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.
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.
Feb 13 2008
Posted by chefRob under European, French, Recipes
Beef Bourguignon is a great dish, exemplifying the refined nature of French cooking, while at the same time reaching out to the hearts of those of us that simply love a good stew. This time of year, when the weather takes a turn for the worst I am always looking for a dish that will warm me up inside, a dish that will represent the “C” in comfort and that dish is Beef Bourguignon.
One of the things that I find fascinating is that so many people seem to think French food is hard to cook. *Aucune façon que je dis! In all of my cooking classes over the years I have found a strong resistance to learning French food, and most if it is people have already made up their minds that it is too difficult for them to do. I have, and will say again that if you go into any recipe with an open mind, then anything is possible.
Beef Bourguignon is a simple yet complex dish of beef, red wine, pearl onions, mushrooms, carrots, hearty beef stock, garlic & some fresh herbs all slow roasted until the beef is fork tender and the flavors have matured. Served with either egg noodles (like the image above) or with plain boiled potatoes this dish is sure to take the chill off those cold winter nights.
So now your sold on it and want to make this dish for yourself, there are a couple of things that you should remember.
Want to give it a try? Good, here is what you’ll need to get started.
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.
