Here’s the deal: When I eat crab cakes - which are typically fairly pricey - I want them to taste like CRAB, not filler. That’s what this crab cake recipe is all about. The secret to great crab cakes is to use the best crab you can find. I normally use lump blue-crab meat. You can enjoy them plain or with something like avocado salsa (pictured here). Ingredients: 8 oz. … [Read more...]
Chicken Parmigiana Recipe
When I lived in New York City, at least once a week I’d visit my favorite Italian joint in Hell’s Kitchen called Manginero’s Hero Boy. They were renowned for their delicious heros, but I especially liked the chicken and veal parmigiana they served. Here is my attempt at replicating that recipe. Ingredients: 2 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts, cut in half (4 pieces … [Read more...]
Oaxacan-Style Chicken Barbacoa Recipe
This Christmas, a friend of mine - Chef Dave Jones of Log Haven - gave me an awesome cookbook called OAXACA: Home Cooking from the Heart of Mexico by Bricia Lopez. The Lopez family owns and operates Los Angeles’ renown Mexican restaurant Guelaguetza. I’ve spent many months in Oaxaca, but have never found an English language cookbook that captures the vibrant flavors of … [Read more...]
Tortellini with Walnut Cream Sauce
For special occasions such as a New Year’s Eve dinner celebration, I like to sometimes serve a rich, decadent, and memorable dish like this one: Tortellini with nutty walnut-cream sauce. It is based on a dish that I used to enjoy in New York City at the late Alfredo Viazzi’s Trattoria da Alfredo restaurant in Greenwich Village. A perfect accompaniment would be a high-quality … [Read more...]
Cheesy Potatoes Au Gratin
During the holidays - or really, anytime at all - this cheesy potatoes au gratin is a terrific side dish and a real crowd-pleaser. It’s also an efficient dish to make during the busy holidays because you can assemble it in advance and then cook it up after your turkey, ham, roast or whatever comes out of the oven. It's become a holiday staple at our house. Ingredients: 2 lbs. … [Read more...]
Arroz Amarillo
Arroz amarillo (yellow rice) is a great accompaniment for many different dishes, but especially Hispanic, Latin American, Caribbean and South American foods ranging from ropa vieja or pollo asado to chile Colorado, mofongo, pernil, and many others. Turmeric and saffron give the rice its vibrant yellow hue. Ingredients: 2 cups chicken stock/broth 1/4 loosely packed teaspoon … [Read more...]
Provençal-Style Beef Daube
I will never, ever forget the best bowl of beef stew I ever tasted. It was at a restaurant in Provence, France, in the town of Avignon. The bistro is called La Fourchette and the memorable dish was la daube de boeuf à l'Avignonnaise. It was simply sensational. This beef stew (daube, in French) recipe comes really close to that amazing daube that I enjoyed in Avignon. The key … [Read more...]
Caribbean Spiced Fried Chicken
When I lived in New York City, my friends and I often ate at a bustling restaurant that we loved called Lola’s. It’s been closed now for a number of years, but I fondly remember the delicious fried chicken dish that the restaurant was famous for: Lola’s 100-Spice Caribbean Fried Chicken. Well, it turns out that there weren’t actually 100 spices used in the chicken seasoning. In … [Read more...]
Shrimp with Shallot-Cream Mustard Sauce
This is a very elegant, delicious dish that’s pretty easy to make once you’ve got all of the ingredients prepped and ready to go. The actual cooking time isn’t more than about 10 minutes. Serve with rice pilaf, orzo, quinoa, etc. Ingredients: 1 lb. large shrimp/prawns, peeled and deveined 1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves 1/4 cup fresh tarragon leaves 1/2 cup cornichons … [Read more...]
Chicken-Chile Enchiladas
I love homemade enchiladas. They are pretty inexpensive to cook, especially if you use leftover cooked chicken or turkey to make them. At this time of year, it's a great way to make use of leftover Thanksgiving turkey. The key to success here is to be organized - set up a production line for filling and assembling the enchiladas. It’s a bit messy, but the result is very … [Read more...]
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