Most often, recipes for Mexican-style devilishly hot shrimp - camarones a la diabla - involves destemming, deseeding and charring dried peppers, then reconstituting them in water, etc. This version is a quicker, simplified one that uses chile powder rather than dried chiles. Give it a try! Ingredients: 1 lb. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined 3 Tbsp New Mexico chile … [Read more...]
Shoyu Chicken
A very popular and delicious Cantonese dish is Shoyu (soy sauce) Chicken. It’s very easy to make and the emphasis is on the technique of very gently cooking the chicken. Give it a try! Ingredients: 1 whole chicken, 3-4 lbs. (or you could use cut-up pieces) 2 tsp. sesame oil 2 tsp. canola or peanut oil 4-5 cloves garlic, peeled and lightly mashed to release the … [Read more...]
Creole Catfish Recipe
Here is a really simple method for cooking Creole style blackened catfish on the grill. One benefit of cooking the fish in a pan on the outdoor grill is that you won’t set off the smoke alarms indoors. Ingredients: 2-4 catfish fillets, patted dry with paper towels - figure one fillet per person ½ cup butter, melted 2 Tbsp (or more to taste) Creole seasoning such as … [Read more...]
The Comforts of Home – Global Comfort Food Recipes for the Home Cook
As I’m sure is the case with many Utah Bites readers, I’ve been spending a lot more time in my kitchen lately. That’s partly out of necessity since it was impossible to eat out in restaurants during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. But I’m also choosing not to spend very much time in restaurants these days, even though some have reopened. I just feel safer at … [Read more...]
Venice-Style Shrimp
This is a scrumptious recipe based on one from Food & Wine magazine - large shrimp prepared in the Venetian style with garlic, wine, butter, chili flakes and lemon zest. You could serve the shrimp with rice or pasta, but I think it’s especially tasty with polenta. Ingredients: 3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 4 garlic cloves, peeled & thinly sliced 1/2 tsp … [Read more...]
Chicken Korma Ansari Recipe
Aziz Ansari is one of my favorite actors/comedians. You might have seen him doing stand-up or in a show like Master of None or Parks and Recreation, among others. A couple of years ago I came across a family recipe (I don’t recall where) that Ansari shared - it’s his mother’s (Fatima Ansari) recipe for Chicken Korma and it’s terrific. This isn’t quite as “saucy” as typical … [Read more...]
Yakisoba with Beef, a Classic Japanese Stir-Fry Recipe
Yakisoba is a classic Japanese stir-fry dish with egg noodles, veggies, and usually a protein. In this recipe, I use thin-sliced beef but you could substitute chicken, shrimp, pork, tofu, veggies, or whatever you’d like. Be sure to get all of your ingredients prepped and ready to go because the actual cooking time is really quick. Ingredients: 10-12 oz. fresh Chinese or … [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...]
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...]