During cooking classes, my students always say that they love the taste of fresh ginger, but complain that it’s a pain in the butt to peel and chop! Half of the students shamefully admit that they buy the pureed stuff that comes in a jar or tube.

Eeewwww!

Call me a ginger snob, but that jarred pureed stuff is just plain nasty and chemically tasting. There is definitely something suspicious about a food item that sticks to the roof of your mouth. Especially when it’s not chocolate, peanut butter or caramel.

So, I’m going to share with you some of my ginger secrets….

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I’m addicted to Dukkah. It’s a funny name, no?  Dukkah is an Egyptian spice mixture made of roasted, coarsely ground nuts (hazelnuts, almonds or pistachios) and fragrant spices (coriander, sesame seeds, cumin, chili pepper, etc.)

Different variations of this mixture is found all over the Middle East and North Africa.  While I’m not an expert in their foods, I have a feeling that each family has their own signature concoction of Dukkah, varying in the type of spices or nuts used. I was introduced to this aromatic condiment by my good friend and amazingly talented Chef Jeremy of Cork Restaurant in Sarasota. BTW, if you haven’t been to Cork - it is the best new restaurant in town and you simply must go. Chef Mac & Jeremy perform magic and go to the utmost extreme to make sure you have an amazing meal.

Jeremy generously gave me a huge canister of the spice mixture.I begged, bribed and pleaded for the recipe, but no recipe. So I simply asked his lovely wife Jules to nag the crap out of him until he released his secret. It worked. And I’m sharing it with you. By the way, Jules is a professional opera singer. One of her past gigs was playing Maria (Julie Andrews) in the National Tour of Sound of Music.  Let me just take a moment to tell you how frickin’ talented this woman is. I had her over at my house when Sound of Music was playing on TV - and HOLY WHISKERS ON KITTENS! it was like having Maria herself sitting next to me on the couch singing!.

Ok. back to Dukkah.

I’ve installed another new feature on the blog, called Smell-a-Blog. Just put your nose really close to the screen and sniff. It will instantly transport you on a spice trail to Egypt. Don’t worry about looking stupid…nobody’s watching. I promise…just breathe it in:

Jeremy’s Egyptian Dukkah Blend

Take a piece of pita, naan or bread, dip in beautiful olive oil and then touch the nut/spice mixture.

By the way, this is a Baby No Knead Wheat Bread with 1/2c whole wheat + 2 1/2c bread flour. After its little nap, I divided the dough in half. One part was wrapped and frozen, the other was baked for 25 minutes covered, 12 minutes uncovered.

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I’m not the only one who smokes eats Dukkah!

Stonesoup

Fresh Catering

Grab Your Fork

Smitten Kitchen

101 Cookbooks

Real Baking with Rose

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The Surgery Went Exceptionally Well…..

I can finally see!  Today’s post-op checkup was A-OK and I now have 20/20 vision.

More details, you ask?

Ok. I’m only going to warn you ONCE. If you’ve got shitty eyes and are thinking about Lasik surgery. DO NOT READ ON. Go suck on a lollipop or something but don’t read any further.

DUUUDE. I told you not to read on. Second warning, ok? If you are as blind as Britney Spears’ wardrobe designer, then just RUN. GO AWAY. GO SKIN A DONKEY. RECITE THE ALPHABET. BACKWARDS. WHILE SKYDIVING.

DO NOT CLICK ANYWHERE. THERE IS NO NEXT PAGE.

(pssst…all you 20/20 guys…click here)

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I have so much to tell you that I don’t even know where to begin!!!  But of course, it’s always about the food, so I’ll start with the food.  But the food part is going to be really, really short because I want to share with you my first television shooting experience.  I guess I could have posted without a recipe, but then I’d feel like it would be a totally inadequate post - because there are readers that possibly don’t give a shark’s ass about me and are here just for the recipes.  And that’s ok. I’ll pretend to like you too.

The Really Short Food Part

I saw Elise’s grilled corn in husk recipe but wanted to Asian-fy it with this herb butter:

Grilled Corn with Lime Cilantro Wasabi Butter

Summer is just too hot to turn on the stove or oven inside - it’s just so much easier to make my husband bear the heat and sweat outside to grill the corn. Just kidding. I give him a cold beer and all is good.  This grilled corn is perfect to pair with a simple meal of grilled fish topped with Fresh Mango & Melon Salsa.

prep time: 10 minutes    cook time 15-20 minutes

1 stick of butter, softened to room temperature
Zest of 1 lime
2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
big ‘ol squirt of wasabi paste (1 tablespoon-ish)

corn in husk

1. Make the herb butter:  Combine all butter ingredients. Use fork to mash and mix well.  Lay a large piece of plastic cling wrap on counter.  Spoon the butter on the wrap and fold plastic wrap over.  Using your hands, mold and roll into a cylinder shape. I use a sushi bamboo mat and that worked really well.  Place in refrigerator (or freezer if you’re in a hurry) and let chill for at least 30 minutes.  This can be made up to 3 days in advance.

2. Grill the corn on the cob:  Preheat grill to 550F degrees.  Carefully peel back some of the outer layers of husk and discard.  Keep a couple of the soft, inner layers intact.  If you have too many tough, outer layers, the corn takes longer to cook.  Remove as much of the visible silky wisps as possible (which will burn on the grill).    I like to soak the corn in water for 15 minutes.  Elise of Simply Recipes does not soak her corn, but both methods work really well.  Remove corn from water, shake off excess water.  Grill on for 15-20 minutes, turning every 5 minutes to evenly char all sides.  Remove the grilled corn on the cob with tongs and carefully peel back the husk (careful! it’s hot!).  Top with slice of Lime Cilantro Wasabi Butter. Enjoy your deliciously grilled corn on the cob.

End of really short food part.

Beginning of the part that rocked my world last week.

A few weeks ago, I met with Tampa Bay’s PBS station. Of course, I brought along some My Mom’s Famous Egg Rolls.  Just in case I couldn’t charm them with my good looks and crazy ideas, at least I could win bribe them with food.  The meeting went fantastically well and resulted in an opportunity to work with Jen Noble, a very talented Executive Producer for a multiple Emmy-Award winning show called A Gulf Coast Journal with Jack Perkins.  The Jack Perkins??? You mean the same Jack Perkins of NBC Nightly News and the powerful voice behind A&E’s Biography!?!?  Pinch me with Oxo tongs, momma!

Well, last Thursday we had an entire day of shooting at the studio kitchen where I teach.  I hosted a sushi class - and invited my friends.  As this was my first television experience, I wanted to be surrounded by loving friends and not by heckling strangers.  Here are the highlights:

Look how massively HUGE this light was!!  There were two of these mammoths, repositioned each time they wanted a different angle.  I planned on swiping one of them to use as a tanning bed:

The calm before the storm.  My good friend, Jan, helped me immensely with the decorating - didn’t she do a wonderful job?  Those banana leaves are from her garden. Here comes Jen, the producer.  btw, she’s HOT, talented and single:

Getting mic’d up.  This is Tom the sound guy.  A mic went under my shirt in the front and stuck right between my boobs, the transmitter box clipped to the back of my pants.  For some strange, strange reason, Tom had to reach down and reposition the mike every 10 minutes.  And the batteries had to be changed multiple times in the transmitter.   :-)   The hardest part of the whole adventure was being mic’d the entire time and knowing that whatever I said, whispered or even thought in my little head would transmit between Tom’s headphones, and then all would be confirmed that I was a little koo-koo.

DO YOU KNOW HOW HARD IT IS TO FUNCTION WITHOUT TALKING TO YOURSELF AND REFRAIN FROM SPONTANEOUS FARTING??!??!? I got a nice workout just clenching my ass-cheeks together all day.

Here we are at the ingredients table - talking about all how to cut and prepare the ingredients.  There is Alex the camera-god shooting:

This kid in the red is amazing.  Brian is Jeff Houck’s (Food Writer for Tampa Trib) kid who said really nice things on camera about me.  I slipped him a $20 earlier.  Next to him are Jeremy (Chef de Cuisine of Cork) and his wife Jules (a professional opera singer), Susan (a Sarasota reader of the blog whom I invited to be a part of this adventure), Kelly (my very bestest friend to infinity and beyond), Jan (the uber-talented goddess of all things elegant & beautiful), Mike (editor in chief of Your Observer). Next to me in the kitchen is Joe (who loves to eat and was my right hand man in the kitchen).  Chef Bob is hiding somewhere too - he played sous-chef, helping me prep in the morning (Thank you Chef B!)

Do you want to know what happens when a very hungry chef tries to make sushi?

Sushi rolls the size of small children.  Overachieving hot shot chef!

But then my best friend Kelly veered off in another direction with her sushi.  I’ve never seen a sushi roll bleed to death with rooster hot sauce.

After the class, we did a one-on-one interview. Alex the cameraman is the King of Lighting.  They spent about 30 minutes just on the backdrop and getting the “mood” right.  I think they were going for Jaden’s Buddha Bar Love Lounge. All we needed was some groovy music and an opium pipe.  I would have felt entirely at home then.

But we weren’t done after this!  The whole crew came over to my house and filmed me cooking at home and dinner with the family, otherwise known as The Chaos of Jaden’s House. But that is for another post, my friends….I’m not quite ready to share with you how my kids thought it would be fun to grab the long ties that held my shirt together and run in opposite directions ALL CAUGHT ON CAMERA. Thank goodness that by then I had already downed a half bottle of wine in 3 minutes.  Because I don’t know how I would have handled that while sober.

Next week, we’ll continue shooting with Jack Perkins coming to my home.  I’m sort of nervous. Will he read the contents of this blog and ask me how I learned to cook or what in the world would compel me to eat Cod Sperm Sac Soup or why I have a fan base of tranny cross dressers?  Well, I did name this blog STEAMY KITCHEN, not Amish Kitchen, you know?

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Brilynn started a new project, called the Jumbo & Jaden Project (in honor of Julie/Julia Project)!!!  She cracks me up…so far she’s made:

Project #1:
Tropical Island Salmon

Project #2:
Pan Fried Lemon Ricotta Gnocchi

So now it’s my turn to master one of her recipes. Which one should I choose? Please help!

These are not Pierogies Pierogies

Bacon Brittle

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**If you are NOT my husband or someone who is reading this to my children - highlight the text to read below.
Thank you Wok & Spoon for my Tim Tams!!!  I got them in the mail the other day and hid them in the fridge under the bag of spinach.and I am not sharing. There are 3 cookies left ….and they ARE MINE…..ALLLLLL MINE….

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If you are in the Sarasota/Bradenton area, tune into ABC 7 this Thursday 8/23 at 6:45am-ish.  I’ll be cooking live on the morning news program. Yes…you read that right.  Cooking live.  Am I insane? Quite possibly.  It was only after accepting the appearance offer that I thought about the consequence of cooking live.  No edits. No “do-overs” and no “oops!”  It will be the longest 3 minutes of my entire life.

Will I survive? Will the network survive without being fined?

Don’t you feel like this dish should just ::wink:: and do a little sexy twirl?  Such a flirty little thing!

“Asian Lettuce Wraps” or “Asian Lettuce Cups” is the most requested recipe on my site.  I’ve updated the recipe to be lighter, more refreshing and healthier.  No goopy cornstarchy sauce!  Sorry, P.F. Chang!  You can make a vegetarian version - just substitute crumbed tofu, more vegetables or even plain rice for the ground turkey. Traditionally, the recipe includes canned water chestnuts, which honestly taste like crunchy styrofoam.  Instead, I’ve used crisp diced green apples - which is much tastier.

The mung bean noodles look clear and transparent when dried and puff up in just a few seconds time when fried. They are NOT “rice noodles” – when in doubt, look at the ingredient list on the back. It should say “mung beans.”

Asian Lettuce Cups with Ground Turkey & Green Apple

Filling:
1 lb ground turkey
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp grated ginger
2 cups frozen carrot/pea mix OR red/yellow bell peppers, finely diced
2 stalks, scallions
1 ummm….oops 1/2 green apple, finely diced

Toppings/Wrap:
2 skeins, Mung Bean Noodles (from wikipedia)
2 medium carrots, Use vegetable peeler to peel cut carrot into paper thin strips.  Use knife to further cut into super duper thin strands. Or, use the handy kitchen gadget <– I like this gadget
1 head boston bibb lettuce, leaves washed and separated

The Sauce:
1-1/2 tablespoons Hoisin Sauce (for GF: substitute w/ tangerine marmalade which I ABSOLUTELY LOVE)
1 teaspoon soy sauce (for GF: tamari)
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1 tsp Sriracha hot sauce
<– this is my fav hot sauce. it has a rooster on it…therefore i call it “rooster sauce” because i always mis-spell srirrrrrrracha.

Fry noodle - wok or a pot (something not too wide at its base. the smaller the base width, the less oil you will need to use). Fill with about 2″ of oil. While oil is heating to 375F, use your hands to separate the strands of the mung bean noodle into small clumps. When oil hot, fry one batch at a time. It should only take 10 seconds to fry. Remove, drain paper towels.

Heat wok on high heat with cooking oil. When oil is hot, add scallions, ginger and garlic and fry a few seconds until fragrant. Add chicken and fry until 80% cooked through. Add vegetables and cook 1 minute. Add sauce ingredients. Let simmer for 1 minute to thicken slightly. Add apples. Toss to coat. Immediately remove from heat. You don’t want to “cook” the apples - keep them nice and crunchy. Serve with hot sauce sauce, lettuce cups, fried noodles.

Serve with more rooster sauce, lettuce cups, fried noodles and shaved carrots.

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Kitt’s comment below just reminded me of the great weekend we just had with my baby birds.

Fighting for “THE BITE.”

Andrew is taller, he has the advantage.

But Nathan has sharp teeth

And swoops in for the kill

Did I scold him? Hell no. Smart strategy I say!

One of the easiest ways to elevate your cooking to another level is to use flavored salts, or finishing salts. No recipe needed, really. Flavor + Salt = Flavored Salt. REALLY!!! I know you just had a V-8 moment just now (wow. that sure dates me. does anyone know what i’m talking about?!) My latest crush, Eric Gower the Breakaway Cook, writes extensively about finishing salts on his website and even gives you several flavors to try. I like to use these salts in place of regular salt - the flavor I use is dependent on either the type of dish I’m cooking, the ethnic cuisine or a flavor I would like to infuse in the dish. I call these Finishing Salts because most of the time, its exactly what I use them for.

Sometimes a dish just needs a little color after plating and a finishing salt is the perfect compliment flavor-wise and eye-candy-deliciousness-wise. Learn from professional cooks - who often serve food on white dinnerware - and sprinkle a little of your Finishing Salt directly on the food AND the plate. The vibrant colors are shown off against the white and your dinner guests can dab as much as or as little of the salt as they wish. You can make a batch for less than $1….or you could go to a gourmet shop and spend $12 for an itty bitty jar.

Szechuan Peppercorn Salt

Dry-roasted Szechuan or Sichuan Peppercorn + food processor to grind the peppercorn + sea salt. It’s spelled Sichuan nowadays, but for some reason I’ve always spelled it Szechuan. Anyways, spell how you like.

>>Edit: more detailed instructions: I roasted SZP in a hot, dry skillet until smoking but not burnt. Let that cool a little bit. Dump in food processor to grind to same size as your salt. Then you add your salt and pulse a just couple of times to fully incorporate the flavors together. I like my S&P a little chunky and not like a fine powder. I used equal amts of SZP and sea salt. You can adjust based on your tastes. If you are using a very fine sea salt or just regular table salt, decrease the amt of salt.

Szechuan Peppercorn is really not a peppercorn at all - its a berry from a bush that will make your tongue and lips tingle and numb when you eat them. Yes, its legal. No, you can’t snort it. When you dry-roast the peppercorns, your entire house will smell heavenly…woodsy, citrusy, earthy…so incredibly aromatic that Chef Kylie Kwong perfumes her restaurant daily with a hot, smoking, dry wok of roasted peppercorns. Add to any dish that needs a little kick in the pants. Cooking Chinese? Sprinkle some Szechuan Peppercorn Salt to finish any dish. I also love seasoning my steaks with this instead of the standard salt & pepper prior to grilling. This can also serve as a dipping salt for fried shrimp.

Fushia Dunlop even recommends using this combination on potato chips! Make them yourself (its very simple with a mandoline) and flavor with SZP Salt while they are hot. Or, dump a bag of your favorite plain chips onto a baking sheet + 375 F for 5 minutes, remove and sprinkle with SZP Salt. Ohhh…how about french fries with SZP Salt at your next dinner party? Nothing like watching the reaction of your guests as their lips tingle and they discover a new taste. You can buy Szechuan peppercorn at your local Chinese market or at Whole Spice, iGourmet, GetSpice (UK), Spice Barn and Spicehouse

When you get your SZP, take a couple of pods and chew - the tip of your tongue will go tingly! Cooking the SZP tames the pepperyness and the numbing quality.

Citrus Salt

Grated orange peel + grated lemon peel + let the citrus peels dry a little bit on a paper towel + sea salt Think bright, cheery and light. Finish your shrimp skewers, any vegetables, grilled chicken breasts, grilled salmon with Citrus Salt. Lighten your risotto or steamed rice with Citrus Salt. I’ll be posting soon on a recipe I created, Panko-Crusted Grouper Cheeks with Japanese-Style Risotto and Citrus Salt. Long, fancy name for fish ‘n rice, I know. I need to shorten the name…just sounds too restaurant-y.

Matcha Salt

Matcha is Japanese green tea powder made from the highest quality of green tea leaves. Its a stunning and lovely mossy color which makes such a pretty finishing salt, especially if you use a white plate and also sprinkle some directly on the plate. Matcha powder + sea salt + couple pulses in food processor if you are using course sea salt You know what is so totally divine? Your favorite chocolate truffle or chocolate bar + dip in Matcha Salt. So very different! Eric Gower pairs it with eggs and tofu. Use with dishes that are light in texture and flavor, since this salt’s flavor is more delicate and subtle. It gives a beautiful floral, grassy, sweet and soothing aroma. You can buy Matcha powder at your local Asian market. Sometimes coffee/tea shops will carry as well. This is not the same as green tea leaves. Ask specifically for Matcha powder. Its a little expensive. I paid $7.50 for 1.4 oz jar at a Japanese market in Los Angeles (which will last me a long time as I only used about� 1 teaspoon in my mixture). Don’t get the super-premium stuff, it would be a waste to use the expensive powder for the salts. Buy online at Amazon (this is the brand I got). Use your leftover powder to make green tea ice cream. I have all three sitting patiently waiting for my next cooking adventure….you guys have any ideas for other flavors? What would you do with Chocolate Salt?