grilled gruyere cheese sandwich on garlic and herb focaccia bread

garlic and herb focaccia bread (recipe below)
gruyere cheese (shredded)

garlic and herb focaccia bread:
1 cup warm water
1 tsp. sugar
1 tbsp. active dry yeast
2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. garlic chips (see below)
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. fresh thyme
1 tsp. fresh basil (finely chopped)
1/4 tsp. freshly cracked black pepper
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 tbsp. grated parmesan cheese
1 tbsp. fleur de sel

in a bowl, combine the yeast, sugar, and warm water and set aside to proof, about 10 mins.

start cooking your garlic chips. using about 4 cloves of garlic, finely slice them. in a medium sauce pan heat 1 tbsp. olive oil over medium high heat. when the oil is hot, add in the garlic. fry for about 5 mins. or until golden brown. remove from the heat and drain on paper towel.

in another bowl mix the flour, salt, garlic chips, oregano, thyme, basil, and black pepper together. pour the flour mixture onto a floured working surface. make a well in the middle of your flour pile and pour in the yeast mixture and olive oil. start working all ingredients to together until you start working it into a large ball. pour about 2 tsp. of olive oil into a bowl and rest your dough in that bowl. cover with a damp cloth and let rest to rise. about 1 hour.

preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

in a 9"x13" non stick oven pan. coat the bottom of the pan with olive oil. after the dough has risen spread it into the 9'X13" pan. sprinkle the parmesan cheese, and the fleur de sel over the top of the dough.

bake in the oven for about 20 mins. then remove from oven and let rest for a couple mins.

grilled cheese:
cut the focaccia bread into 4"x4" squares. take 2 slices and turn them over, and top (on the bottom of the bread) with shredded gruyere cheese. place into the broiler on high for about 5 mins. or until cheese starts to melt. remove from the broiler, and place the two slices together to create a sandwich.

recipe makes 6 4"x4" squares (after crust is cut off)

enjoy :)

*it's also nice to eat with, or dip in, oven roasted tomato bisque soup.

justin

oven roasted tomato bisque soup

4 cloves roasted garlic (recipe below)
1 roasted jalapeno finely diced (recipe below)
5 roasted plum tomatoes (recipe below)
10 sprigs of thyme
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 onion (diced)
2 celery stalks (finely chopped)
1 carrot (finely chopped)
3 tbsp. all purpose flour
1 6oz. can of tomato paste
1 28oz. can of san marzano diced tomatoes
5 cups chicken broth (recipe below)
1 tbsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. fresh ground nutmeg
kosher salt and pepper to taste

roasting the garlic, jalapeno, and tomatoes:
preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

place the garlic cloves, jalapeno (halved lengthwise), tomatoes (halved lengthwise), and thyme in a non stick baking pan. drizzle the olive oil over the veggies, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. cook in the oven for about 1 hour or until the veggies start to roast, and the garlic starts to brown. remove the veggies from the baking sheet, remove the seeds from the jalapeno, throw the thyme sprigs out, and set aside reserving the olive oil to use in the bisque for later.

chicken broth:
4 1/2 pound whole chicken

place the chicken into a large pot. fill the pot with cold water, and bring to a boil. reduce the heat to a simmer. cover and simmer for 2 hours.

the chicken can be used for a number of other things, and use the broth for the bisque.

making the tomato bisque:
add the butter into a medium size dutch oven and melt over medium high heat. add in the roasted garlic, onion, celery, and carrots. cook the veggies down, about 10 mins. stir in the flour and cook for another 1 min.

stir in the tomato paste, caned tomatoes, chicken broth, sugar, and nutmeg. cover and simmer for 1 hour.

transfer 3/4 of the bisque to a blender and blend until smooth. pour the mixture back into the dutch oven, season with salt and pepper to taste, and simmer on low for 30 mins.

remove from heat and serve.

enjoy :)

justin



PICTURE COMING SOON :)

iceberg lettuce wedges with an orange citrus vinaigrette

iceberg lettuce wedges
orange citrus vinaigrette (recipe below)
fresh bacon bits
pink grapefruit slices
feta cheese crumbles

orange citrus vinaigrette:
juice of 2 oranges
juice of 1 lime
1 tbsp. white balsamic vinegar
2 tsp. dijon mustard
pinch kosher salt
pinch freshly cracked black pepper
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

whisk the orange juice, lime juice, white balsamic, mustard, salt and pepper together. while still whisking slowly pour in the olive oil until everything is mixed together.

makes about 1 cup dressing.

plating:
place the iceberg lettuce wedges on the plate. place pink grapefruit slices around the plate. sprinkle bacon bits and feta cheese crumbles. then dress with the orange citrus vinaigrette.

enjoy :)

justin

iceberg lettuce salad with bacon and tomato vinaigrette and feta cheese

iceberg lettuce wedges
bacon and tomato vinaigrette (recipe below)
fresh bacon bits
grape tomatoes (halved)
feta cheese crumbles

bacon and tomato vinaigrette:
3 tbsp. tomato paste
2 tbsp. white balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp. bacon fat (reserved for cooking the bacon)
1 tbsp. shallots (finely diced)
1/4 tsp. sugar
pinch kosher salt
pinch fresh cracked black pepper
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

whisk together the tomato paste, white balsamic, bacon fat, shallots, sugar, salt and pepper. while whisking slowly add in the olive oil until everything is mixed together.

makes about 1 cup dressing.

plating:
place the iceberg lettuce on the plate. add grape tomatoes, and sprinkle with bacon bits and feta cheese crumbles. top with bacon and tomato vinaigrette.

enjoy :)

justin

kimchi potato pancake with pan seared scallops

wild dry sea scallops
kimchi (recipe below)
potato pancake (recipe below)
kosher salt
freshly cracked pepper

kimchi:
1 large napa cabbage (2 pounds)
2 tbsp. kosher salt

1/4 cup white rice vinegar
1/4 cup dashi broth (see broth in soba recipe)
3 tbsp. hot korean chili paste (gochujang)
2 tbsp. course korean chili powder
1 tbsp. sweet japanese chili paste
1 1/2 tbsp. fuji apple (grated)
1 tbsp. garlic (grated)
2/3 tbsp. ginger (grated)
1 tsp. fish sauce
2 carrots julienned
2 1/2" daikon slice julienned
4 scallions cut into about 2" slices keeping the green part

first you want to start the pickling process of the cabbage. cut the cabbage lengthwise in have, and remove the core. slice the cabbage into about 2" slices. rinse of the cabbage, and place on a paper towel to dry completely. place dry cabbage into a large bowl, and mix with the 2 tbsp. of salt. you'll need to apply pressure to the cabbage to start the pickling. i used a large tupperware container and placed the cabbage in. on top of the cabbage i then placed a plate with another medium size tupperware filled with water to apply pressure. let set for 24 hours.

in a large bowl add in the white rice vinegar, dashi broth, both chili pastes, chili powder, apple, garlic, fish sauce and ginger and mix together to form a paste. place this in the fridge and chill for 24 hours. (same timing as the cabbage)

in a large bowl add in the carrots, daikons, and scallions and mix together. strain out the cabbage of all the liquid and add the cabbage into the bowl and mix all together. pour over the korean marinade and mix everything together and place into mason jars. let set for another 24 hours in room temperature, and then into the refrigerator for an additional 24 hours to finish the process.

makes about 3 cups
pickling time: 3 days

potato pancake:
3 scallions
4 large russet potatoes (shredded)
1 cup kimchi
1/3 cup cornstarch
canola oil
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper

prep time: 40 mins.
cook time: 14-15 mins.

you'll first need to shred the potatoes. you can use a food processor with the coarse shredding blade or you can do by hand with a cheese grater. peel the potatoes and shred them. set up a large bowl of cold water and transfer the shredded potatoes into the water, and let sit for about 30 mins. take them out of the water and dry them in a salad spinner or you can wrap up in paper towels and pat dry. transfer the dry shredded potatoes into a large bowl, and add the cornstarch. mix together evenly.

heat some canola oil in a 10-inch nonstick frying pan over a medium to medium high heat. when the oil becomes hot place one-eighth of the shredded potatoes in the pan, gently spreading into an 8-9 inch circle. do not press down on the potatoes... DO NOT. there will be a mound, but in the end of cooking they will naturally flatten. season with salt, pepper, and 1/4 cup of kimchi. carefully spread another one-eighth of the potatoes on top. DO NOT press down. then cook for 7 mins. to brown the bottom. if the pan starts to become dry then just add a bit more oil.

flip the pancake to brown the other side and cook for another 7 mins. and do not move the pancake in the pan. after the second side is brown and crisp transfer to a cutting board and let rest for a couple mins. if you do want to keep them warm while cooking the other 3 pancakes then you can transfer them to the oven on a baking sheet on about 200 degrees.

serves 4 (1 potato per person)

pan seared scallops:
1 dozen wild dry scallops
kosher salt
fresh cracked black pepper
2 tbsp. unsalted butter

was the scallops in cold water, and pat dry with a paper towel. season both sides with salt and pepper. melt the butter in a non stick skillet on medium high heat. add the scallops to the heated pan and cook for 2-3 mins. on both sides or until golden brown.

plating:
lay the kimchi potato pancake onto a plate. top with a bit of kimchi, and then top with the seared scallops.

enjoy :)

justin

maryland style jumbo lump crab roll with citron aioli

1 pound jumbo lump crab meat
3/4 cup light mayonnaise
1/4 cup dijon mustard
4 cloves roasted garlic (recipe below)
2 celery stalks (finely chopped)
2 scallions (finely chopped)
1 tbsp. old bay spice
2 tbsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice
pinch of fresh cracked black pepper
ciabatta rolls
lettuce leaves

roasted garlic:
1 head of garlic
extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt

preheat the oven to 400°F.

peel away the outer layers of the garlic bulb skin, leaving the skins of the individual cloves intact. using a knife, cut off 1/4 to a 1/2 inch of the top of cloves, exposing the individual cloves of garlic.

place the garlic heads in a baking pan; muffin pans work well for this purpose. drizzle a couple teaspoons of olive oil over each head, using your fingers to make sure the garlic head is well coated, and a pinch of kosher salt. cover with aluminum foil. bake at 400°F for 30-35 minutes, or until the cloves feel soft when pressed.

allow the garlic to cool enough so you can touch it without burning yourself. use a small small knife cut the skin slightly around each clove. use a cocktail fork or your fingers to pull or squeeze the roasted garlic cloves out of their skins.

citron aioli:
whisk in a medium bowl the mayonnaise, mustard, roasted garlic, celery, scallions, old bay, lemon juice, and pepper. fold in the 1 pound of jumbo lump crab meat into the mixture.

toast each half of the roll with butter, and build your crab roll.

serves 6.

enjoy :)

justin

kosher pickles with fresh thyme and nutmeg

recipe is for 1 1quart wide mouth mason jar:
6-7 kirby cucumbers (cut lengthwise in half)
3 cups water
1 1/2 tbsp. kosher salt
3 1/2 tbsp. cider vinegar
2 garlic cloves (smashed)
2 bay leaves
10 sprigs thyme
1/8 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
2 dozen peppercorns

in a medium size pot add the water, salt, vinegar, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, nutmeg, and peppercorns and bring to a boil to dissolve the salt. remove from the heat, and let cool to room temp.

stuff the halved cucumbers into the mason jar adding in the garlic, bay leaves, thyme, nutmeg, and peppercorns from the brine. mix all together. fill the packed jar to the top with the salt and vinegar brine. close the jar, and let set at room temp. for 3 days to pickle. after the 3 days you can place into the fridge to chill.

enjoy :)

justin