Pasta Picchi Pacchi: the name is too cutesy perhaps but the recipe is a winner. Pretty simple too, it's basically tomatoes (fresh here, but canned are the more traditional choice), some anchovies, lots of olive oil, garlic, basil. Grated provolone is the secret ingredient. Picchi Pacchi seems to be Italian grannyspeak for a little of this, a little of that. Or maybe … [Read more...]
CHATEAUBRIAND
Châteaubriand: the most glorious of all grilled meats. And while everyone's sort of heard of it, most people are quite sure what exactly it is. So here's the 411 with a step-by-step Guide to Châteaubriand recipe. Châteaubriand is a large cut of the center-most part of beef tenderloin, grilled or broiled and carved at the table. The cut of meat is non-negotiable, as is a … [Read more...]
PICTURE PERFECT PAELLA: LOBSTER PAELLA RECIPE
Obviously calling any recipe "picture perfect" is an invitation for arguments and counter-challenges. This true story is a quintessential example. A controversial secret technique for a picture perfect recipe for authentic Spanish paella was passed on to me by a formidable family cook at a magnificent estate near Segovia, a few hours' drive from bustling … [Read more...]
LOBSTER PAELLA
1 1/2 lb. lobster 1 lb. mussels 1/2 large fennel bulb 1/2 red bell pepper, cut into slender strips olive oil 1 large shallot, minced 2 garlic cloves, minced 2 c. Paella rice 1 c. wine 5 c. lobster stock 4 c. chicken broth 1/8 t. saffron 1/4 t. chopped tarragon 1 t. paprika 1 bay leaf s&p butter, carrot flowers , and sprigs of watercress or tarragon for … [Read more...]
LIBERACE RECIPE FOR CHICKEN DIVAN
"I don't care about the money -- I just want Lee back!" cried this rueful Scott Thorson (the late, great Peter Croce) on a balmy Greenwich Village Halloween long ago, as seen in this New York Native's full-page photo headlined Night of Beasts and Fairies. No doubt jilted lover Thorson also missed Liberace's (or Lee, as he was known to family and intimates) scrumptious … [Read more...]
HASSENPFEFFER – GERMAN RABBIT WITH LEEKS
Before embarking on this recipe for Hassenpfeffer (braised rabbit with leeks German style) a disclaimer of sorts is in order. Rabbit isn't to everyone's taste. It wasn't to mine for a long time after a first encounter with a neatly skinned and split creature, posed as if in mid hop, grilled and glistening. There may have been cherries involved. It was at the type of highly … [Read more...]
RECIPE: HASSENPFEFFER – RABBIT WITH LEEKS GERMAN STYLE
HASSENPFEFFER - RABBIT WITH LEEKS GERMAN STYLE Recipe Note: This dish is best served with steamed new potatoes or buttered noodles. Plan accordingly as you cook the rabbit. 3 lb. fresh rabbit cut into 8 pieces white vinegar 1/4 pancetta flour s&p butter 1/4 lb. mushrooms 3 carrots 2 large leeks 1 shallot 1 chicken bouillon cube 1 bay leaf 1/2 t. … [Read more...]
CUBAN PICADILLLO WITH PERFECT WHITE RICE
This recipe for Cuban Picadillo comes via my old pal Tony "The Tiger" Urrutia. El Tigre is a dapper Cuban with sparkling eyes and a charmed personality where meeting him and becoming friends are one in the same. The Cuba of his childhood is one of grand Belle-Epoque mansions lining tree-shaded boulevards beneath blazing skies. A canary yellow convertible whisked him from the … [Read more...]
CUBAN PICADILLO RECIPE
Cuban Picadillo Recipe olive oil 1 large onion, chopped 1 green bell pepper, seed and chopped 4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped 2 lbs. ground sirloin 1/2 c. dry sherry 1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes 1 bay leaf s&p 1 T. Worcestershire sauce 1 t. Tabasco sauce 1 Idaho potato cooking oil for frying 1/2 cup raisins 1 package frozen baby peas, thawed 1/2 c. … [Read more...]
TRUFFLED ROAST CHICKEN: EASY AT HOME SOUS-VIDE COOKING
Recently I've been told "Sorry I didn't call you sooner, it was a 15 hour flight from Honolulu and I was totally beat." And, "The snow in Paris was terrible, I had to stay two extra days." Ah, the brag complaint. The pity me/envy me over the hassle of having to drive all the way to New Jersey to get the oil changed on the Lamborghini. Or the double whammy of worrying … [Read more...]