Fried Whole Trout

Wednesday, August 25, 2010 posted by Jerry 10:44 am

It’s not often that I can say I wish I had less fish in my diet, but this week that’s what I’ve been saying.  My kids went fishing over the weekend with their brother and brought home a gallon-sized freezer bag of fresh rainbow and brook trout.  Even for a fish lover like me, that’s an awful lot of fish to go through.

Luckily all of the fish came to me cleaned.

With fish this fresh, I didn’t have the heart to do much to them at all.  The flavor of freshly caught fish is something that requires little or nothing to make it perfect.  Because trout can be eaten in its entirety, I simply floured the fish and fried it in a nice hot wok.

The boys didn’t even flinch.  The fish was gone in minutes.

It really does taste better when you catch it yourself.

As for the rest of the fish in my fridge, you’ll just have to come back in a few days to see what direction I’m going with them.  I’m sure you’ll like it.

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Finally winding down

Thursday, September 2, 2010 posted by Jerry 4:25 pm

I’m finally reaching a point in the craziness that has been the past few weeks that I can begin to contemplate all the things that I should have been doing. I finally have a chance to contemplate cooking something again; which is a good thing considering I have a deadline for a recipe development project looming very near now.

Seriously, it’s been sheer insanity around the CbsoP household. I’ve been in the middle of courts, paralegals, paperwork that does not get where it’s supposed to get and drive time for all of these things.  This is on top of kids missing the bus, getting in trouble at school, getting hurt at school and all the other joys that come along with parenting.

But I’m almost ready to dive back in and reclaim my life as a food blogger. (Seriously, did you really want to read about the pretzels and peanut butter I managed to sneak in the other day?  Really?  I didn’t think so.)  There is a list of things I need to make before we start getting ready to move and the list gets longer every day.  Saturday it will start appearing here.  That’s the soonest I can get to it.

Until then, find a friend, get some good food and Share and Enjoy!

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Busy, Busy

Wednesday, September 1, 2010 posted by Jerry 8:10 am

Sorry for the lapse in posts lately.  I actually have a ton of things I want to get up for all of you, but have been consumed by personal issues that have to be handled in a very expedient manner for our move to Alaska.  I hope to have a lull in this personal activity in the next few days and a little time to post some of the recipes I’ve been working on over the past few weeks.

In the mean time, thanks for your understanding.  CbsoP is very much still here, just a bit sidetracked at the moment.

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The challenge is on!

Tuesday, August 24, 2010 posted by Jerry 10:06 am

I receive a lot of emails from PR firms here at the CbsoP kitchens.  Most are simply requests to publish press releases or to offer trials of products that I quite honestly have no interest in.  I get these two to three times a week on average.  The politely worded requests get a polite reply that I am not interested.  The pushy or downright poorly written requests are sent to the bin.  This is the lot of a food blogger.

But every now and then someone sends me something that makes me sit up and pay attention.  I received one of these emails early this week.  It was something I couldn’t pass by.  Something I not only needed to share with all of you, but something I simply had to be a part of.

I’ve been challenged.  By Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry.  To do the thing I love most…

To create something unique.

Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry has challenged me to create a “Sophisticated and simple original recipe” based on Texan cuisine.  If that’s not the absolute perfect fit for a seat of his pants cook, I don’t know what is.  Of course, they’re going to supply coupons for the puff pastry, and compensate me for my time but the rest of the gig is all me, and I’ve been wanting to do something with puff pastry for quite a while now.

They want my recipe on their site.  Can you believe that?  How COOL is this!?  Whatever I submit is actually going through a taste panel in their official kitchen.  This is a professional gig.  My first; and I’m quite excited.

I’m not doing this alone though.  I need some input from you guys as well.  Take a look at www.PuffPastry.com and see if there are any recipes that you think are really stellar.  Are there any that you’d like to try?  If so, I can use those ideas as a base for whatever it is I come up with.

Stay tuned for more information on the challenge.  I’m sure I have fellow bloggers out there who are involved.  It’s going to be very interesting to see what everyone comes up with.

For now, I’m off to ponder pastry.  Have a great day all.

As always.  Share and Enjoy!

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Feta and Spinach Stuffed Sweet Peppers

Thursday, August 19, 2010 posted by Jerry 8:15 am

Sweet peppers stuffed with feta and spinach

I love any dish that you can just pick up and pop in your mouth.  In fact, I think that appetizers and Tapas or Meze top my list of favorite foods.  I love little bites that can be served to guests without fuss, muss or the need for utensils.  This dish is a perfect little finger food with a blast of flavor that won’t soon be forgotten.

This is not a complicated dish, but it does involve a little work.  Stuffing tiny peppers is fairly labor-intensive and a bit messy, so definitely allow the filling to cool completely before attempting to stuff the peppers.  I recommend the use of an iced-tea spoon or a piping bag for quick and simple results. (The back of the spoon is great for thinner peppers.)

When all was said and done, my oldest son and neighbor loved these.  My middle (aged 9) thought they were a bit too much, but I’m sure he’ll love them when he gets older.  As for me…  Well, I ate all the leftovers myself.

What’s your favorite finger food?  Are you a fan of tapas and meze?  Do you have a favorite stuffed pepper recipe?  We’d love to hear about it.

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Lamb and Yogurt Soup – Finding the soul of Turkish cooking

Friday, July 30, 2010 posted by Jerry 12:57 pm

Lamb and Yogurt Soup

One of the ways I cope with my wife being in Turkey for her grueling 15 month tour of duty is to try my hand at Turkish recipes from time-to-time.  It helps the family feel somehow connected to her through food, knowing that she can probably purchase many of these recipes in the shops right off base.

It doesn’t hurt that most of the recipes I’ve tried are fabulous. The flavor combinations sometimes seem odd, but the end result are dishes with flavors that can best be described as both ethereal and haunting.  Turkish food so far has been a wonderful and enlightening journey for my family, and one I’m glad we’ve taken together.

This particular dish is my favorite so far. This is no mean feat considering how much I and my family adored both the Havuçlu Haydari and Nane Limon that I’ve written about previously.  This dish just somehow surpasses them.

Lamb and Yogurt Soup

Tasting this was like discovering the soul of Turkish cooking.  The flavors are simple, but surpassingly complex on the palate.  This is the kind of perfection that Anthony Bourdain says can only come from peasant food.  In this case, I agree. (Do you hear that, Ruhlman?)

The over the top part of Turkish soups is the use of a very thin custard in their making.  This adds a mouth feel unlike anything I have previously eaten.  It is both creamy and sumptuous, yet light enough for an extremely hot summer day.  In fact, I find that I lack the words to properly describe it.  You’ll have to try it to see why, but I assure you it will be worth it.

Do you have a favorite lamb dish?  A favorite dish from another cuisine?  We’d love to hear about them.  Drop a comment and share.

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Fettuccine with Poached Egg and Pesto

Wednesday, July 28, 2010 posted by Jerry 10:17 am

Fettuccine with Poached Egg and Pesto

This is less a serious recipe and more an ode to summer in all it’s blast-furnace glory.  Basil season is at its peak here in Northern California and has been on my mind a lot lately, even though it hasn’t been finding its way to my plate.  (This is something I plan to remedy very, very soon.)

A very large basil plant inhabits my kitchen but this isn’t about that plant or really about fresh basil at all.  It’s about pesto and simplicity.  I’ve had a jar of pesto waiting for my attention for a while and this dish was made using that ready-made pesto, but if you want to make your own, take a look at this traditional pesto recipe by Elise at Simply Recipes or This pesto recipe by the always amazing Lydia of The Perfect pantry.  Either one will get you up and running in making your own fresh pesto.

If you are new to poaching eggs, check out this article by Deb at Smitten Kitchen or check out this video on egg poaching from Slashfood.  It may seem daunting at first, but it really is easy once you get the hang of it. And remember, fresher is better for poaching!

Fettuccine with Poached Egg and Pesto

It’s been hotter than H. E. Double-toothpicks around here lately, so instead of using sausage or chicken as a protein I chose to top the pesto with a poached egg, both for the lightness of it and for the creaminess of the yolk mixing with the pasta.

The combination is nothing short of amazing.  The dish couldn’t be simpler and if you’re not feeling the urge to cook for a long time in the heat, this is one you have to try.

Do you have a favorite pesto dish?  A favorite variation on traditional pesto?  If so, let us know in the comments because, as always, your feedback fuels this blog.  I’d love to hear your faves!

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Lime Sherbet

Monday, July 26, 2010 posted by Jerry 10:33 am

Lime Sherbet

If you asked me what my favorite ice cream of all time was, my answer might surprise you.  Sure, I’m a fan of chocolate and vanilla.  I love pralines and creme, chocolate chip cookie dough and moose tracks but my one go-to frozen dessert has always been fruit sherbets and lime is at the top of my favorite list for a long time.

So for the second use of the fabulous ice cream maker attachment my wife bought me for my birthday this year I decided to whip up a batch of Lime Sherbet.  The search for a recipe led me to Elle’s new England Kitchen and her recipe for Lemon Lime Crush Sherbet.  Just a few modifications to the base sherbet recipe and we were off!

Lime Sherbet

I chose Elle’s recipe because it didn’t sound too sweet and could be adapted to work with what i already had on hand.  It was the perfect choice.  This sherbet is tart, tangy and wonderfully refreshing. It is now my official go-to recipe for all things sherbet and since it uses equal amounts of milk and cream, can easily be made with half-and-half, which tends to be less expensive.

This recipe was an insane hit with the kids.  It makes about 1 quart of sherbet, which is the perfect amount for Dad and three kids at two scoops each.  The kids loved it and have already requested more.

They can have it when They can squeeze ten limes, which can be a bit of a tedious process, even with a juicer.  I think I burned all of the calories needed to work off the sherbet while I was making it…  But it was worth it!

If you’ve been looking for the perfect fruit sherbet base, this is it.  My thanks to Elle and her delicious recipe.  I’ll be making more sherbets with this base soon.

Very, very soon.

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Hoisin Honey Glazed Chicken with Sesame Mashed potatoes

Friday, July 23, 2010 posted by Jerry 3:08 pm

I love Asian flavors.  One of my favorites is hoisin sauce, which is also known as Peking sauce because it’s used in making Peking duck.  Luckily for me, the kids love it too, so I use it often when I want to add a little kick to chicken or vegetables.

The glaze is one of my own creation and stems partly from my mothers Chicken Diable recipe (…Which it seems I have never posted… I have to correct that!)  The glaze is a simple mix of Asian flavors that I love.  For this round I kept the spices minimal, but if I’m making this for myself, I usually add a good dash of hot red pepper flakes as well.

The big question for me was what to serve with the chicken.  After a bit of searching, I found a recipe for sesame mashed potatoes that seemed like they would be the perfect foil for the chicken.

I was right.

This was an awesome meal and enjoyed by the whole family.  It’s simple, extremely tasty and as the Colonel would say, “it’s finger lickin’ good.”  give it a try and I’m sure you’ll love it too.

What’s your favorite Asian chicken dish?  Any that I should try?  let me know so I can keep ‘em coming.
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The Ultimate Grilled Beer Bratwurst Recipe

Monday, July 19, 2010 posted by Jerry 9:35 am

I’m partial to any recipe that starts with “open two bottles of beer.”  In my case this may not indicate that the beer is actually going to be used in the recipe, but it almost always indicates a fun meal.  In this case it’s my tried and true method for making the ultimate bratwurst.

I learned the method from an episode of Easy Entertaining with Michael Chiarello and I want to thank the chef personally for giving me the ultimate method for perfectly tender, juicy and flavorful sausage every time.  His method of poaching the sausage first and then simply grilling them for flavor has never let me down.

Another plus to this method is that you get to introduce whatever flavors you choose in the form of the poaching liquid.  In the case of these brats I used a Summerfest Ale, but you can easily swap that out for stock, water or wine with amazing results.

So here you have it; The ultimate bratwurst for your backyard BBQ or tailgate party.  But don’t limit yourself to bratwurst!  this method works wonderfully for any uncooked link sausage in a natural casing.  The slow poach at the beginning locks in the juices and leaves the meat moist and tender, even for sausages that are usually on the chewy side.

What’s your favorite grilling sausage?  I personally have no preference.  I’ll grill or smoke anything I can get my hands on, but I’d love to hear what you prefer and why.

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