Cuisine Eric

Happy New Year and thanks for reading! Let's roll out the New Year and celebrate 10 years of food blogging in cuisineici.blogspot.com and cuisineeric.blogspot.com with a fun Asian dish that would be a hit for a New Year's celebration!  You could roast up for four or scale up to 20 with this fun dish.  Happy New Year and happy 10 years of reading - thanks for visiting, and look forward to much more! Sauce: 1 cup Thai sweet chili sauce 1/2 cup Buffalo wing sauce 4 Tbsp butter, melted 1 lb pork boneless country ribs 1/2 cup peanuts, coarsely chopped Preheat oven to 400F.  Whisk together the sauce ingredients in a baking casserole. Submerge the pork in the sauce.   Bake the pork for about 35-45 minutes, until the pork is fully cooked through (reading at least 150F on a meat thermometer). Remove pork from sauce to a cutting board and allow to rest for 5 minutes, covered with aluminum foil.  Pour sauce into a serving bowl. Slice pork into servi

Toronto has a vibrant Greek community, and the chef at the company I worked at was Greek.  He taught me the basics of this classic Greek side dish he made and I've loved them ever since. 1-1/2 lb petite potatoes, quartered 1 firm Honeycrisp apple or equivalent, peeled, cored and diced 2 Tbsp olive oil crushed red pepper flakes to taste palmful fresh parsley leaved, minced 2 green onions, sliced juice of 1 lemon, plus zest 2 Tbsp cider vinegar 1/4 cup chicken broth Preheat oven to 400F.  Fold together the ingredients in a large mixing bowl.   Tip into a casserole and place in oven. Bake 30-45 minutes, turning once or twice, until veggies are cooked through and browned. Serves 4.

I made this gremolata with a good dose of lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil. Very flavorful garnish for a basic pork loin roast; would go very well with other coated or grilled meats or hearty fish. Caper Gremolata: 2 Tbsp capers 2 cloves garlic palmful fresh parsley leaves juice and zest of 1 lemon 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1/2 tsp Asian fish sauce (or 1 anchovy) dash kosher salt dash crushed red pepper 1 3-lb pork loin roast Preheat oven to 400F.  Place roast in a roasting pan and season lightly with salt and pepper to taste.  Roast pork until it is at least medium (internal temperature of 150F). Meanwhile place gremolata ingredients in a small food processor.  Process just until coarsely chopped.  Turn into a small serving bowl. When cooked, remove roast from oven and allow to sit 5 minutes on a cutting board, covered with aluminum foil.  Slice on a bias, and serve with the gremolata on the side. Serves 4-6

Nothing like a rich chicken cacciatore after a day of skiing.  I made this in Telluride, Colorado, for our son's birthday while we were skiing over Christmas break. 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut in half 4 chicken thighs (with skin and bones) 1 orange pepper, sliced 2 shallots, sliced 1/2 tsp fennel seeds 1/2 tsp herbs do Provence, or Italian herbs 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 lb fresh mushrooms, thickly sliced 1/2 cup Marsala wine or cream sherry 1/2 cup chicken broth (or water) Preheat the oven to 375F.  Brown both sides of chicken in a non-stick skillet in a dash of olive oil.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Set chicken aside.   Now sauté the pepper and shallot in the same skillet for about 5 minutes.  Add the fennel seeds, herbs and garlic and cook another 2-3 minutes. Remove veggies to a small bowl. Cook the mushrooms over high heat in a dash of olive oil.  Let them release what water they will and allow them to brown up a bit. Plac

Here is a real winner for the holidays, and simple to prepare. This derived from a recipe for cake with fruit we have been using for a long time in the family, but also parallels that of Marion Burros' (New York Times) FAMOUS recipe which was at one time attempted to be stopped.  But the public outcry was so great, the NYT continued to publish. Probably the difference is the lack of eggs here - but we will try eggs and let you know!  Here's to Marion Burros - she'd like our family desserts! 1 stick butter 3/4 cup sugar, softened to room temperature 1 cup all purpose flour 1 tsp baking powder dash salt (about 1/4 tsp) 2 cups blueberries, rinsed and dried 5 plums, halved, pitted Preheat oven to 350F. Cream the sugar and the butter together (I use a Kitchen Aide blender with wire whisk).  Add the flour, baking powder, and salt and just mix together.  Remove blender from bowl and manually fold in the blueberries into the batter gently with a

You can use any nice cut of beef if you don't want to spring for fillet mignon. The real beauty of this dish is the horseradish creamed spinach. 3/4 lb beef fillet mignon, enough for two portions 4 cups fresh baby spinach leaves 1 small shallot, minced 1 clove garlic, minced 1/4 cup creme fraiche (or sour cream) 1 Tbsp prepared horseradish Preheat oven to 400F.  Season fillet with salt and pepper to taste.  Sauté the shallot in a skillet for about 5 minutes until soft.  Remove shallot to a bowl. Brown each side of the fillet in the skillet with a dash of olive oil.   Set fillet in oven either in the skillet or other oven-going pan.  Roast fillet until desired doneness - about 125F for rare using a thermometer. Meanwhile, toss the spinach into a wide skillet and wilt the leaves, allowing them to release their water.  Remove excess water with a spoon if necessary.   Add the garlic and cook another 2-3 minutes.   Return the shallots to the spinach an

The umami of the mushrooms and the Worcestershire sauce make this a heart warming soup for the Winter. 1 lb button mushrooms, sliced 1/2 lb fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced 3 Tbsp butter 1 Tbsp olive oil 1 clove garlic, minced 1/4 tsp ground coriander 1 quart chicken broth 1 cup heavy cream 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce Sauté the mushrooms with the butter and oil in a large wide skillet over high heat.  Allow the mushrooms to release what water they will and brown up a bit.  Add the garlic and coriander and cook another 2-3 minutes. Transfer the mushrooms to a blender and add the cream, Worcestershire sauce and about a cup of broth.  Carefully blend - being careful that the mushrooms are still hot.   Add as much broth as needed and blend to reach the consistency you wish.   Return the soup to a soup pot and simmer 15-20 minutes to meld flavors. Serves 4.

This is a recipe I learned from Blue Apron, a nice number with shrimp. 1 6-oz package snap peas, cut on a bias about 1-inch 12 oz fresh squid ink spaghetti pasta 12 oz shrimp, peeled and deveined juice of 1/2 lemon 2 cloves garlic, minced crushed red pepper flakes to taste 2 Tbsp creme fraiche or sour cream remaining half lemon cut into small wedges palmful fresh parsley for garnish if desired Bring 2 quarts water to a boil for the pasta.  Season generously with salt.  Cook pasta according to package directions. Toss shrimp with a dash of olive oil.  Heat a large skillet to high and tip in the shrimp.   Shake to form a single layer and then stop.  Allow shrimp to cook 2 minutes.  Flip each shrimp with tongs or two forks, and cook another minutes.  Sprinkle with lemon and remove to a bowl. Tip snap peas into the skillet with a dash of olive oil as needed.  Cook a minute or two and then add the garlic and crushed red pepper flakes.  Return th

Leftover Buffalo Parmesan Cauliflower makes for a great pizza. 1 store-bought fresh pizza crust about 2 cups fresh baby spinach leaves 2 cups leftover Buffalo Parmesan Cauliflower 1/3 lb mozzarella cheese, sliced into strips 1/4 lb dill havarti cheese, cubed 2 Tbsp grated parmesan or romano cheese 2 lbs pancetta, finely diced Preheat oven to 450F.  Unroll the pizza dough onto a large baking sheet.  Spread out the spinach evenly on the dough.  Scatter the cauliflower on top of the spinach.  Top with the cheeses and pancetta.   Garnish with crushed red pepper flakes to taste. Bake for about 10-15 minutes until pizza is browned and bubbly.  Slice and serve. Serves 2-3. Cook’s Note:   I used a fantastic new brand of rolled fresh pizza dough I just discovered.  Wow - a product of Austria.  You unroll onto a piece of parchment paper, included, and viola - ready for accessorizing. Of course you could use whatever pizza dough you prefer for these toppin

Baked Ziti or Elbows in a rich bolognese sauce with fresh ricotta is a classic comfort food.  This arrangement has a crispy panko crus that gives a nice contrast to the soft creamy ricotta and saucy pasta. 1/2 lb large elbow macaroni 1 lb favorite Italian sausage 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 tsp herbs de Provence or Italian herbs 2 Tbsp sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, minced 1 6-oz can tomato paste 1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes 1 4-oz can mushrooms, with liquid 1 lb fresh ricotta 1 lb mozzarella cheese cut into strips 1/4 cup panko crumbs mixed with 2 tsp olive oil Preheat oven to 350F.  Bring 2 quarts water to a boil in a pot.  Salt generously for the pasta.  Add the pasta and cook, stirring every once in a while, until al dente. Reserve a cup of cooking water and drain pasta.  Set aside. Meanwhile, sauté the sausage in a skillet or large saucepan.  After about 5 minutes, and sausage has browned, add garlic, herbs and sun-dried tomatoes.  Cook an

You can make this lo mean with whatever you want - tofu, chicken or pork, for example.  If using meat, just be sure to stir fry the meat separately before you add the sauce and noodles to be sure it cooks through well enough. Sauce: 1 Tbsp Gochujang 1 Tbsp hoisin sauce 1 Tbsp sesame oil 1 Tbsp seasoned rice vinegar 1 Tbsp soy sauce 1 Tbsp pale dry sherry 1 lb fresh lo mein noodles 1 crown broccoli cut into flowerets 2 large yellow sweet onion, sliced 2 cups cabbage, chopped 1 carrot, peeled and chopped coarsely 2 cloves garlic 1/2-inch fresh ginger, minced 18 medium shrimp, peeled, deveined and cut in half at the waist Bring 2 quarts water to a boil for the noodles.  Salt generously.  Cook for about 3-5 minutes, until just al-dente, stirring often.  Drain in a colander and rinse with cold water. Drain well. Meanwhile, stir fry the broccoli onion cabbage and carrot in a dash of canola oil over high heat in a wok or large skillet.  Cook f

We love cauliflower, and now especially appreciate it after being given fresh grown samples, sweet, from our friends Joe and Adelle - expert gardeners! I never knew cauliflower could taste so sweet and good. (I actually asked why the heck they would ever consider growing cauliflower - now I know.) I especially love a gratin, with cheese to schmooze, and bread crumbs to sharpen and crumble.  I recently had a Buffalo flavored cauliflower appetizer from a local restaurant which inspired this dish. 1 head cauliflower cut into flowerets, about 4 cups 1/3 cup good real mayonnaise 1/3 cup grated Romano cheese 2 Tbsp Frank’s Buffalo hot sauce (or favorite) juice of 1/2 lemon - about 2-3 tablespoons 2 cloves garlic, pushed through a press crushed red pepper flakes 1/2 cup panko crumbs 1 Tbsp olive oil herbs de Provence or Italian herbs Preheat oven to 375F.  Mix together the mayo, cheese, hot sauce, lemon juice and garlic.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.