt and cayenne, and stir for 3 minutes. Add garlic, tomato paste and cook until it starts to brown, about 2 minutes.

Add the cognac or brandy and cook until almost evaprated. make sure you didn't drink too much of it. Add shrimp stock, tarragon, and thyme and cook for 20 minutes , or so. Remove from the heat and puree with a boat motor ( hand held immersion blender, for you Yankees), or you can put it in a food processer, or blender in batches.

Return to the pot and add the shrimp, cream and lemon juice. Simmer for 5 minutes, or until the flavors "marry". Hell, have a ceremony if you want to. This is some dam fine stuff.

Adjust your seasoning to taste. Now........make the boulettes.

SHRIMP BOULETTES

1/2 lb of shrimp reserved from the stock recipe
1 cup cooked rice
1/4 cup chopped onions
1 tbspn chopped celery
1 tbspn chopped bell pepper
2 tspns minced garlic
2 tspns minced parsley leaves
2 tspns Creole mustard
2 tbspns Parmigiano-Reggianno cheese grated
2 tbspns water
Couple of dashes of Tabasco
Coupple dashes of Worcestershire
1/4 tspn salt
Dash of cayenne
Vegetable oil for deep frying
1/2 cup white bread crumbs
Creole or Cajun Seasoning
1 large egg beaten with 1 tbspn water to make egg wash
1/4 cup unbleached flour

In a food processor combine the shrimp, rice,celery, onion,bell pepper, garlic, parsley, mustard, cheese, water, tabasco, worcestershire, salt and cayenne. Process until smooth and sticky, about 1 minute.

Divide it into 8 equal balls. Heat 4 inches of oil in a pot or fryer. Get it to 360 degrees. In a small bowl combine the bread crumbs and 1 tspn or so of Creole seasoning. In another bowl combine the egg wash and another tspn. of Creole/Cajun seasoning. Dredge each ball in first the flour mixture, then the egg wash, and then dredge in bread crumbs to coat evenly. Fry the balls in batches until golden brown, 2-3 minutes. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with more Cajun seasoning.

Put a couple of boulettes in a large bowl and ladle bisque on top. Have another glass of wine because you deserve it.

Happy Mardi Gras!!!!!

Verklempt

I am SO over the top about the Saints win, I cannot even think, yet post. Gimme a few days! WHO DAT????? Go have a Hurricane........

Gahlick Meatball Po'Boys

Ok. I swiped this recipe from Emeril. I changed a few things, and it is so dammed good! I remember making 200 of these meatballs for a football game at Texas Tech when the kids went there. Good times!! Good times!!

This would be PERFECT for the Super Bowl this Sunday, being as the Saints (WHO DAT!!) are in it. Get ready to cook..........this will be for a dozen po'boys. If you have less friends than that, then make them anyway and freeze them, or cut the recipe in half.

GAHLICK MEATBALL PO'BOYS

You will need:

1 lb. ground veal
1 lb. ground beef
1 lb. ground pork
1 cup finely chopped yellow onion
1 tsp. finely chopped garlic
1/2 cup finely chopped green onions (green part only)
2 eggs
1/2 cup dried bread crumbs
2 tbspns Worcestershire sauce
3 tspns. kosher salt
2 tspns. cayenne
32 small cloves of garlic, peeled
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 tbsp. Cajun Creole seasoning
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 cups thinly sliced yellow onions
2-3 bottles dark Shiner Bock Amber beer ( or use Abita)
2 cups water
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Loaves of French bread or individual hoagie rolls
Creole mustard
Mayonaise
1 lb. provolone cheese

In a large bowl combine the meats, chopped yellow onion, chopped garlic,green onion tops, eggs, bread crumbs, Worstershire, 1/2 of the salt, and 1/2 the cayenne. Mix it well and form into 32 meatballs. Stuff a garlic clove in the middle of the ball, and pinch the meat around it.

Combine the flour and Cajun seasoning in a pie plate. Roll the balls in it, and tap off the excess. Reserve the remaining flour.

In a large skillet heat the oil add the meatballs, and use a spoon to turn and brown them evenly. Remove your balls and set aside. (Guys, that didn't sound right) Scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen any brown bits. Stir in the reserved flour. Stir constantly for a few minutes to make a dark brown roux. Add the sliced onions and the remaining cayenne and salt. Cook until the onions are slightly soft, about 2-3 minutes. Slowly pour in the beer (I'm hoping you haven't drank it) and add a bit of water and mix well. Bring this gravy almost to a boil. It should be nice and thick. If you want to thin it, add more beer or water. Put your balls back into the pot, and simmer on medium low for about an hour. Turn the meatballs lightly every 15 minutes.

Skim off any fat and add the fresh parsley.

Cut open your french bread or roll and slather it with Creole mustard and mayo. Lay out your provolone cheese inside the bun. Put meatballs on top of the cheese. Spoon the gravy and onions on top and put the other have of the roll on top.

WHO DAT makin' your guests so happy????? YOU DAT!!!!

Exciting News!

My husband has just about figured out how to post videos of me cooking! The first one will be one of me cooking a perfect roux to make Gumbo! Of course, this will be in honor of the Saints for the Superbowl!!! Stay tuned........ and get ready to make some Gumbo!!!