May 06 2008
Posted by chefRob under American, European, Recipes
I know, I know…what’s the deal with this? I am constantly harassed by my friends about the food I choose to eat. Menudo, chicken feet, coagulated pork blood and yes, bone marrow. I find it kinda funny that everyone is so interested in what I choose to eat, guess I should take it as a compliment.
Apr 11 2008
Posted by chefRob under Asian, Recipes, Thai
Thai food for me is just one of those things…that I love. Now, it would seem that the world would be all fine and dandy when going out for Thai food (yea, I know I suppose to cook) but some Thai restaurants really stink. It always amazes me that some people think that they can cook, when it is so painfully obvious that they cannot.
While I was schooling myself in the finer points of Thai cuisine, I picked up a love for this salad called Pla Neua Ma Kheua Praw, aka Thai beef salad with eggplants (aubergines). It was cooking and spicy at the same time, tender and juicy with the right amount of saltiness and it went well with beer. Can’t really ask for anything more that that, now can you.
Apr 05 2008
Posted by chefRob under Asian, Beverages, Recipes
Tea…I always think about tea when I’m not feeling well, and today is one of those days. It was a long week at the restaurant, writing menu’s and working on getting a new logo, the bar built and making sure that the ansul system is being installed properly. I did take the time to go to a Rational demonstration and got to sample some pretty great food. For those who are not in the know, a Rational oven is this crazy oven from Germany that can do 8 things at once…really. Check it out here. It does seem to take some of the fun out of cooking, if you ask me…Now back to the tea.
While I was living in Vietnam we had some guests at the resort that were from south Asia, Pakistan and Bangladesh to be exact. After their group had finished dinner I was lucky enough to have some time to chat with them. It’s always interesting to meet diplomats oversees. After the 20 questions on how and why I ended up in central Vietnam we got to talking about tea. There are 2 teas that I really enjoy, Jasmine and Guava.
Mar 06 2008
Posted by chefRob under European, French, Recipes
Yea,
I wasn’t quite sure what I wanted to write about today, all I know is I had to write about something while taking a break from what seems like my never ending move in to my new diggs in downtown San Diego (more about that @ robconaway.com). So I have, to keep a smile on my face decided to write about something sweet…aka Creme Brulee.
Just for the record, I love this dish in it’s traditional form. That would be free range eggs, farm fresh cream, cane sugar and vanilla beans…that’s it. Roast some sugar on the top and you have a timeless dessert for any occasion. I have, over the years had many variations of this dish and still find that the one first presented is by far the best.
Feb 26 2008
Posted by chefRob under European, French, Recipes
Who doesn’t love crepes? Last year when I was living in my other condo, I told some friends that every Sunday morning I ate crepes for breakfast. It was kinda funny because at first, no one believed me. Then all of a sudden, one Sunday there was a knock on the door. Allison, Kat, Ryan and a couple of other friends came over to keep me company…and to eat my crepes!
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Feb 22 2008
Posted by chefRob under Italian, Recipes
Pasta has to be one of my great comfort dishes, as it’s versatility as a food stuff is almost unrivaled. Pasta comes in many different shapes and sizes and allows you to make a variety of different sauces to accompany these varying shapes.
Marinara is one of my favorite pasta sauces to both make and eat, as it is simple in ingredients, simple in flavor and simple to make. With a few garden fresh ingredients (in season) or a can or two of Italian pear tomatoes, some garlic, extra virgin olive oil and herbs your well on your way to enjoying this sauce for yourself!
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Feb 18 2008
Posted by chefRob under American, European, French
The art of braising is one that requires plenty of patience, a good heavy pot and an oven or stove top. Once you have assembled these 3 components, you can begin the creative processes necessary to make this dish and to become an expert braiser.
Short ribs come in 2 different cuts, flanken (long and skinny) and English style (long and thick). The flanken style are a 3 boned style of rib that finds it uses in the cuisines of Asia and the Pacific Islands. Kalbi ribs or Maui ribs are two variations using this type of cut and hold up well to grilling while English style work best for braising and are the ones we will be using for this recipe.
This dish takes a bit of time (mostly just waiting for the cooking process to be completed) to make, but it is one that is simple in ingredients, simple on flavors and simply delicious. Hints of red wine, if you so choose to use it, garlic, parsley and caramelized onions are what to expect. The garlic and parsley components of this dish make up the persillade, what I’m going to discuss next.
For over 20 years I have been traveling and learning the world's cuisines while working in some pretty exotic (and some not so pretty) locations. Come and explore the world, it's people and their food with me.
