Salad isn't very exciting—and neither is salad dressing. You're either eating rabbit fodder drenched in a too-sour vinaigrette or too-heavy, leaf-wilting dressing like Thousand Island or French.
Home cooks are often quite intimidated when trying to reproduce the delicious ethnic dishes they enjoy at various restaurants. Thankfully, there are definite flavor profiles and spice/seasoning/herb combos that are very specific to various regional cuisines and cultures; with a little guidance, you can create dishes that are tasty homages to the cuisines you love to eat. In this two-part article (second part here), I'll cover both categories and sub-categories of some of the most popular ethn...
I love me some salad, but I'm also kind of a big baby when it comes to eating them. The greens have to be perfectly crisp and fresh, which is why I'm such a nut about storing them properly, including rethinking how I use my refrigerator, using a paper towel or dry cloth to wrap them, or even puffing a little CO2 into the plastic bag to keep them fresh. I've even developed an arsenal of tricks to restore life to soggy greens.
Eating out is great, but being able to cook the delicious ethnic foods you eat at restaurants is even better. It may seem daunting to put together a bunch of ingredients with which you might not be familiar (some with names you've never even heard of!), but with the guidelines below, you'll be making your own versions of ethnic favorites in no time.
It's universally known that broccoli, kale, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and all cruciferous vegetables (also known as brassicas) are good for you—but you probably don't know exactly how good they really are.
Go to a chain supermarket, and chances are you'll see one type of garlic—maybe two or three if you're lucky. However, there's a mouthwatering slew of Allium sativum out there, far beyond those papery white bulbs most of us encounter at the nearest Stop 'n' Shop.
This how to video will show you how to cook a gourmet hamburger without the cost. Learn to cook a succulent hamburger with a saffron mayo and mushrooms. For this recipe you will need: mayo, butter, shallots, portobello mushrooms, beef stock, pepper, and skirt steak beef. Serve with tomato and lettuce.
This how-to video will show you how to cook fabulous greens that everyone will love. This white chard recipe works great with just about any type of sauce that you are going to prepare. Watch and learn how to cook wilted white chard without taking out all the flavor.
This how-to video shows you how to make a versatile tomato sauce that works great with any recipe. It is a foundation sauce that you can freeze and store in your fridge to use the next time you cook. Watch and learn how to make this this homemade tomato sauce.
In this tutorial, we learn how to cook Thai chicken and Galangal coconut cream soup. The ingredients you will need are: 3/4 cup chicken stock or plain water, 200g chicken breast (skinned), 10g thinly sliced fresh young galangal, 1/2 cup coconut cream, 3/4 cup coconut milk, 6g kaffir lime leaves, 10g red shallots, 40g straw mushrooms sliced, 10 grams or 1 stalk of lemon grass bruised and sliced into 1 inch lengths, 1 tbsp coriander or cilantro leaves, 1 coriander root scraped, 1 - 2 tbsp lime ...
In this video recipe, our expert Chef will teach you how to make a creamy tomato basil soup. You will get easy to follow step-by-step instructions on how to chop the tomatoes, shallots, garlic and onions for this tasty soup.
Moules marinière is a delicious French recipe, where "moules" means mussels and "marinière" means mariner's style. It's a classic mussels dish great for any seafood and shellfish lover. But remember… classic does not have to be complicated.
A tribute to Julia Child that you will love for its intense flavor! For this dish, you will need: 3 live lobsters or 6 lobster tails, olive oil, 1 medium carrot, 1 medium onion, 3 tablespoon minced shallots, 1 clove mashed garlic, 1/3 cup cognac, 1 tablespoon chopped tomatoes, 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 1 cup fish stock, 2 cups dry white wine, 2 tablespoons parsley, 1 tablespoon tarragon, 6 tablespoons butter, 1 tablespoon fresh tarragon, juice from 1/2 a lemon, salt and pepper. Make a Homar...
A shellfish lovers' dream come true from Morton's steakhouse! For this recipe, you will need: 12 scallops, 12 large fresh shrimp, 1 1/2 cups beurre blanc, salt and pepper. To make the beurre blanc, you will need: 2 tablespoons shallots, 1/4 cup white wine, 1/4 cup lemon juice or vinegar, 4 ounces butter, white pepper, 2 large bell peppers, salt and pepper. Make grilled shrimp and scallop skewers.
Follow Monty Don's guide to planting onions, shallots and garlic, with tips on soil preparation, drainage and compost.
Make sure you give the pork three days to cure for best results! For the dry rub, you will need: 1/4 cup fennel seeds, 2 tablespoons cumin seeds, 2 tablespoons black peppercorns, 4 pieces star anise, 4 cinnamon sticks, 4 teaspoons whole cloves, 4 tablespoons ground coriander, 1 cup salt and 2/3 cup sugar. For the pork belly, you will need: 2 cups dry rub, 4 pounds of pork belly, 4 quarts chicken stock and 4-6 roasted shallots. Make a slow cooked, spiced pork belly.
Sink your teeth into some dry-cured ham— prosciutto. But that's not all— this prosciutto is just the outer layer of some delicious tuna with queso fresco and basil stuffing, topped with Poe-Co Loco Seasoning and chile corn purée.
Ingredients 1 9 to 10 pound standing rib roast (4 ribs), butcher’s cut
Try this recipe for roasted asparagus drizzled in lemon, shallots, and toasted pistachios. It's a healthy and delicious side dish to any main meal, you won't be disappointed!
Soup might sound simple, but when you're making lobster bisque, making the soup is quite a chore, but the taste is worth every second! Any shellfish lover will lover this lobster bisque!
You will need a cleaned eel, and fresh herbs including oregano, citronella, sage, mint, thyme, bay leaves, parsley, tarragon, wild chervil, chives, and basil. Also use spinach, fresh butter, shallots, double cream, lemon, white , water, salt and pepper. Fillet the eel and remove the spine. Cut it into very large pieces. Lightly fry it in butter and add diced shallots. Season it with ground pepper and salt. Add white wine and water and simmer for about 10 minutes. Remove the pieces of eel and ...
Scrod sounds good, right? This fish will satisfy your seafood craving. But wait… is scrod even a fish? No. If you're not from the New England-area, you probably would never know this, but scrod is not a fish at all. It's often misconceived as being a type of fish. However, scrod is a New England term that refers to any white fish that has been split and boned before sale, typically cod or haddock.
Forget clam chowder— dig into delicious oyster stew, a New England classic dish! And in this recipe video, Steve Slazinik of Turner's Seafood Grill & Market shows you how they make this oyster favorite.
This creamy sauce goes best with a pan-seared rainbow trout, but you could also find other uses for this elegant seafood sauce, it doesn't have to stop at trout. This video recipe will show you just how to make the versatile sauce with rendered bacon and shallots, deglazed with aged sherry and veal stock, and thickened with butter. Keith Pooler of Bergamot Restaurant shows you the trick.
This recipe takes 2 hours to prepare and cook. You will need red mullet, salt, pepper, olive oil, round rice, water, vinegar, sugar, preserved tomatoes, black olives, shallots, garlic clove, red pepper, yellow pepper, fresh ginger, curry, anchovy, parsley, and pine nuts. Make red mullet sushi in black olive emulsion.
Chef Barriere Deauville prepares bull fillet and farmhouse rice. This recipe takes 30 minutes to cook and prepare. The ingredients you will need are bull fillet, rice, shallots, onion, Provence herbs, laurel, chicken trussing, salt, pepper, olive oil and butter. Prepare bull fillet and farmhouse rice.
To prepare this Mediterranean eel recipe you will need eel, butter, dry white wine, vermouth, shallots, double cream, cress, capucine flower leafs, red tomatoes, potatoes, olive oil, salt, pepper and sugar. Make Mediterranean eel in a cress sauce.
Shrimp, shallots, and chives inside. Brown butter, sage, and parmesan on top. Mmmmmm. Make shrimp filled casconcelli.
Love the lobster, but also love the pasta? That's okay, because you can combine the two for dinner tonight with this delicious recipe for Festive Lobster & Mascarpone Ravioli with Truffle Butter. It sounds like a lot, but seriously, you can't say no to this dish. If you like lobster like you say you do, and you like pasta, you can't pass the opportunity to try out Roberta Dowling's dinnertime masterpiece.
Keep an eye out for when these crabs are in season, they're a delicious entree! For this recipe, you will need: 2 cups flour, 2 cups cornstarch, 2 cups semolina, a pinch of cayenne pepper, 1 1/2 tablespoons salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1/2 lemon, 1/2 cup capers, 1 tablespoon chopped parsley, 2 soft shell crabs, canola oil, unsalted butter, garlic and shallots. Cook fresh soft shell crab in a caper and brown butter sauce.
Back in college, we didn't mind eating Ramen for a week straight with a side of French fries from McDonald's. But when it came to special occasions like our one year anniversary with our boyfriend or friends' birthdays, we took the gourmet route and went all out.
There's nothing better than homemade dressing, and this blue cheese dressing recipe is sure to stay in your recipe box. Watch and learn how to make this dressing from scratch, in just minutes, with Kevin Carey of Verrill Farm. He'll show you how to make this tangy, creamy yet textured, versatile blue cheese dressing. Pungent blue cheese mixes with mayonnaise, sour cream, scallions, red wine vinegar and a pinch of seasonings. Serve with chicken wings, as a dip for crunchy vegetables or simply ...
Sliders are the new fad of the fast food business, but you don't have to have mini burgers from the grease haven, you can create your own miniature hamburgers at home, with a less toxic flavor. Sliders, simply put, are a little bit of heaven in a bun. Will Gilson from Garden at the Cellar demonstrates his technique for turning out the perfect Slider with 3 simple rules: don't over-work the mix; get the grill nice and hot; and whatever you do, don't press them with a spatula. Treat them right ...
Enjoy a grownup version of macaroni and cheese with a lobster twist! Mac and cheese is always good, but lobster adds something to it you never thought possible. A great side dish or perfect for a main meal. See how to make this delicious dish with this recipe.
This street vendor cooking how-to video demonstrates two very simple, different versions of Pad Thai, but that's not all. The possibilities are endless when it comes to Pad Thai--you can use your imagination to tweak the recipe to your own taste. Here, the first version uses boiled chantaboon rice stick noodles, and white vinegar with black soy sauce as the main sauces. The second version, Pad Thai without noodles (Pad Thai Mai Sai Sen) is quite popular. We also have our own favorite version ...
Chef Harald Wohlfahrt prepares calf head. To be honest I can not believe the ingredients but someone must enjoy it. You will need 1 calf head (the mask, tongue, brains, sweetbread and cheeks) Garnish with potatoes, beans, shallots, celeriac, garlic clove, carrots, black radish and salad. Prepare calf head.
This is definitely a great tuna dish for you fish lovers. It's not your typical tuna salad though, because it features some very delicious tuna filets. See how to make this classic Niçoise tuna delight, which is actually really easy! Chef Keith Pooler shows you that the tuna and tomatoes are steeped in oil, with hard-boiled eggs, chickpeas, Nicoise olives and a vinaigrette with basil, thyme, chives and tarragon, which come together in a colorful and delicious dish that demands attention.
The secret to making a (healthier) Big Mac replica is all in the sauce. Gotta get that special sauce just right. Local Lemon does a somewhat gourmet spin on the classic fast food burger, ultimately aiming for true authenticity.
