Macy's Come Together...

I'm thinking about doing this...who is in????

http://social.macys.com/cometogether/#/host_party

Butternut Squash

So, I have this nice butternut squash and since it's September I am going to make a dish with it. I know I want to make butternut squash ravioli but what type of sauce should I make?
What do you all think...?

I was thinking about a Veloute...or a mushroom duxelle...maybe even a mornay...or an almond butter sauce?

Give me your thoughts...ideas...

Al

My daughter (Avy) just put water in a hot tea cup (at chinese restaurant) added chinese noddles and shrimp...stirred it up and then ate it...ewww right? Think about it she just made soup...just like dada...

Picking the Right Wine to Complement Your Dinner
Selecting the perfect wine to complement your dinner can be a daunting task. Here are a few suggestions to help you select a bottle of wine for dinner that beautifully brings out the flavor in your wine and your food.
http://www.associatedcontent.comarticle/8297/picking_the_right_wine_to_complement.html

Satisfaction

You know you've done a great job as an artist/cook/chef; when your 21 month old daughter loves to eat your food!

I have to say she is by far my toughest critic and the one I aim to please (other than Christina) in the palette.

I remember when I was really little tasting some pretty yummy stuff and some gnarly things too...Dad's Korean celery soup of some sort...and it reminds me that we create our palettes at a very young age. I thank them for all the things I was given to eat growing up; because I wouldn't have the palette I have now if it wasn't for the celery soups :)

However...you have to make celery soups in order to get better. I know I mentioned the soup dad made...but I will say this he definitely taught me how to learn from you mistakes. After that day he has made some pretty incredible dishes...making up for the celery soup.....................

Al's Margarita Lime Shrimp Recipe - Calorie Count

Here is the recipe for my Margarita Lime Shrimp...
These go great with an Ice Cold Landshark or Corona :)

Al's Margarita Lime Shrimp Recipe - Calorie Count

Whewwww....

Man that was tough...!

Trussing a chicken after boning it without a trussing needle is not easy!

I boned the rib cage and spine from a fryer chicken. Then I cut the wing tips off and stuffed it with sauteed spinach, shitake mushrooms, onion, garlic, fresh ginger and cilantro.

After seasoning the chicken and finally tying the dang thing up...I roasted it in the oven on a bed of chopped parsnips for 1.5 hours...

While it was cooking I made whipped yuca...with chicken stock, butter, cayenne pepper, salt, pepper, garlic powder and cilantro. MMMMMMMMMmmmmmmm!!!!!

I plated the chicken...let mom cut it up...lol...and then I deglazed the the roaster pot with cooking wine...poured into a saute pan through a chinois. Added tbsp of butter and flour...whisked it until awesome pan gravy was created...then I poured it over the plated chicken.

The fresh asian ginger slaw was good but not neccessary...all I needed was a bed of fresh whipped yuca and then the chicken on top...

It came out VERY juicy...next time I will use some sort of bread product in the stuffing so that there is less water....

Otherwise good learning experience and it still tasted GREAT!

Next Culinary meal (with Chicken)

My next culinary meal is going to be with a Roaster Chicken, shitake mushrooms, spinach, shallots, ginger, garlic, cilantro...

With a cabbage/slaw salad underneath...and whipped yucca...

Wait till you see the pictures of this thing...I have been very fortunate to be able to taste and envision a meal before I even cook it. These things just pop up in my mind and I go to work...lol

mmmmmm...

Culinary Student Recipe Contest - Chilean Avocado Importers Association

I am going to enter this contest... It was posted at my school...

Time to start thinking about all the Avocado recipes I can come up with...!!


Culinary Student Recipe Contest - Chilean Avocado Importers Association


The Chilean Avocado Importers Association is sponsoring an avocado recipe contest for all eligible culinary students. Students will create a recipe for fall and/or winter menus featuring Chilean Hass Avocados and be eligible to win cash prizes. First prize is $1,000, second prize is $500 and two runners up each will win $250.

•Competition is open only to students enrolled in professional culinary programs during the course of the contest.
•Recipes can be for any type of menu, from breakfast to dinner or any other.
•Recipes must be for 12 portions and must use at least 3 Chilean Hass Avocados.
•Recipes must include all ingredients in order of use, quantity of ingredients with weight and/or measure, complete directions for preparation, yield and portion size.
•Students can submit as many entries as they like; prizes will be limited to one per student.
•All entries become the property of the Chilean Avocado Importers Association. Winning recipes may be featured in future issues of foodservice magazines.
•Entries will be judged on creativity, flavor, appearance and appropriateness to foodservice operations.
•All decisions made by the Chilean Avocado Importers Association are final.
•Winners will be notified on February 1, 2010.

Under $10 Wine

There are a lot of people whom are intimidated by wine; or someone introduced them to what was supposed to be an incredible RED! The red they introduced them too was dry, highly acidic and also $80...WOW! Then you wonder to yourself why you drank and $80 bottle of wine and it tasted like wet dust. Although many things could have happened to that wine; for instance improper storage over time or temperature. However; you can drink a Red without wanting to hurl...just look for reds under $10...YES under $10! I have the luxury of having Publix nearby every corner of my neighborhood; and they always have amazing deals on wine. In fact you can check out their wine guide/discounts etc... http://www.publix.com/clubs/wine/Home.do this is their link.

I myself like mellow reds with full body...one red in particular that can be found at a great price is Smoking Loon Pinot Noir. It's currently $7.49 at Publix...

In fact you are supposed to chill your reds...not at the same temperature as whites but the storing wine standard is 55 degrees F.

The whole idea is you must be able to feel the wine in the back of your palette while your nose envelopes the bouquet of the wine. It should make you smile!

If Red is not your thing a good thing to do is to try them out little by little...the mellow reds will garnish your attention first and maybe just maybe you will get up too that Full Body Cabernet.

Wines from the "new world"; such as South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, California, Chile, Argentina, Portugal, Spain...are all very GOOD!!!! And they are usually at a very low price right now. They want you to try something different and get hooked.

The best place to do your taste testing as at a Wine bar/store where you can try flights OR at a carousel style wine taster. They give you a glass and you fill up your taster card with cash...then you go to these carousels with many different wines from all over the world. Put in your card and select the wine you want to taste, Viola!

Cheers!~~