Za Recipes

Showing posts with label it. Show all posts

Saturday, May 3, 2014

Seared Wild Scallops with Pancetta and Leeks It Only Tastes Hard to Make

The best recipes, especially ones youre making for those holiday dinner parties, are the dishes that only have a few ingredients, are simple and fast to put together, and taste like you spent all day on them. This Seared Scallops with Pancetta and Leeks video recipe I just did for About.com is one of those. It would make a great first course, or you could double the portion for a main course. The three main ingredients go together so perfectly that all youll have to do is avoid the temptation to add a bunch of other stuff. Your restraint will be rewarded.

Many of the grocery stores are now selling frozen "wild" scallops. I got these at Trader Joes, and they are far superior to the "fresh" sea scallops in the fish case. Those fresh sea scallops are all soaked in a preservative brine to keep them white and prolong the self-life. Thats why they have that faint chemical aftertaste, and shrink so much when you cook them. Frozen wild scallops are not soaked in any solutions, and have a much better flavor. They are definitely worth finding and serving. Enjoy!

Click here for the transcript and ingredients.

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

When it Rains it Pours Wine and Delicious Gourmet Food!

As soon as I get off the plane from my gourmet getaway to Colorado, I begin covering another major food event. SF Chefs. Food. Wine., which begins on Thursday, August 6th, and runs through the 9th, is hoping to become the premier annual culinary event San Francisco has been lacking.

As a longtime resident, Ive always thought that for a city with such an incredibly rich culinary tradition, San Francisco should have its very own signature annual food and wine event. Hopefully, this event will turn out to be exactly that.

San Franciscos Union Square will be home to the main tasting tent where chefs, wine makers and local farmers will feature the best in sustainable foods and local products. A long, eclectic schedule of classes and seminars will also be offered in nearby hotels and restaurants, allowing patrons to interact with chefs, vintners, distillers, ranchers, food authors, and other culinary experts.

Ill be attending the Thursday night San Francisco Chronicle "Rising Stars" Opening Reception, as well as many other events throughout the weekend. In addition to being on the lookout for standout dishes and recipes to create videos with, Ill be taking lots of pictures so you can see what promises to be some very beautiful food.

If you live in the SF/Bay Area and were looking for a great reason to go besides the food and drink, this event will be supporting four local charities; San Francisco Food Bank, Meals on Wheels, The Golden Gate Restaurant Association Scholarship Foundation, and Project Open Hand.

For ticket and schedule information please check out the SF Chefs. Food. Wine. website.

Wednesday, April 9, 2014

Subliminal Advertising During Iron Chef Please Alton Say it Aint So!

During a recent Iron Chef battle, a McDonalds logo flashed on the screen for 1/30 of a second. This was caught by someone who had Tivod the show and they posted the clip on YouTube. The Food Network blamed a "technical" error. As someone who edits video for a semi-living, Ive never accidentally put a completely unrelated frame into the middle of one of my videos. My theory is that they did it intentionally, not as subliminal advertising, but for the publicity they knew the controversy would cause. Watch the clip and you be the judge, Im going to grab a couple Big Macs.

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Red Curry Butternut Squash – When it Comes to Side Dishes the Food Gods Hate a Coward

As you decide on what to include in your fabulous array of vegetable side dishes for the upcoming holiday feasts, keep one thing in mind. No guts, no glory. For some reason, normally adventurous cooks when faced with a house full of hungry relatives, play scared.

Its probably driven by the desire to want everyone to enjoy everything (you know thats impossible, right?). Serving something too exotic just doesnt seem prudent. I take a different approach. Since these holiday meals are one of the rare times we get to serve multiple side dishes, I think its the perfect occasion for springing a surprise or two.

This lovely red curry butternut squash certainly fits the bill. Sweet, spicy, and mysterious – this turkey-friendly side dish wont be everyones cup of tea, but for those at the table that let it work its magic, it promises to be one of their favorite parts of the meal.

Like I said, there are plenty of other side dishes on hand, so even if the worse case scenario happens and everyone from little Billy to Grandma Jean agrees this is the worst squash dish ever, so what? There are seven more sides to pick up the slack. Besides, after the third bottle of Beaujolais Nouveau whos really going to care?

If youve never worked with red curry before, be careful. Its really spicy, and you can always add more as it cooks. To be safe, you can even cut my measurements in half for the spices and then adjust. I hope you give this interesting butternut squash side dish a try. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
3-4 pounds butternut squash, peeled cut in 1-inch cubes
1 bunch green onions
1 tsp cumin
1 tbsp red curry powder (I used McCormick)
1 tsp red curry paste (I used Taste of Thai)
2 tbsps tomato paste
1 can coconut milk
1 rounded tbsp brown sugar
3 tbsp fish sauce (or sub to-taste with soy sauce or salt)
1 tbsp vegetable oil
3 cloves garlic
1/4 cup torn fresh basil leaves
*adjust for salt and heat before serving