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

kimchi chashu ramen

1 pack ramen
chashu (japanese style simmered pork) (recipe below)
kimchi (recipe below)
hard boiled egg (recipe below)
green onion

chashu (japanese simmered pork):
1 1/2 pounds pork belly
1 quart cold water
4 tbsp. sugar
3/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup sake
1/2 cup mirin
2 tbsp. miso
1 tsp. bean paste
thumb size piece of ginger (finely chopped)
3 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
15 peppercorns

in a large bowl add in the cold water, sugar, soy sauce, sake, mirin, miso, bean paste, ginger, garlic, and peppercorns and whisk everything together.

place the pork belly into a medium size dutch oven and pour the cold mixture over the pork. turn the heat to medium high and bring to a boil. reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 4 hours until pork is tender. turn the heat off and let the pork set in the simmering mixture until cool. when cooled, remove from the liquid and wrap in plastic wrap, and place into the fridge. reserve the liquid for other purposes.

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 48 hours in room temperature, and then into the refrigerator for an additional 4 day to finish the process.

makes about 3 cups
pickling time: 7 days
*side note* if making this in the summer you can reduce the kimchi pickling time in half to 24 instead of 48 hours, and 2 days in the fridge instead of 4 before serving.

boiled egg:
eggs
cold water
1-2 tbsp. cider vinegar
1 tsp. salt

place the eggs into a pot so that they are in a single layer. add enough water to the pot to cover the eggs and come about 1 inch over. add in the vinegar and salt, and bring to a boil. when the water starts to boil turn the heat off, cover, and let stand for 10 mins. then transfer to an ice bath to cool. the eggs should be easy to remove the shell.

place the boiled eggs into the reserved simmering liquid from the pork, and place in the fridge overnight.

ramen:
cook the noodles according to the packaging. place the noodles into a bowl with 1 cup of water and 2 tbsp. of the reserved simmering liquid. top with chashu, kimchi, boiled egg, and sliced scallions, and serve hot.

enjoy :)

justin

ikura natto with zakkoku gohan

1 tbsp. ikura (salmon roe)
1 50g pack of natto (fermented soy beans)
1 cup zakkoku gohan (japanese mixed grain rice)

cooking the rice:
put the rice in a bowl and wash it with cold water. repeat washing until the water becomes clear. it's very important to wash rice before cooking. then drain the rice in a colander and set aside.

place the rice in a pan or rice cooker and add water. the amount of water used is just a little more than the amount of rice. for example, use 1 1/5 cup of water for 1 cup of rice. let the rice soak in the water at least 30mins. to 1 hour.

cover the pan with a lid and bring to a boil with hight heat. turn the heat down very low and cook about 15-20 mins. until the water is almost gone.

remove the pan from the heat and let it steam for 10-15 mins. before serving. it's important not to remove the lid right away, instead, let the rice steam.

plating:
plate the rice, then natto, and top with ikura.

enjoy :)

justin

grilled chicken and pesto pizza

pizza dough (recipe below)
grilled chicken (recipe below)
simple pesto (recipe below)
roasted garlic (recipe below)
1/4 red onion (thinly sliced)
1 tomato (sliced)
1 ball fresh mozzarella cheese

pizza dough (recipe makes enough for 2 pizzas):
1 package active dry yeast
2 tsp. sugar
1 cup warm water
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tbsp. olive oil

in a bowl, combine the yeast, sugar, and warm water and set aside to proof, about 5 mins.

pour the flour onto a 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. after all the ingredients are incorporated, cut in half, and make 2 balls. i wrap 1 in plastic wrap and place in the freezer for another time. and for the other 1 i place in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and place in the fridge over night.

grilled chicken:
1 boneless skinless chicken breast
kosher salt
fresh cracked black pepper
1 tbsp. canola oil

in a medium size non stick pan heat the oil on medium high heat. season both sides of the chicken breast with salt and pepper. when the oil is hot place the chicken into the pan. cook for 5mins. and turn to the other side, and cook for another 5mins. until both sides are golden brown. remove from the pan and allow to cool for 5mins. cut on the bias into 1/8" slices and set aside and cover with foil.

simple pesto:
2 cups fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup pine nuts (toasted)
3 garlic gloves (minced)
kosher salt
freshly cracked black pepper

in a small pan toast the pine nut on medium heat for about 5-10 mins. or until they start to change color. mix in the basil and toasted pine nuts into a food processor and pulse a few times. gradually add in the olive oil pulsing in between. add in the garlic and parmesan cheese, salt and pepper to taste and blend until everything is mixed.

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.

grilled chicken and pesto pizza:
preheat the oven to 500°F. with a pizza stone left in the oven to get hot.

roll out your pizza dough on a floured surface into a nice 12" circle, and sprinkle a bit of corn meal on the bottom of the pizza dough, and drizzle a bit of extra virgin olive oil onto the dough. start layering your pizza with pesto, grilled chicken slices, roasted garlic, red onion slices, tomato slices, and mozzarella. when the oven gets to 500°F the turn it down to 450°F and transfer your pizza onto the pizza stone and cook 12-14 mins. until crust is golden brown.

when the pizza is cooked all the way, remove from the oven and place onto a cutting surface. slice and serve hot.

enjoy :)

justin

ham, egg, and cheese breakfast sandwich with a toasted walnut pesto sauce

(recipe is per sandwich)
1 challah roll
pesto (recipe below)
2 slices thick sliced ham
1 large handful gruyere cheese (shredded)
1 egg

toasted walnut pesto:
2 cups fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup walnuts (toasted)
3 garlic gloves (minced)
1 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
kosher salt
freshly cracked black pepper

in a small pan toast the pine nut on medium heat for about 5-10 mins. or until they start to change color. mix in the basil and toasted pine nuts into a food processor and pulse a few times. gradually add in the olive oil pulsing in between. add in the garlic and parmesan cheese, lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste and blend until everything is mixed.

breakfast sandwich:
heat a medium pan up to medium high heat. add in the sliced ham to toast for a bit. about 2 mins. each side, and set aside. cut the challah roll in half, and cover each slice with the walnut pesto. add on 1 slice of ham to each piece of the roll. then top each piece with the shredded gruyere cheese. place into the broiler on hi until the cheese is melted.

in a medium size non stick pan heat 2 tsp. of olive oil on medium high heat. add in the egg and cook for about 3 mins. on each side to create your over easy egg.

when the cheese has melted onto the sandwich add on the cooked egg and top with the other half of the roll, and serve.

enjoy :)

justin

poached egg on asparagus with artichoke and fennel bolognese

bolognese sauce (recipe below)
asparagus (blanched)
poached egg (recipe below)

bolognese sauce:
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves (minced)
thumb size piece of ginger (minced)
1 carrot (finely diced)
1 celery stalk (finely diced)
1 large onion (finely diced)
1/2 fennel bulb (finely diced)
5 ounce artichoke hearts (thawed and finely diced)
1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground pork
1/2 pound pancetta (cubed)
1 6oz. can tomato paste
1 cup red wine
1 1/2 cup simple marinara sauce (recipe below)
1 28 oz. can san marzano tomatoes chopped
1 15 oz. can beef broth
1 tbsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. red chili flakes
1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
3 tbsp. chopped parsley
2 tbsp. parmesan cheese grated (extra for serving)
kosher salt to taste
freshly cracked black pepper to taste
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 pound artichoke spaghetti

simple marinara sauce:
1 28oz. can san marzano whole peeled tomatoes
1 28oz. can san marzano diced tomatoes
1/2 onion
3 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
15-20 leaves basil (chopped)
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. sugar

heat oil in a medium sauce pan on medium high heat. add in garlic and onion, and cook for 5 mins. add in the caned tomatoes, basil leaves, and the sugar. bring to a boil, then cover reduce heat and simmer to 2 hours. place half of the marinara into a blender and blend until smooth. return sauce back into the sauce pan. lasts 3-4 days in the fridge, or can be frozen and saved for a later time.

bolognese sauce:
in a medium size dutch oven heat the butter and oil over medium high heat. add in the garlic, ginger, carrot, celery, onion, fennel, artichoke, and pancetta. lower the heat and cook until the onions are golden brown. about 10 mins. add in the pork and ground beef. cook until everything is broken up, about 10 mins. stir in the tomato paste and cook for another 4 mins. add in the wine and reduce for another 5 mins. add in the marinara sauce, can of tomatoes, beef broth, chili flakes, oregano, nutmeg, and 1 tbsp. of chopped parsley and bring to a boil. then reduce to a simmer and simmer for 2 hours.

after the sauce has thickened add in the remaining 2 tbsp. of parsley, parmesan cheese, heavy cream, and salt and pepper to taste. keeping the sauce warm until ready to use.

sauce can last the fridge for 4 days, or be frozen and used for a later time.

blanching asparagus:
bring a large sauce pan of salted water to a boil. remove the bottom hard part of the asparagus and place into the boiling water. boil for 2 mins. remove asparagus from the water, and place into an ice bath. set aside.

poached egg:
4 cups water
2 tbsp. cider vinegar
eggs

in a medium size pot bring the water and vinegar mixture to a boil. crack the egg into a small bowl. reduce the heat to a slight simmer, and slowly add in the egg. with a spoon move the egg around to slowly form a ball, and cook for about 5 mins. when the egg looks in form remove and set aside. repeat process until every needed egg is poached.

plating:
place 1 cup of the bolognese sauce onto the plate, then the asparagus, and top with the poached egg. garnish with parmesan cheese and serve.

enjoy :)

justin

artichoke spaghetti with artichoke and fennel bolognese sauce

2 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves (minced)
thumb size piece of ginger (minced)
1 carrot (finely diced)
1 celery stalk (finely diced)
1 large onion (finely diced)
1/2 fennel bulb (finely diced)
5 ounce artichoke hearts (thawed and finely diced)
1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground pork
1/2 pound pancetta (cubed)
1 6oz. can tomato paste
1 cup red wine
1 1/2 cup simple marinara sauce (recipe below)
1 28 oz. can san marzano tomatoes chopped
1 15 oz. can beef broth
1 tbsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. red chili flakes
1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
3 tbsp. chopped parsley
2 tbsp. parmesan cheese grated (extra for serving)
kosher salt to taste
freshly cracked black pepper to taste
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 pound artichoke spaghetti

serves 6:

simple marinara sauce:
1 28oz. can san marzano whole peeled tomatoes
1 28oz. can san marzano diced tomatoes
1/2 onion
3 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
15-20 leaves basil (chopped)
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. sugar

heat oil in a medium sauce pan on medium high heat. add in garlic and onion, and cook for 5 mins. add in the caned tomatoes, basil leaves, and the sugar. bring to a boil, then cover reduce heat and simmer to 2 hours. place half of the marinara into a blender and blend until smooth. return sauce back into the sauce pan. lasts 3-4 days in the fridge, or can be frozen and saved for a later time.

bolognese sauce:
in a medium size dutch oven heat the butter and oil over medium high heat. add in the garlic, ginger, carrot, celery, onion, fennel, artichoke, and pancetta. lower the heat and cook until the onions are golden brown. about 10 mins. add in the pork and ground beef. cook until everything is broken up, about 10 mins. stir in the tomato paste and cook for another 4 mins. add in the wine and reduce for another 5 mins. add in the marinara sauce, can of tomatoes, beef broth, chili flakes, oregano, nutmeg, and 1 tbsp. of chopped parsley and bring to a boil. then reduce to a simmer and simmer for 2 hours.

after the sauce has thickened add in the remaining 2 tbsp. of parsley, parmesan cheese, heavy cream, and salt and pepper to taste. keeping the sauce warm until ready to use.

sauce can last the fridge for 4 days, or be frozen and used for a later time.

spaghetti:
in a large pot bring water to a boil adding in a few pinches of kosher salt and 1 tbsp. olive oil to flavor the pasta water. when the water reaches a boil add in the spaghetti and cook according to the directions. when the pasta is al dente, drain the excess water reserving 2 tbsp. of the pasta water. then return the pasta to the pot. add into the pasta 1 cup of the bolognese sauce and mix together.

plate your pasta and top with the bolognese sauce. garnish with chopped parsley and grated parmesan cheese and serve hot.

enjoy :)

justin

korean style fried chicken

3 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
frying batter (recipe below)
sauce for the fried chicken (recipe below)
4 scallions
canola oil for deep frying

frying batter:
1/2 cup potato starch
1/3 cup pellegrino
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 tbsp. fresh cracked black pepper
1 tbsp. korean red pepper powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 egg

heat the canola oil in a pan, enough to cover the chicken, on medium high heat.

mix all the ingredients above together to form the batter. wash the chicken in cold water, pat dry with a paper towel, and cut into bite size pieces. dredge the chicken pieces in the batter to coat all over. fry the chicken in batches until golden brown, about 10 mins. and drain on a paper towel to remove any excess oil, and set aside. continue until all the chicken is fried.

sauce for the chicken:
1 tbsp. canola oil
thumb size piece of ginger (grated)
4 garlic cloves (grated)
1/3 cup ketchup
1/4 cup gochujang (korean hot pepper paste)
1 tbsp. tobanjan (hot bean paste)
1 tbsp. honey
1 tbsp. rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp. sesame seeds

heat the canola oil in a non stick pan on medium high heat until hot. add in the garlic and ginger, and cook for about 1-2 mins. turn the heat down to low and add in the ketchup, gochujang, tobanjan, honey, vinegar, and sesame seeds. simmer the mixture for about 5-7 mins. when the sauce begins to shimmer remove from the heat, and be careful not to burn the sauce.

place the chicken into the sauce and mix well with a wooden spoon. top with chopped scallions and serve.

enjoy :)

justin