Braised Brisket with Bourbon-Peach Glaze

 

The February issue of Bon Appétit magazine features a story about the “vibrant restaurant community” around the Carolina region authored by the Lee Brothers.  One of the chefs in the regional who’s who is Ed Lee, the chef/owner of 610 Magnolia in Louisville, KY. His fame comes via Top Chef, where he was unjustly eliminated from the competition partly based on a Texas-style barbeque brisket that he pre-sliced before service. This is obviously a no-no in the barbecue world and he paid for it by losing the challenge. Personally, I thought he would go far. He had the talent, the creativity, the humor and the looks of a Colonel Sanders meets an Asian Burt Reynolds that I thought would sweep-up America. Unfortunately it didn’t work out that way.

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Skillet-Fried Chicken

The last time I made fried chicken, I told myself it was THE last time ever. I followed Thomas Keller’s recipe, and aside from the mess and clean-up, it just wasn’t worth it. I know others will testify to its greatness, but for various reasons, could not agree.  Now THIS fried chicken recipe, courtesy of Bon Appétit, is the best fried chicken ever!  It is tasty, crunchy and juicy all the same. And because it is skillet-fried, you use far less oil. It is the only fried chicken recipe I’ll ever need.

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Saag Paneer

 

Saag Paneer is the second most popular Indian dish served in America, closely trailing Chicken Tikka Masala. That incisive nugget of information on American dining habits may sound totally fabricated, because it is, but, I think it rings true. Think about it, what do Americans like more than TV shows about singing competitions? You got it, America “hearts” cheese.

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Risotto – a few guidelines

 

A girlfriend from distant past taught me how to cook risotto and I’ll always remember how it changed my entire perspective on cooking and eating. It was the first time for me and I was extremely shy. I wasn’t really experienced in the ways of rice making or cooking in general.  I was 14 and she, a 34-year old culinary vixen, knew her way around the Italian classics.  At least that’s what I thought. Only years later did I learn that she was actually 38-years old and had taught me the wrong way to make risotto.

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Cuban Sandwich

A Cuban or a Cubano, is simple sandwich made with ham, roast pork, sliced Swiss cheese, yellow mustard and sliced pickles. Some might argue that it should also include salami, but for this recipe, it’s not that important. For an authentic Cuban sandwich, these ingredients should be packed between Cuban bread and pressed on a hot grill or griddle and served sliced on the diagonal. Before you start questioning why I am sharing this basic of basic sandwiches, it’s simply this: The roast pork recipe is well worth sharing.

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