A Cooking Lesson...

The question I am asked the most is if I do my own cooking or do I eat out a lot. My answer has always been that I do my own cooking. I do it for several reasons, first is because I am not dating and I hate eating alone, eating out to me is something you share and I like a good conversation with my meal. Not saying I couldn't hold down a very deep discussion on current events with myself, just that I would get tired changing chairs in the process and the stares would be unbearable after a while. Conversation compliments a meal like a good beer, wine or after dinner martini. Second is that restaurants are starting to specialize in what they serve or as I call it, limiting their menu and I like a variety to choose from.

A lot seem flabbergasted to know that I can even boil water much less cook a meal, but in fact I am a very accomplished cook and I can whip up a meal to rival even some of the finer cooks you may find in any of the better restaurants. Seems I have always had a knack for cooking, something I taught myself.

I cook many types of cuisine, as I said I like variety in my diet. I cook standard fair, or home cooking like I was raised with, but I also cook Mexican, Italian, Chinese, some Thai, Caribbean and German.

I am not one who eats beef or pork, I stay with poultry, shellfish and fish, but beef and pork will compliment most anything I cook or can be used a substitution. I do eat a lot of vegetables and fruit and try to incorporate both in my meals together to create layers of taste. If you like the following recipe, then hopefully in the future I will post more.

My Ragu

This is a very quick meal to prepare and very filling.

6 slices bacon (I prefer pancetta, but bacon is common)
1 medium sweet onion diced (preferably Mayan or 1015)
4 cloves of garlic crushed them minced (crushing releases the oils in the garlic)
1 small carrot jullianed (also known as matchstick)
½ large bell pepper diced
2 cups coarsely chopped mushrooms (type is your preference)
½ cup quartered black olives
2 medium tomatoes medium diced
2 medium or 3 small zucchini medium diced
Salt and pepper to taste
½ cup white wine, if using portabello mushrooms I like using a good Marsala reduced to ¼ cup.
1 stick or ½ cup butter, keep in refrigerator until ready.
16 oz of cooked pasta (fettuccine, linguine or spaghetti pasta)

In a large skillet brown and render bacon, remove bacon and crumble when cool. Do not drain fat, saute onions until translucent and slightly tender, add bell peppers and carrots and saute until crisp tender. Add mushrooms cook until moisture is released and mixture is reduced, then add zucchini and cook until it is crisp tender. Salt and pepper to taste. Add crushed minced garlic at this point. Add the wine and reduce by ½ then add butter slowly by spoon fulls until incorporated, it is important not to let the butter break or separate. Add the black olives and diced tomato to heat only, do not let them cook. Stir in crumbled bacon and serve over pasta.

If you like you can serve steamed citrus infused shrimp, sauteed scallops in butter and garlic, grilled chicken, crab meat or fresh clams. If using clams, add to liquid before adding butter, tomatoes and black olives.

Citrus Infused Shrimp

1 dozen shelled and deviened shrimp
½ cup white wine
½ cup water
1 Tbsp of orange zest
1 Tbsp of lemon zest
½ Tbsp of lime zest
Salt and pepper to taste

Add wine, water and zests to bottom of steamer pot and bring to boil. In steamer basket place the seasoned shrimp and steam until it has lost its translucency. If you want a more citrus flavor to shrimp you can sprinkle some of the zest on the shrimp prior to adding to steamer basket. Add to ragu mixture.

Scallops Sauteed in Butter and Garlic

1 Dozen bay scallops rinsed and patted dry
4 Tbsp of butter
1 Tbsp olive oil (virgin)
4 cloves crushed minced garlic
Sea salt and crushed black pepper to taste

In a skillet melt butter with 1 tbsp of olive oil when heated add seasoned scallops and saute until lightly browned on both sides, place on plate and cut each into quarters and mix with ragu mixture.

Grilled Chicken

2 Chicken breasts with skin on
¼ cup of butter melted in small sauce pan
6 cloves garlic crushed & diced
2 Tsp fresh chopped rosemary
2 Tsp fresh chopped thyme

Add garlic and herbs to melted butter and brush on skin side of chicken.
On medium coals places chicken that has been salted and peppered skin side down over indirect heat, not directly over coals and baste with butter mixture. Turn chicken every 15 minutes and baste each time until juices run clear and skin has turned to a golden brown. Remove chicken and let rest and cool. Remove and discard skin, chop chicken coarsely and add to ragu mixture.

Boiled Crab

4 large crabs (blue, leopard or box crab)
2 cups water
2 cups white wine
2 Tbsp salt
1 Tsp pepper
2 Tsp Liquid Cayenne pepper

Add water, wine and seasonings to a large pot and bring to boil. Add crab and cook 15 to 20 minutes. Remove and cool, shell the crab meat and add to ragu mixture.

A good white wine like a Pinot goes well or a good Italian beer served ice cold in frosted pilsner glasses.

If you try, I hope you enjoy. Thank you for letting me share this with you.

Later...