Monthly Archives: September 2014

WTFork is a Clafoutis Part 2

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Clafoutis Type of Dessert From Bottega in Yountville CA

Clafoutis Type of Dessert From Bottega in Yountville CA

Earlier this year I tasted a Clafoutis Dessert at Michael Chiarello’s Restaurant Bottega.  I thought it was the best new dessert I tasted this year. It’s not too sweet and it’s light and rich at the same time. I like that this dessert features fruit. The batter is described as a flan sort of recipe but it taste sort of like rich, airy, custard-like, smooth pancakes.

So I found Michael Chiarello’s Recipe for Apple Clafoutis on Foodnetwork.com and decided to make my first Clafoutis.

Apple Clafoutis

Apple Clafoutis

It came out very light, the lightest of the clafoutis I tried and tasty. I did look for other recipes for Clafoutis and they all differ a bit.

The traditional flavor for Clafoutis is Cherry with the pits. The pits give off a flavor that enhances the dessert. But today nobody leaves the pits in.

I found a recipe for Cherry Clafoutis from Chef Raymond Blanc. He owns a two star Michelin Star Restaurant/Hotel and is one of Britain’s most respected Chefs.

I didn’t use the proper cherries but other than that I followed his recipe and came out with this.

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It’s still light and rich at the same time. The ingredients are slightly richer and uses more butter with more flavor because the butter is toasted and poured in warm.  A slight layer of crust is formed from buttering and dusting the baking dish with sugar. You also count the drops of vanilla you use and lemon zest brightens the fruit.  Other than that the only interesting differences is that only castor sugar is recommended as a garnish and the dessert should be served shortly after it comes out of the oven. The Clafoutis should always be served warm.

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All the Clafoutis were good and all were different.

Found a recipe on BBC that they say is Gordon Ramsey’s for a Clafoutis….His differs and involves ground Almonds in the batter and is an even richer recipe.  I might try that one in a few weeks.

Forking Truth

Forking Truth

“Cereal Killers”

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I guess my days were the Forking Old Days when it comes to boxed cereal. I remember when most of the cereals you ate from your childhood were mostly normal.  We’d get cereals like Corn Flakes, Wheaties, maybe once in a while Frosted Flakes, and sometimes something a little crazy like Snap Crackle Pop Rice Krispies, Quisp or Freakies. But Normal has been killed and is dead now. These days kids get…….

Cereal that looks like a Jar or Peanut Butter.

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Cereal that looks like Forking Chocolates.

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Cereal that looks like Sprinkled Donuts.

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Cereal that looks Really SCARY!

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Cinnamon Buns?

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I bet some kids just pull out real cinnamon buns and eat them in the cereal bowl. (I would)

Even some of the cereals I remember look different to me now.

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Captain Crunch looks Crazy doesn’t he? Maybe that’s what the “C” on his hat is for.

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Ooou! It’s magically weird!

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That rabbit looks forking twisted. New Fruitier Taste? What was it before the old forking rotten something like fruit taste?

I don’t want to (excuse the bad pun) milk it for too long. I’m forking out of here.

Forking Truth

Forking Truth

Braised Korean Leeks, Lotus Root, Heirloom Carrots and Soft Egg

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Braised Korean Leeks, Lotus Root, Heirloom Carrots and Soft Egg

Braised Korean Leeks, Lotus Root, Heirloom Carrots and Soft Egg

Ingredients

One Bunch of Korean Leeks

A few Pats Butter

Maybe two Cups of Vegetable Stock

Lotus Root

Some White Vinegar

Fresh Crushed Sea Salt or Kosher Salt

A few Eggs

One Heirloom Carrot

2 Cloves Garlic

1 Thai Chili

A couple Tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

I like Korean Leeks because they taste more like green garlic and  less dirty than regular leeks.

Korean Leeks

Korean Leeks

You need to remove the Green Tops and Roots. Save the Green Tops and use like green garlic that’s a little tough.

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Braise the Korean Leeks for about 10 minutes on medium heat with either butter or oil and let them brown.

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Cover the Korean Leeks with Vegetable Stock, cover with foil and turn the heat to low and let it go about a half hour till soft.

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Lotus Root is back in season so I picked up one.

Lotus Root

Lotus Root

Last time I made the Lotus Root I made it into tasty chips but this time I thought I’d cook it more traditional that means boiling a few minutes in water with vinegar. First I pealed the Lotus Root and then sliced it somewhat thin.

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The Lotus root goes into boiling water with a little salt and a couple splashes of vinegar. The vinegar removes any bitterness the lotus root might have.  Just Boil it a few minutes.

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Remove the lotus root and set aside. Since you still have boiling water you can drop in a few eggs and let them go 5-5 1/2 minutes pull out and carefully peal and you will have easy soft cooked eggs.

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Next you heat up some oil in a pan and then add your minced garlic and one small minced hot pepper till soft.

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Add your Lotus Root and your carrots. They only need a few minutes. Then add your Green Tops from the Korean Leeks and cook that maybe a minute more. Add Fresh Crushed Sea Salt and Black Pepper.  Serve on top of braised Korean Leeks and add your soft cooked Egg and season the egg.

Braised Korean Leeks, Lotus Root, Heirloom Carrots and Soft Egg

Braised Korean Leeks, Lotus Root, Heirloom Carrots and Soft Egg

Forking Good!

Forking Good!

Dragon Fruit

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Dragon Fruit

Dragon Fruit

Dragon Fruit is stunning to look at.

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But doesn’t have a big personality when it comes to taste.

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It’s very mild and similar to a Kiwi kind of taste and texture with just a hint of sweetness. They are very low in calories and have quite a bit of nutrition.

Dragon Fruit grow on Cactus Plants that originated from Mexico.  These days Dragon Fruit are grown in many parts of the world.

Forking Truth

Forking Truth

 

 

 

WTFork is Jujube Fruit?

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I came across Jujube Fruit at the Asian Market so I wanted to try some.

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They are like forking small very dry but very sweet tiny apples.

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It’s like you mixed a very sweet apple with styrofoam and made a very tiny apple.

Jujube Fruit

Jujube Fruit

I read that the Jujube is also has other names such as, Chinese Date, Red Date and Korean Date.

You eat the Jujube as a snack like regular fruit. You might find the fruit candied and dried, smoked, as a syrup, a juice…………….

PICKLED…….

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Or if your lucky some sort of alcohol.

Forking Truth

Forking Truth

Lithuanian Lay’s Creamy Forest Mushroom Potato Chips

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I was Forking wandering threw the Asian and International Market and in the Polish Aisle were these bags of Lay’s Creamy Forest Mushroom Potato Chips so I had to forking try them.

Nearly all of the other flavored Lay’s Potato Chips that I tried were forking disgusting (particularly the Mango Salsa)  or disappointing (like the FORKING WASABI GINGER) (( that I submitted for the Lay’s 2014 do me a flavor contest, but my submission wasn’t forking picked))…  For some unknown reason I was possessed to try these Creamy Forest Mushroom Chips.

These flavored chips are unlike any other I tried. The aroma is odd and you question yourself if you want to eat them. For a split second when you taste them your not sure what your tasting but then they suddenly turn very “natural tasting”. They taste just like creamy very fresh mushroomy soup.  They taste like mostly natural mushrooms with a little seasoned cream sauce but way more mushroom taste than sauce. The after taste just get more mushroomy and the finish is a very tasty natural potato taste.

I’m not sure if I want to buy them again but these were the forking best of the flavored Lay’s Chips I have tried.

I haven’t found the European Lay’s Do us a flavor contenders but the one running are-

Chop Shop Chicken Curry

Pulled Pork in Sticky BBQ Sauce

Sizzling Steak Fajita

Cheesy Beans on Toast

Hot Dog with Tomato Ketchup

and if those weren’t bad enough….get ready to forking GAG!

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Ranch Raccoon

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The European Lay’s Contest Winner is to be announced October 17th 2014

Forking Truth

Forking Truth

 

 

Lentil and Quinoa stuffed Grape Leaves

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Lentil and Quinoa stuffed Grapeleaves

Lentil and Quinoa stuffed Grape Leaves

This is one of those super easy recipes you can throw together quick and not really measure. The Quinoa and Lentil Mixture comes out very much like cooked ground beef.  You can flavor it a multitude of ways but it also good plain with a dipping sauce of your choice.

 

Ingredients

Lentils about 1/3 of a medium strainer (rinsed)

Quinoa about 1/3 of a medium strainer (always rinse quinoa even if it’s pre-rinsed)

A carrot

a pealed Whole Onion

about 3 cloves of garlic minced

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one small hot pepper minced (I used Chile de Arbol)

about a teaspoon of thyme

about a teaspoon Kosher Salt

about 1/2 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper

Brined Grape Leaves

Directions

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Add your Quinoa, Lentils, Onion, Carrot, Chile de Arbol, Garlic, Salt & Pepper to your sauce pot add water to look maybe double of what you have in pot and Bring to Boil and then turn down to simmer and cover. Let the pot simmer 20-25 minutes till the lentils are soft.  Discard the Onion and Carrot.

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Taste and adjust seasonings and when cool enough to handle make into small log shapes and place in the vein side up Grape Leaf.

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Serve as desired.

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Freeze leftovers.

Forking Good!

Forking Good!

Scream Halla or is it Challah?

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On mindless forking TV Shows I sometimes watch I hear many people almost screaming “Halla”.  I know Challah Bread taste good are they screaming for Challah? It’s almost like a forking greeting. “Halla” “halla”…..

Every time I hear that “Halla” I think of Challah Bread that braided egg bread made from white flour, eggs, water, sugar, yeast and salt. If I was a forking manufacturer of bread I might name my bread “Halla Bread”.  Is that a million dollar idea$ ?

To try to understand the meaning of Halla I looked it up on the Urban Dictionary and to my surprise this is what I forking found.

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Halla has forking nothing to do with bread and only Douche Bags use this greeting.

Guess I won’t name my bread Halla.

So I made an egg bread.

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I just winged it making it similar to the way I make pizza dough but I added eggs and a little honey and brushed it with an egg.  It’s not braided so it’s not a Challah.

Next time you hear someone screaming “Halla” just forking stuff some bread in his face.

Forking Truth

Forking Truth

 

 

Spaghetti Squash with Harissa Vinaigrette

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Spaghetti Squash with Harissa Vinaigrette

Spaghetti Squash with Harissa Vinaigrette

Ever since I tasted the Spaghetti Squash with Harissa from the FnB Restaurant in Scottsdale AZ I just have to make my spaghetti squash in a similar way.

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You just put your spaghetti squash(s) in a covered pan with a little over a half inch of water in the pan and roast it in a 375 degree oven. Depending on the size of your squash it will take about an hour up to an hour and a half.  I like the squash strands to be firm so the squash is still almost hard when I remove it from the oven but also is fork tender.

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You open up your squash and scoop out the stringy seeds. Then you scoop out the spaghetti squash strands.

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Now you top it with your Harissa Vinaigrette that you might want to warm up to go on your warm squash.

Harissa Vinaigrette

2  Roasted Red Peppers (skin and seeds removed and pepper chopped up)

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1/2 teaspoon ground Cumin

1 teaspoon Caraway Seeds

2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

3 Cloves Garlic minced

3 Hot Chiles (I used Thai Chiles)

2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste

Fresh Juice from one Meyer Lemon

2 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar

Fresh Ground Sea Salt and Black Pepper

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Blend it up. It makes about 8 ounces. It is spicy and flavorful about a number 7 on the Thai scale out of 10. If you want it milder use one or two chiles and garlic cloves.

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I added some Heirloom Tomatoes and a small amount of cilantro.

Forking Good!

Forking Good!