mgcfoodie

Pans&Skillets…

mgcfoodie — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 16:43:21 +0000

…Always have preferred AllClad pots and pans….expensive yes, but they will be handed down thru generations to come. However recently discovering a new product line, I’m thinking Emeril’s may be an adequate solution for home cooks who really can’t justify a hundred bucks for a 9 inch egg pan…

Check out Emeril’s Skillets for 1/3 the cost of AllCald and guess what? they ”are” made by All Clad though they are labeled with Emeril’s name and logo. I recently picked one up on a clearance rack for $16.00 – a 12inch non-stick enamel coated skillet and it works perfectly fine….good weight, good nonstick coating on the inside, staycool handle (trademark feature of AllCald) and all for under 20 bucks. Even though I found this on a clearance rack, even at regular price (25-35) this is still well worth the investment.

Now I’m on the hunt for more….

Vegi Platters for Parties – Go for Blanched vs Raw….

mgcfoodie — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 16:59:49 +0000

It’s proven to be a hit ! A guest at the last gig asked the hostess “is this the caterer who used to do that delicious Asparagus we used to get at the office lunches?…save me some extra pieces…”

it had been over a year and she still remembered… gotta mean something…

So instead of loading trays or platters of raw uncooked vegi’s for your next event, why not spend a little time making them taste “memorably-good”…heres how:

Pot of water to boil – add enough kosher salt make it taste like the sea (its more than you think…)

Rinse/wash vegi (do types of vegi’s separate) – they blanch at diff times..

Get the ice-bath ready – a bowl of really cold water with ice cubes floating loosely – place near boiling water – you will be transferring the blanched vegi’s immediately into the ice bath till cold…

Then Blanch away! – small bunches of veg into boiling salted water stir (see times below) then into the ice bath till chilled ..repeat process…

Try French Beans (5-7 minutes) Asparagus (5-7 minutes) broccoli (3-4 minutes) and Sugar Snap Peas (2-3 minutes). and remember to keep the ice bath really icy and cold.

It’s good to experiment with the final texture as some prefer really crunchy vegi’s, some like them really really cooked, you can adjust the time in the boiling salted water to your preference…the cooking process will stop once in the ice bath…

after chilling – arrange on a platter ( i always tilt the platter slightly to let the excess water from ice bath to collect and pool to be absorbed and removed with a paper towel). Keep finished platter in the fridge til needed…

serve with your fave dipping sauce – and watch those bright vegi colors really stand out beautifully on your buffet….enjoy

Cilantro -Avocado Salsa-Easy…

mgcfoodie — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 13:25:23 +0000

Why not use that magi blender for more than cocktails – after you have mixed the drinks… fill that mixer with 1 or 2 roasted or boiled tomatillo’s, add some fresh garlic, 1/2 avocado, 2 bunches of fresh cilantro, a couple of roasted and peeled and seeded jalapenos, squeeze of lemon, salt and pepper and whirl away till smooth and beautiful bright green, taste for seasoning and heat, adjust and whirl some more and serve…
Drinks and Salsa in less than 15 minutes….really!

Note: go ahead and add the cilantro stems too - mucho flavor there!

Turkey=Roast/Grill/Fry/Whole/Breasts/Brine….yikes!!!

mgcfoodie — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 15:08:45 +0000

Decisions, Decisions,Decisions – there was a time (not too long ago) when all you had to do was buy the bird (only 2 to choose from at the market=fresh or frozen) wash it, stuff it, and throw it into the oven for 4-6 hours…badda-bing Thanksgiving dinner is served….

Its all changed now – there are hours of cooking shows on tv with dozens of ways to do “The Perfect Turkey”… from where to buy the bird, I mean – from which farm in which state…from which breed, of what age, …caged, free range, …organic,… tom /hen etc… and you havent even gotten it home yet!!!

My “best” thanksgiving dinner as actually was last year – kept it simple – 1 medium fresh bird roasted in the oven (stuffed only with herbs and aromatics – this one was for show – the centerpiece…) and 3 turkey breasts that I brined and roasted for the masses….it was perfect!

I say “pace yourself” this is only the beginning of the hectic/chaotic Holiday Season – keep thanksgiving simple, it’s just the start of the cooking marathon you’ve been saving your kitchen skills for all year-long. You’ll be prepping, sauteing, roasting, and baking for the next 30 or so days…so relax and enjoy the commencement of Holiday Joy.

Oh! …dont forget – you have to be out there in line at your favorite BigBox Store for the Black Friday Crazys at Midnite (after dinner…).

Manners That Matter…

mgcfoodie — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 22:14:36 +0000

With the Holidays closely approaching and having to “Be Our Best” when guests arrive or when visiting and even at the restaurant, lets simmer over some of the basic stuff, things that “will” get noticed by “those-who-know”.

Ladies vs handbags – (designer or knockoff)…never on the table or hanging on the chair back -…(options) – back of you seat (behind you) – or – on the floor slightly under chair so as to not trip-up the wait staff or the guests next to you..

Posture when seated (hey sit up straight!) … you can rest your arm or hands on the table – never elbows. between courses- both hands on your lap or one hand on lap and the other on edge of table at the wrist.

Excusing yourself – (that pesky napkin)…Politely and quietly excuse yourself, place napkin on chair…your server may replace it with a new one to the left of your plate. When finished with meal and leaving, place your napkin to the left of your plate, sitting neatly (no soiled areas showing).

Big NO-NO – if you have to sneeze alot or blow your nose – take it to the restroom…PLEASE! ( and take your meds there too).

“…What Did I Just Put In My Mouth??…” – you just took a fork full of bone, gristle, or some other unwanted food item into your mouth – DO NOT wrap in your napkin ( the server is gonna lose it when they see that roll out…) discretely remove the item onto the tine of your fork and place it back on your plate and hide it with some garnish or other food from your plate so that you and the guests around you cant see it…(this might take some practice…)

When finished eating – place your knife and fork at 10:00 to 4:00 ( as in clock)…tip of knife and fork at 10:00 and ends of handles at 4:00 – this tells the wait staff – your done….

topic to be continued….

Millennium Gourmet – 408-779-0846 / www.millenniumgourmet.com

mgcfoodie from MillenniumGourmet.com – sharing thoughts and idea’s with our friends in silicon valley, san jose, santa clara, los gatos, willow glen, morgan hill, gilroy, monterey and all points in between…

Need a New Flavor ?….

mgcfoodie — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 22:52:38 +0000

A client recently asked – ….what can I flavor this Tilapia with? It’s the only fish I’m able to eat and I’m totally bored with just lemon pepper…???

Why not explore the Spice and Dried Herbs Section of the SuperMarket – And please start with looking at the Higher-Quality products – they may cost a bit more but so worth it.

So here are some of our faves;

Tumeric -(Indian flavors)
Chipotle Chili Powder – (American Southwest inspired)

Tarragon – (Very Frenchy – kinda licorice flavor)
Oregano -(Greek Inspired)
Chinese Five Spice – (Asian flavors) has anise, cinnamon, star anise,cloves and ginger
Herbes De Provence – (French Blend) – has thyme, fennel, basil, savory and lavender

Preparation – season with your herb/spice before into the saute pan with your fave cooking oil (dont forget the salt and pepper). Saute each side for a couple of minutes and finish with a squeeze of lemon just before removing from pan to serve …(the lemon so gently brightens all the flavors at the last-minute)

It’s all about what you personally like in tastes, flavors, and aromas – some of these may or may not work for you…wont know til’ you try.

And hey, if it doesn’t do it for your Tilapia, try these magical goodies on that old boring chicken breast that you’ve been meaning to re-inspire.

Millennium Gourmet – 408-779-0846 / www.millenniumgourmet.com

Bubba Gump Inspiration…

mgcfoodie — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 15:22:42 +0000

For some unknown reason the shrimp are on sale at the market this week…. I mean really “OnSale” – yes they are the IQF’s (individually quick frozen) and thats not always bad….I think they are actually frozen at sea when caught…

So when last at Bubba Gumps Cannary Row Monterey for a quick snack at the bar we ordered the “Bucket of Shrimp” and it was served in a way-kool style – poured out of hot-pan right onto a tray on the table and there you have it – peel and eat shrimp…fun stuff!!!

So back at home we refined it a little:

1 pound of 16-20 thawed jumbo shrimp, raw-shell on (fresh or IQF) best price wins…(must “clean”-you know what I mean) but leave the shell on – most important.

lots of butter , 3-4 cloves of garlic , chili flakes,white wine, juice of a lemon, blk pepper.

seasonal addition – just picked from garden – end of season tomato – de-seeded and diced small.

all into a “nice” pan with lid ( you will be serving in this pan – it should be pretty) – my choice – AllClad Saute with Lid.

cook till just after shells turn pink and serve – hot pan on a heat proof pad – on table – lots of napkins, bowl for shells, sliced french bread for sauce mopping. and the rest of that bottle of wine you opened for the shrimp…and have an extra bottle on hold…

it’s as much fun as the old fondue pot….remember those day???

cooking tips:

- the shell-on approach really adds tons of flavor to the dish and make all the diff in the sauce.

- 16-20 refers to the qty of shrimp in ( 1) pound – it could be 16-20 shrimps per pound or 20-24′s and so on…

“Thanks Bubba!”

Millennium Gourmet – 408-779-0846 / www.millenniumgourmet.com

Fun Find at the Farmers Market…

mgcfoodie — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 15:03:42 +0000

It’s an Indian Summer for sure – 90 degrees plus in the bay area, humm…Indian Summer?, Indian Corn, Fresh Corn on the Cobb at the local Farmers Market?

last Saturday…

I was in a hurry to grill one of my last TriTips for the summer and was thinking about that fresh Corn I had just picked up at the Farmers Market. Had a pkg of ol’ standby M. Callenders Corn Bread Mix in the pantry (o.k. I do semi-homemade too…once in a while).

I discovered that by adding some freshly shucked corn into the batter before baking…well, the end result was incredible…moist, luscious, mega corn flavor, and I felt inspired that I could produce a really tasty product with “some” help from a pkg., by add some FarmToTable purity to the mix. And which also saved time and got me back to manning the grill.

There is still lots of Real Corn out there…go for it – give it a try!

Millennium Gourmet – 408-779-0846 / www.millenniumgourmet.com

A Trio of Tips…

mgcfoodie — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 15:32:28 +0000

So lets start mixing in a few “Foodie-Tips” now and then just to keep it fun….these are gonna be things we’ve discovered “on-the-fly”, many times “in-the-weeds” and amazingly enough they stay in our heads, ready at any time to rescue us when needed. We think they’ll work for you too!

Damn Jar Won’t Open!!

Hey, even I’ve been victimized by the jar that won’t open….a couple of things to try:

The Rubber Twist – Take a heavy-duty rubber gloves (like the dishwashing kind) don’t even have to put them on – just wrap one around the lid of the reluctant jar, give a good twist and whammo!

The Tilt and Punch – hold and turn the jar upside down - kinda at an angle, and hit the base of the jar with the ball of your fist , and give a good punch (you can kinda hear the air-gap break on the lid end) then upright the jar and give the lid a twist – it should open…

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Keeping the Stainless Pans Stainless -

Tried all the cleansers out there and the only one that really works well for Stainless and Copper is - ”"Barkeepers Friend…its in all the stores and even at the Beyond Beyond Store too. – Trust me – this really does the trick!’

Millennium Gourmet – 408-779-0846 / www.millenniumgourmet.com

Berries almost gone-freeze ‘em….

mgcfoodie — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 20:43:18 +0000

End of Summer and beginning of Fall – the squirrels and birds are all doing it – storing/stashing they seeds, acorns, and berries for winter eats - so should we!

At the big “buy-in-bulk” store the berries (rasp. & blue) are almost gone….the stacks of crates are getting shorter and shorter….so buy them up now for winter use….best way to store them? – roll them out onto a sheet pan (not touching each other) and into the freezer overnite…next day pour the frozen-solid little gems into a ziplock freezer bag and back into the freezer for safe keeping…they will stay separate and not clump ’til you need them…works every time!

Millennium Gourmet – 408-779-0846 / www.millenniumgourmet.com