Archive | Recipes RSS feed for this section

Getting Fizzy with It

I  finally got myself a brand new iSi Twist n’ Sparkle Beverage Carbonating System. This little baby is the absolute bomb so I made a video review. It totally works as directed and will save me a boatload of money over the next year. I hope my review of the iSi Twist n’ Sparkle Beverage Carbonating System will make you go and buy one right away. Thanks goes out to my co-host of the In My Skine Podcast @Yoon001 and my buddy @ChrisOta for my new iSi Twist ‘n Sparkle.

I wanted one of these when I first saw it in my local Williams and Sonoma (my number one vice besides Moleskine Legendary Notebooks). I was lucky enought to get two of them for Christmas, my people really know me all to well. I had to make a video review of this and share it with the world. The thing that I find most promising about the system is it will not only save me money but it will allow me to give up drinking sodas in the new year. What a better way to fake sodas than to make fizzy fruit juices. I also can wait to make so sparkling alcoholic beverages

At first glance you may think it is expensive at $49.99 for the starter set and $19.99 for 24 cartridges; however it is way cheaper and healthier than my beloved Pellagrino and safer for you than Soda. I hope my review makes you want to go buy one right away.

Update on my Video Review:

I made Twist n’ Sparkle Grape-Apple juice last night and it was incredible. I used 100% fruit juice from Tropicana 10oz each of Grape and Apple then added some cold water to get it to the 950ml line. I places the whole bottle in the freezer for about 20 mins. When I was ready to fizzz it it had a thin layer of ice… It came out perfect. So my advise the colder the better. I think the more sugar content to fizzier but I like pure juices. This is gonna be great for my p90x training.

Thanks iSi.

[Source: In My 'Skine]

Doc Rock’s Farmer’s Market Penne Fresco

I gotta say I just love this throwback to farmer’s markets that is trending right now. When I was a child this idea of getting fresh vegetable and local products was very common and had fond memories of going with my grandfather to the “O Street Market in Washing DC” to get ingredients for his famous smothered pork chops or liver and onions.

I have just finished watching the ABC TV Mini Series “Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution” and aft watching this i’ve been re-inspired to “Eat Fresh”. If you haven’t watched this show yet please do. You can see all the episodes on ABC.com or on your iPad :) .

Now, yesterday I went to a farmer’s market in Kaka’ako and bought an all of the ingredients of this recipe for less than $10 bucks. I even have enough left over to repeat this process two more times. This is not only good for you but will be great on the wallet or purse too.

What you’ll need:
1 Bell Pepper1 Red Bell Pepper
1 Onion1 Handful of Chinese or Snap Peas
1 Handful of Grape or Cherry Tomatoes
1 Handful of Mushroom (cremini or any mushrooms will do)
1 Scallion or Green Onion for garnish
1 Clove chopped garlicSand and Pepper To Taste

Fresh Herb seasoning of your choice. I used AKL Lavender Gourmet Seasoning from Maui, Hawaii. you can get it from their website http://www.aliikulalavender.com

Any Light Vinaigrette for the final tossing of flavor, for this i used Sun Dried Tomato infused Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar I picked this up from the farmers market too. You can get the same one from their website. http://www.bistroblends-nv.com/.

1 to 2 servings of penne cooked al dente. I think the flavors work better if the pasta is hot when you add it but not a big deal if you are pre-making your pasta portions for the week.

  • In a large sauté pan or wok add about 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
  • On the first sighting of smoke add onions and quickly sauté until you start to see brown edges
  • Add peppers and mushrooms and continue your sauté for another minute or two adding the seasonings to taste during this mixing process.
  • When the vegetables colors are starting to pop to full brightness from the heat add in the tomatoes and peas, toss no more than 30 second or so and finally add in the pasta.
  • Toss thoroughly adding the vinaigrette for the final flavors. Mix for 30 to 40 more seconds and your done.

Serve right away and you may want to add some hard cheese like parmesan. I left it out because I’m fat :)

Enjoy this cheap and easy to make meal, takes only about 10 mins total if you are a fast chopper like me. Thanks to @StarletShay, @lalalinzy and @topher808 for giving me the Lavender Seasoning from Maui. This stuff is awesome.

My Favorite Mac and Cheese Recipe for Thanks giving or Any Day!

Thanks to @JayceArakaki for the Assist today.
Freshly made bread crumbs are the key to achieving a crisp, golden crust, the hallmark of perfect macaroni and cheese. You can make bread crumbs from slices of stale or fresh bread. Arrange the slices in a single layer on a baking sheet, place in a 300ºF oven, and bake until they are completely dried and lightly toasted, 20 to 35 minutes. In a food processor, pulse the bread until the crumbs reach the desired consistency, then season with salt and pepper. You can also flavor them with butter or extra-virgin olive oil and fresh herbs or minced garlic.
Feel free to substitute another cheese for the cheddar. Gruyre, fontina and Emmentaler are good choices.
Ingredients:
4 cups milk
4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 whole clove
1 bay leaf
1 white onion, peeled
2 cups shredded sharp white cheddar cheese
Salt and freshly ground white pepper, to taste
Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
2 tsp. dry sherry
1 lb. dried macaroni
1 cup bread crumbs
Directions:
Position a rack in the upper third of an oven and preheat to 375ºF. Butter a shallow 2-quart baking dish.
In a saucepan over medium heat, warm the milk until bubbles begin to form around the edges of the pan. Keep warm.
To make the roux, in another medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. When the foaming subsides, add the flour and cook, stirring constantly with a whisk or wooden spoon, until the flour and butter thicken into a paste and smell fragrant, about 1 minute. Do not let the roux brown. Slowly whisk in the milk until smooth and blended. Bring the sauce to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom and sides of the pan to prevent lumping and scorching, then reduce the heat to low.
Using the clove, attach the bay leaf to the onion and add it to the sauce. Cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 30 minutes. Remove and discard the onion, add 1 cup of the cheese and stir until blended. Season with salt, white pepper and nutmeg, add the sherry and stir until blended.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot three-fourths full of water to a boil over high heat. Add 1 Tbs. salt and the macaroni and cook according to the package instructions until al dente (tender but firm to the bite). Drain well.
Transfer the macaroni to the prepared dish. Spoon the sauce over the macaroni, scatter the remaining 1 cup cheese over the top and sprinkle the bread crumbs over the cheese. Bake, uncovered, until lightly browned and bubbling, 35 to 40 minutes. Serve immediately.
Serves 4 to 6.

Posted via email from Doc’s BrainDump

Lanai’s Wine is Getting Some PressTime

Kaena
Image of Kaenavia Snooth

He’s got a new opening number. But it’s not what you might expect from a guy who has been making the audience laugh for more than two decades.

“And it’s no joke and no laughing matter either,” said Grant “Lanai” Tabura. “I want people to take me seriously as a wine drinker.”

OK so he’s not kidding about his new “Look Me In The Eye” varietal wine, which he recently introduced at local restaurants, and which will be uncorked during a launch party at a special fund-raiser for Kaleoaloha Keiki Choir, Friday, May 29, from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at the Honolulu Design Center’s Cupola and Amuse wine bar. Tickets are $65, which includes a free $20 Amuse wine card.

The launch party will continue from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Admission is $10 per person. Those who arrive between 9 and 10 p.m. will receive a free $10 Amuse wine card.

“Do you know when you walk into a friend’s house and you smell his mom making adobo, and your tongue and cheeks start to pucker because you can almost taste it,” said Tabura, in a tone akin to a stand-up comedy sketch. “Well, that’s the comparison I use with friends who aren’t wine drinkers. I tell them to smell it, before they drink it. And take big whiffs.”

Tabura has always had an oenology streak in him, but it wasn’t until five years ago when he met winemaker Mikael Sigouin from Beckmen Vineyards in the Santa Ynez Valley that he started seriously thinking about creating his own line of wines.

“I was there on a wine tasting tour and told someone there that I was from Hawaii,” Tabura recalled. “They told me that their winemaker was from Honolulu and introduced me to Mikael.”

A Kaiser High School graduate, Sigouin proposed the idea to Tabura and the rest as they say in the wine industry is grapevine history.

“We only have 100 cases and I’ve already pre-sold 60 of those to various restaurants, including Amuse and Stage, and the new Azure,” Tabura said. “We’re hoping by next year we’ll have three wines, including a white and a Syrah.”

Praising Sigouin for his winemaking skills, Tabura said the former Honolulu resident has been “babysitting” this wine for a couple of years.

“It took him a year to produce 75 cases,” Tabura said. “He’s a real hands-on winemaker, who’s half farmer half scientist.”

A blend of 50 percent Syrah and equal part Grenache, Look Me In The Eye should pair well with local flavors.

During the fund-raiser Stage executive chef Ron de Guzman has developed a mini loco moco and braised short rib wontons to go with this full-bodied red wine.

De Guzman will also prepare snow crab toast points and kalua pig sliders, which will be paired with Sigouin’s Kaena “Hapa Blanc” and Kaena Grenache, respectively.

“He’s from here so he understands the local palate,” Tabura said of Sigouin. “Look Me In The Eye is fruity but it’s got a great nose and a nice ending. It’s what I call an ‘occasional’ red, which means it’s good for all types of special celebrations.”

That includes raising money for the Kaleoaloha Keiki Choir, which will benefit from the May 29 wine-tasting-and-pairing event. Guests will also have a chance to bid on various items during the silent auction. The kids will also perform for the crowd, followed by guitarist Johnny Helm.

“We’re hoping this becomes our annual fund-raiser,” said the choir’s executive director Wallace Horibata. “It’s going to be fun and it will give people a chance, not only to try a new wine, but also to listen to the kids sing and see what we’ve accomplished so far this year. It’s an exciting moment for us.”

And it is, too, for Tabura who came up with his wine’s whimsical name.

“I’m 25 percent Italian and when I visited Italy, people there said to me, ‘Look me in the eye’ when proposing a toast,” Lanai said. “So now I say that to all my friends. There are other cultures that say the same thing. And even kings and queens used to say ‘Look me in the eye’ to one another … but they’d say it to make sure that one wasn’t trying to poison the other.”

Now that’s funny.

For tickets or more information, call 779-1397 or 779-1465, or visit: www.kaleoalohachoir.org.

Source: [Simplicio Paragas of HonoluluAdvertiser.com]

Related articles by Zemanta
Reblog this post [with Zemanta]

The Best Comfort Macaroni and Cheese

Freshly made bread crumbs are the key to achieving a crisp, golden crust, the hallmark of perfect macaroni and cheese. You can make bread crumbs from slices of stale or fresh bread. Arrange the slices in a single layer on a baking sheet, place in a 300º F oven, and bake until they are completely dried and lightly toasted, 20 to 35 minutes. In a food processor, pulse the bread until the crumbs reach the desired consistency, then season with salt and pepper. You can also flavor them with butter or extra-virgin olive oil and fresh herbs or minced garlic.

Feel free to substitute another cheese for the cheddar. Gruyre, Fontina and Emmentaler are good choices.

Ingredients:
4 cups milk
4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 whole clove
1 bay leaf
1 white onion, peeled
2 cups shredded sharp white cheddar cheese
Salt and freshly ground white pepper, to taste
Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
2 tsp. dry sherry
1 lb. dried macaroni
1 cup bread crumbs

Directions:
Position a rack in the upper third of an oven and preheat to 375ºF. Butter a shallow 2-quart baking dish.

In a saucepan over medium heat, warm the milk until bubbles begin to form around the edges of the pan. Keep warm.

To make the roux, in another medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. When the foaming subsides, add the flour and cook, stirring constantly with a whisk or wooden spoon, until the flour and butter thicken into a paste and smell fragrant, about 1 minute. Do not let the roux brown. Slowly whisk in the milk until smooth and blended. Bring the sauce to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom and sides of the pan to prevent lumping and scorching, then reduce the heat to low.

Using the clove, attach the bay leaf to the onion and add it to the sauce. Cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 30 minutes. Remove and discard the onion, add 1 cup of the cheese and stir until blended. Season with salt, white pepper and nutmeg, add the sherry and stir until blended.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot three-fourths full of water to a boil over high heat. Add 1 Tbs. salt and the macaroni and cook according to the package instructions until al dente (tender but firm to the bite). Drain well.

Transfer the macaroni to the prepared dish. Spoon the sauce over the macaroni, scatter the remaining 1 cup cheese over the top and sprinkle the bread crumbs over the cheese. Bake, uncovered, until lightly browned and bubbling, 35 to 40 minutes. Serve immediately.

Serves 4 to 6.

Cheddar Bay Biscuits

These biscuits are cheesy and rich, and fairly close to the ones a famous seafood restaurant chain serves.

Yield: 20 biscuits

Category: Bread

Ingredients:

4 cup Baking mix (Bisquick)

1/2 cup melted butter

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon onion powder

1/8 teaspoon dried parsley

3 ounce shredded cheddar cheese (I always add a bit more)

1 1/3 cup water

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a mixing bowl, combine the baking mix, cheese, and water. Mix until dough is firm. Using a small scoop, place dough on the prepared pan.

3. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden brown.

4. Combine the melted butter, garlic powder, salt, onion powder and parsley. Brush over baked biscuits immediately upon removing from oven.

How to Pimp this out just a touch

I offer the following for the garlic butter instead of the method listed above.

Ingredients:
¼ cup butter
1-2 clove(s) garlic, minced
2 tbsp onion or shallot, minced
1/8 tsp dried parsley, or 10-12 leaves fresh chopped parsley

Directions:
Heat butter over low heat in small saucepan. Add onion and cook until translucent. Add garlic and cook for approximately 2 minutes. Add parsley and brush over biscuits as described above. In my opinion, this butter sauce would work equally as well and have just as much, if not more flavor, without the tummy-twisting capabilities of the powdered variants. You may also make your own biscuit dough if you desire, but hey, we’ve all got biscuit mix in the pantry somewhere don’t we?

notes: • Baking mix  is a common item in most American grocery stores (the most common brand is ‘Bisquick’), but is relatively unknown in other countries.

Doc’s Tomato Basil Garlic Bisque

3 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 lg. onion
1 1/2 tbsp. garlic
1 1/2 tbsp. dried basil or if fresh is used, add more
4 c. chicken broth
1 c. flour
2 c. Italian plum tomatoes or 1 (2 lb.) can whole peeled or fresh tomatoes
2 tbsp. tomato paste
Pinch to 1/2 tsp. thyme leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
Saute until onions are wilted but not brown in olive oil and butter. Add garlic and saute until tender. Do not brown or burn garlic or butter. Add seasonings and all tomatoes and most of chicken broth saving about 1/2 cup to make a roux with the flour to be added near end of cooking. Simmer for 20 minutes.
Make a roux with reserved chicken broth, add to thicken. Then puree in blender. Cook 15 minutes longer. Serve with French bread or as topping for stuffed cabbage or bell peppers.