the mother sauce - fresh tomato sauce in a flash

I use this mother sauce all the time with fish like sea bass, cod, and tonight it was skate.  I was in Beirut a few summers ago.  A wealthy Lebanese businessman who was living part time in NYC had taken a liking to my music and I had become a regular at his fancy dinner parties entertaining the wealthy friends artists, film makers, and some of the most beautiful women in world.  We became better friends and it wasn't long before I was coming early and helping out in the kitchen.  Ahmad had owned several restaurants and though never a "chef" per se was all that and more.  It was what i would do if money were no object.  I'd party most nights and feed the people I wanted to see.  The ingredients were all top notch.  The pata negra ham we'd slice is over 130 bucks a pound.  The dried fish roe, the uni trays, money was no object.  I became familiar with his repertoire and one thing I cam away with was his mother sauce.  So simple and so delicious.  I will cook this sauce for the rest of my life.
Start with some nice fresh vine ripened tomatoes, could use heirlooms, could even use roma's in a jam.  small dice, and add 5 or more whole cloves of garlic.   I love garlic.  Cook in olive oil on low heat while dicing and move around a bit as to not burn.  When the aroma is full and the dicing is done add the tomatoes and cook down for 10 to 20 minutes add salt and you have a fresh mother sauce.   I have added saffron to this and it sings,  tonight it was dried chipotle, rosemary from the garden, and some nice dried mexican oregano (just a touch of that).  I salted it a bit with himalayan sea salt and some tellicherry peppercorns.

We wanted fresh cod but it was sunday night and they were out of that.  It has been on special all weekend for 10 bucks a pound.  I spotted some skate wing, the last of it and rounded it out a pound with some cleaned fresh squid.
I cooked up some organic black rice pasta to house the sauce.
I seasoned the skate and dredged in a gluten free flour blend of rice, sorghum and tapioca I have been  using.  seared up one side in a couple of minutes over med high heat in olive oil, flip it and remove from pan.  add more olive oil and add the squid, lightly season.  they cook fast.  After a minute or two I added a pat of butter then the mother sauce to the squid.  brought the black rice pasta in to the mix to get some heat (temperature) on it.  the served....  I put some halved baby zucchini's under the broiler and served it on the side.  and that was tonights meal.

Skate and Squid in mother sauce with black rice pasta and broiled zucchini's

this meal cost about 11 dollars and fed two.  calories?  I can figure that out but that will take me a minute.  lemme get back to you.  tell ya this.  not many.

sometimes a man just needs his gumbo

I've been making gumbo for fifteen years, since my brief stint as a New Orlenian in the mid nineties.  I made it for my Happy hour crowd at the Hole in the Wall in Austin TX every week.  I served it while I was performing.   I got to try many different gumbos and settled on my mother basic recipe from there.
begin with a small green pepper or 3/4 of a med one will do, one small onion, and a stalk of celery ---> the holy trinity.   fine dice and sweat those babies in a pot for a good while.  I like to get 'em down to moosh but no brown burning.   some salt helps them sweat.  I add several choppped garlic cloves to this half way through.
"Who needs a roux?"  well ya need a lil something ya do.  I tried an old cheatin cajun trick this time around mostly cuz I'm my own dish washer these days and I'm feeling like washing less dishes today.  I dropped a TBS of butter into my mush, turned up the heat and sprinkled some sorghum flour (gluten free) over top and stirred.  when it got a little brown not burned and was ready for some help I added hot fresh chicken stock and whole smoked chipotle pepper....  add frozen cut okra (I like a lot of okra) and let it rest like that on simmer.  I cook this until there is no distinguishable vegetable in there, just the balls from the okra floating around.  add cayenne

here in TX we like to smoke a lot of things.  I picked up some specials at the HEB this afternoon and decided to smoke some organic chicken thighs, 2lbs of jumbo shrimp, and some delicious jalapeno sausage.  I smoked over hickory mostly but there was a block of mesquite in that fire flavoring too.
when these were done smoking I added the chopped sausage and cut the thighs in to but size pieces added to the gumbo with the bone.  peeled the shrimp and diced then and added them to the mix.

the peeled shells were thrown into a saucepan of boiling water and blended with a hand mixed, reduced by a lot, strained and then added to the gumbo.  you can salt it now.  slightly under salt it to taste as you will reduce a bit longer.

from start to finish about 4 hrs had passed, I added some filé (only about 2 capfuls) and let it rest.  I add more filé to mine when I eat it.   Too much will make it slimy and even worse, stringy and wont save well in the fridge or freezer.  We had a few bowls but it's always better the next day...  it is...  it was.

Texican Smoked Turkey Tortilla Soup

I made a gumbo yesterday just cuz sometimes a man needs his gumbo.  Just as I started I got a call from an old pal in NYC, Joe Cheskin.  A food 911 call if you will.  Someone purchased him a Rudy's smoked turkey from TX as a gift for the holidays and he had half a carcass and a bunch of meat left over.  He wanted to know what to do with it.  "I dont want to make a Gumbo... the thought of making a roux right now scares me."  Ok Joe.  Roux is easy nothing to fear there.  but a proper gumbo takes hours and a days rest in the fridge.  none the less I got it...  here's what ya do.

When we had our holiday smoked turkey from Rudy's (also as a gift).  I made a ton of stock and got several meals out of it.  My favorite I repeated to joe on the phone.  Cook the carcass with some meat on the bone  with half an onion, celery, carrot, bay leaf, chipotle pepper if you have one, and a couple garlic cloves in a large stock pot for a least 2 hr's.  till there's no flavor left in that puppy.
strain.   season the stock with salt and pepper at this point, freeze unused portions.  Cube the turkey and dice a zucchini, carrot, onion, celery, cilantro, (frozen corn because it's winter).  bring a quart of the stock to a boil.  add some mexican oregano, cumin, cayenne, and salt to taste...  add vegetables reduce to simmer, add turkey to heat in broth...   place tortilla chips and some cheese in soup bowls, jack or cheddar is good, ladle soup into bowl of chips and cheese.  top with avocado and a full squeeze of lime.  you can add more cayenne pepper, cumin, fresh cilantro and onion here too.  to taste.

Texican Smoked Turkey Tortilla Soup

Eggplant Pizza L.E.S. style

Bob's Red Mill brand, that standard brand you all see in the store nowadays gluten free pizza crust...  well it's good and you get two 12 inch pizza's outa one package.  I sometimes miss pizza and I miss NYC pizza for sure.   There were two favorites I had, Stromboli's on St Marks made a pizza with bacon and italian sausage fresh tomato and fresh basil.  I repeat that often.  I also loved the eggplant pizza at Rosario's on the LES.  I do this one too...  often.  Then theres the classic supreme pizza with pepperoni, sausage, green pepper, onion, black olive, and mushroom if you got some.  That something about the green pepper and sausage combo reminds me of the frozen pizza's we'd get when mom and dad were going out ad the baby sitter had to cook a frozen pizza for us kids... abondanza!

Try this brand and follow directions and let the dough rest a while before making the crust.  I make it as thin as possible, precooking is must for crispy crust especially for a pizza a lot of topping.  I just fileld up my blackberry with photos and took out the memory card so my phone would actually work...   lotsa good food shots on there.  But I took this one the other night of our eggplant pizza Rosario style.

as for the sauce? simpler (and spicier) the better  I use a good can of tomato paste equal parts water.  and stir in fine chopped garlic, cayenne pepper, touch of anchovy paste, touch of agave nectar and stir.   The harder mozzarella cheese melts better than fresh but used fresh here on this pizza and it was stretchy and yummy.  One can is jus not quite enough for two pizzas if you like sauce...  it will stretch for you light sauce lovers.  I usually used a bit more like 3/4's of the prepared sauce on my pizza.

this shot is from last week.  I'll calorie count 'em later.

tonight i'm making middle eastern lamb burgers with tzatziki sauce and feta....    more later y'all.

mesquite smoked chicken wings and jumbo shrimp

With the big games on today (and what great games they were!),  we decided on chicken wings, on our way back from Ft. Worth, a rodeo and some of the finest baby backs I have had from a street vendor/.  We had Bbq on the mind too.  Anhd here in TX we found ourselves with 70+ degree weather all afternoon.  So I broke out some charcoal, some mesquite chunks and got a little fore going in the Webber.  I made a rub for the wings consisting of brown sugar, chipotle powder, salish (alderwood smoked sea salt), cumin and garlic powder, some oregano and thyme...  they sat a while in this rub until the coals were grey.  I also soaked some wood chips and seasoned 1 lbs of shell on jumbo shrimp with little old faithful, old bay seasoning.  the wings cooked on indirect heat for 20 mins or so a side.  at the end I threw on some additional soaked chips and the shrimp for about 25 or 20 minutes and smoked the heck out of it.  by half time of the Giants game we were grinning and suckin down them suckers dipped in a light blue cheese dressing.  side buy side with the shrimp which had a home made cocktail, accompanied by traditional carrot and celery.  I bought some frank's hot sauce but be didn't touch it...  was unnecessary.  we had a ll the flavors going on.  I'll use it for something else down the road.

1 lbs shrimp - 447 cal
10 wings - 60 cal per wing (we had bout 20 wingettes @ 30 cal per wing) = 600
2 stalk celery - 38 cal
2 carrots - 104 cal
4 TBSP - 160
total calories - 1349

we shared and there is at least one portion left over...  I ate more than Cray Cray.

spaghetti squash alla carbonara

now I am not sick of these shitrataki noodles entirely but I wanted to try something tonight while sticking to our low cal tasty meals...  and as of late I am admittedly "into" the noodle sauce thing.  I'll get on to something else soon I promise but I'm not bored yet so here it is.
We have made some nice spaghetti squash dishes in the past, I usually make a marinara or fresh red sauce with it, sometimes a garlic butter sauce.
The other morning I left for McAllen I made myself some spaghetti (shirataki) alla carbonara I thought about the spaghetti squash I had lying around and wondered if this would work in a carbonara.  While I
cooked the squash i started the onions and bacon (I'm definitely getting some guanchale next time).   The bacon and onions cooked slowly for 30 mins or so on low.  Lotsa cracked pepper.  I threw Roma in (one diced flesh only) becuase it needed to be eaten before we go on our trip to Dallas.
I forked the squash and added to my bacon and onion mixture.  Took it off of the heat, then added the small egg whites, saving the yolk, then stirred in between a 1/4 and a 1/2 cup of parmesan reggiano.  plated in a bird nest and added the yolk just as I served...  it was the delicious.  I highly recommend it.

Spaghetti Squash  41 calories per cup x 5 cups = 205
bacon 41calories  per strip x 6 strips = 246
1 small cooked onion 26
1/4 cup parmesan 107
roma tomato 35
3 small eggs 53 x 3 =159

total calories for two servings 778
this meal was well under 5 bucks....

we had a salad too...

Rio Grande Valley

It's not a trip to the Rio Grande Valley with out a bowl of menudo.  This morning I had the pleasure of eating home made menudo.  I was hired to cook a 20 person poker party down here in the valley tonight and I arrived early to hang with my old friend, ex- restauranteur, and all around artistic tsunami.  He and his momma made this batch of "crudo" menudo for their annual new years day party (starts at 2am).  It's soothing and delicious and helped calm my stomach from the celebratory drinking the night before.
We decided on Paella...  it will be my take on the dish as it was shown to me by fellow chef and master guitarist, Diego Garcia.  the last one we did was on his birthday on an outdoor flame and we fed a hungry 12...  I have two pans and hope to food a hungry 20 poker playing men (and women) well.  I may sit on this game too and see what I can do.
We got 6 lbs of shrimp 8 lbs of chicken thighs and although Diego wold not approve of the combo, some andouille sausage...  the Rio Grande valley had a connection to New Orleans architecturally and I have noticed come ingredients made it here too.  Andouille is my homage to this bridge.

We found the proper carnaroli rice and saffron.  First task - the stock.  Players will be here in a couple of hours.  Pictures to come....   wish me luck.

Buray is heading to McAllen today to cook for 20 poker players, more on that later.  it's a five or six hour drive and I need some energy for that ride staying within my tasteful guidelines for a good meal.  Spaghetti alla carbonara
3 slices bacon - 129
shirataki noodles - 40
onion - 28
2 small eggs - 108
TBS pecorino romano - 22
total carbs = 327

total price
2 small eggs .25
shirataki noodles 1.25
onion .30
$1.80

begin by cubing the bacon and render fat on low heat.  add small diced onions (I used 3/4 of a small onion)  boil the water for noodles.  stir bacon and onion and add generous amount of cracked black pepper.  when the onions are soft (beyond translucent, starting to caramelize. do not burn) and the bacon is finished but not crispy.  add the drained shirataki to the boiling water for 2 minutes.  Turn off onions and bacon, drain noodles and add to onions and bacon.  stir with tongs and add two egg whites (save yolk) and stir with tongs....  add some pecorino romano or parmesan reggiano and stir.  plate and for a birds nest,  add the yolk in the center.

break yolk on plate and stir into noodles and enjoy.

Bury's momma thinks pictures are in order...  they are coming.  I ate this too soon.  and was unable to post  pic. 

low cal low cost going on here... look out spring!

did I mention that these calorie restricted meals are super cheap?  These shirataki noodles are fun to dress up.  I went to Sun Harvest on the way home today and here's what we ate.  Fettucini style noodles with an eggplant sauce.
2 packs noodles ($2.50)
I cubed and fried the eggplant ($0.88) in olive oil salt and pepper.  In a separate pan I slow cooked chopped garlic on low then added 1/4 onion and 1/2 stalk of celery I had lying around.  added two diced roma tomatoes ($0.43).
When the eggplant was done I added it to the garlic sauteing with onion and celery.  In the hot eggplant pan I sauteed about 3/4 lbs. chopped mushrooms ($1.23) in a little olive oil.  when they were done I transferred to the other pan and stirred before adding a 12 oz. can of fire roasted mur glen organic tomatoes ($1.50).
we sprinkled with pecorino romano

total cost for two bowls of fettucini with eggplant sauce $6.54 with left overs

as for calories lets try and figure them out too
small eggplant -- let's call it 250
2 roma tomato's (flesh only ) --  60
1/4 cup -- 15
2 packs shirataki noodles - 80
mur glen 14.5 can roasted tomatoes-- 140
TBS olive oil -- 119
pecorino romano- 40

that's a total of 704 calories for two big portions with left overs...

last nights dinner experiment + kid menu lunch

Italian sausage and Shiritaki noodles dressed with garlic and butter

Last night we tried shirataki noodles they have 40 calories per bag and are made up of tofu and yam flour.  They have a funny smell until you rinse them and cook them (don't overcook!)  I like the shiritaki.  You can load up on your topping and keep your caloric intake way down.  I chopped two large garlic cloves and let them simmer slow in a TBS of butter (120 calories) and at the last moment added one diced fresh roma tomato and TBS of chopped onion and green pepper to go with the grilled italian sausage.   Topped with pecorino romano.  I added the green pepper and onion only to subtly remind me of classic sausage and pepper dish found in lower Manhattan.  We were satisfied.  (I snuck in some dried new mexican green chili powder for heat)

Gluten free chicken strips with white gravy and honey dijon dip

lunch today will be a kid classic...  I pounded chicken tenders and removed the tendon.  dressed with garlic powder, salt and cayenne dredged in sorghum flour.  dipped in egg wash, and rolled in rice bread crumbs.  I fry them in a cast iron skillet with grape seed oil for health and it has a high burning point too.  and server with a white gravy....  made with 1 TBS sorghum flour and 1TBS butter for a roux add a couple of cups of milk and stir like hell.  when it's thick add salt and plenty of pepper to taste.  a white gravy is a basically a Bechamel sauce so i tossed a little pecorino Romano in there for flavor.

for kicks I made a dijon honey mustard sauce to there was a choice.

I will serve with a bird salad consisting of beets, cucumber, and avocado served over baby arugula and spinach with a store bought light blue cheese vinaigrette.  The bird loves her salad.  Normally I make a maple vinaigrette but we ran out of a crucial ingredient.  

1 part maple syrup

1 part dijon

1 part red wine vinegar

3 parts grape seed oil - add slow and whisk away until it emulsifies.

Buray and Cray Cray are goin on a diet

Buray is goin on a diet.  Buray does most of his own cooking around here and loves the flavor and the fat and tends to be heavy handed on the calories (which he is quite proud of).  Finding himself a few weeks past the holidays they with a few extra lbs. hangin around, he decided to cut 'em back a bit.
He decided to blog recipes and thoughts as he goes.
His girlfriends is Cray Cray and she has d'betes, he is gluten free and they both love to eat.  So this should be an interesting challenge.