Special Banana Bread

I was trying to think of how to make banana bread different, so I added chocolate! Then I wanted something that would really set it apart, so why not a Gran Marnier drizzle to give it a nice hint of sweet orange? It is really delicious, and the recipe is right here!

Photo:Erich Coleman

Chocolate Banana Bread with Gran Marnier

1 3/4 (414 ml) cups flour

1/4 (59 ml) cup cocoa powder

1 1/2 (7 ml)  tsp cream of tartar

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 1/4 (6 ml) tsp baking soda

2 eggs

1 (5 ml) tsp vanilla flavoring

2/3 (158 ml)cups sugar

2 ripe bananas

1/3 (79 ml) cup butter

2 cups (474 ml) walnuts

4 tbsp (59 ml) Gran Marnier (2 tbsp separated)

2 tbsp (30 ml) simple syrup

(simple syrup: 1 cup (237 ml) water, 2 cups sugar, bring to a boil to dissolve sugar, let cool, then it's done!)

Preheat over 350 degrees (177 C). Combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Pour 2 tbsp of Gran Marnier over two cups two cups of walnuts. Turn the walnuts every five minutes or so to absorb the orange flavor. Mix eggs, butter,  sugar, and bananas well. Pour wet ingredients int dry ingredients and turn slowly until well-mixed. Bake banana bread in a bread pan for about one hour, or until a toothpick in the middle comes out clean. Combine remaining simple syrup and Gran Marnier and pour on top and down the sides where the bread meets the pan. Try to cover as much as possible, as the heat from the pan will evaporate the liquids. leaving behind a faint, sweet orange flavor with every bite. Enjoy!

Kitchen Tip: Take a clean toothpick and poke it in the center of the bread about 10 minutes before you think it might be done. If it comes out clean, then it is done. Ovens vary in tempurature, and this is an easy way to not over-bake your dessert!

Fresh-baked Bread Cannot be Beat

The smell of fresh bread baking exists in just about every culture on the planet! Sure, it is easy to go to the store and bye a loaf, but that fresh-baked smell cannot be beat! If you have many people in the house, and time in the morning, you could possibly get in the habit of doing this everyday (...our daily bread...). The following recipe is a basic one, so you can add just about any herb or cheese or combination, and it will be delicious...especially if you make the dipping sauce and eat it while it is oven-fresh!

Photo:Erich Coleman

The Bread:

2 cups flour (474 ml)

1 cup water (237 ml)

1 package yeast 2 1/4 tsp (12 ml)

1 tbsp (15 ml) sugar 

1/4 -1/2 cup (59- 118 ml) cheese chunks (more as desired)

2 tbsp (30 ml)oregano

1 tbsp (5 ml) onion powder

1 tbsp parsley (various spices)

1 tbsp olive oil

Add all of the yeast to the cup of water heated to 100-110 degrees Fahrenheit (38-43 degrees Celsius)

Stir lightly until all is dissolved. Add sugar and stir it in. Wait about 5-10 minutes or until bubbles start to form. Add spices to flour and mix throughout. In a bowl or on the counter top, create a crater in the middle of the flour and slowly pour in the water and fold in the flour until all the water is used up and a dough starts to form. Take it out of the bowl on put the counter top and work it (knead it) until the dough is easy to work with and is not sticky. If the dough is sticky, add a little more flour, and if the dough is brittle and falling apart, add a little more water. You want a homogeneous ball of 

 dough, that is not sticky. Use some flour on the counter to keep it from sticking. Knead the dough for about 6-8 minutes. Cover ball of dough thoroughly with olive oil, and place in a large bowl (dough will rise) covered with a damp kitchen towel. (For this, I like to heat some water in the microwave for about a minute, and then place the bowl in this warm draft-free space. Heat is water makes the yeast rise, so make sure none of your ingredients are cold.

After about 45 minutes, the dough should be about twice its original size. Take it out and pound it down, and knead it for another 5 minutes. Now flatten out the bread dough and place your cheese chunks on top. Fold it over to cover the cheese. Some cheese may melt out of the side and bake on the side of the bread pan. This is ok, and the melted, baked cheese will be delicious! Place in a greased bread pan and cover with damp towel and allow to rise once more. In another 45 minutes, take out and place in a preheated oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. (177 Celsius) Bake for about 40 minutes, or until the top of the bread is golden brown.

The Dipping Sauce:

1/4 (59 ml)cup virgin olive oil

1/4 cup (59 ml) balsamic vinegar

2 minced garlic cloves

3 tbsp (45 ml)capers

2 tbsp (30 ml) shredded Parmesan cheese

1 tsp (5 ml) minced garlic

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp onion powder

Combine in a bowl or mix on  plate.

Kitchen Tip: If you heat garlic up on (husk still on) a dry skillet for about 5-6 minutes on medium heat, it will taste better, it will pop out of the husk when you cut off the little ends, and when you put it through a garlic strainer, it turns to the consistency of butter!

Home-made Alfredo Sauce

There is no better freedom than walking down the aisle in a grocery store and passing up all the jarred sauces, because you know how simple they are to make at home! This Alfredo sauce recipe is easy to remember, especially once you have done it a few times!

Photo:Erich Coleman

The Sauce:

1 stick of butter (1/4 cup: 59ml)

1 cup (237ml) heavy whipping cream

1 1/2 cloves fresh garlic

1 cup (237 ml)grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup shredded Gruyere cheese *optional

1/4 cup shredded parsley

The Preparation:

Heat the garlic cloves (still in the husk) on a dry skillet on medium heat for about 5-8 minutes, or until the husk starts to brown. Cut off ends, and garlic will pop right out of the husks with no fuss!

In a small pot, melt the butter over medium low heat. Once the butter is melted, slowly pour the cream in while whisking to blend well. Simmer for 5 minutes. Turn up the heat just a little bit and pour the shredded cheese in slowly while whisking as the cheese melts into a nice sauce. If you don't have Gruyere cheese, just replace it with more Parmesan.

Sprinkle in the parsley, and let it simmer for 5 minutes. Voila! You have just made fresh Alfredo sauce, and the stuff in the jar will never be on your grocery list again!

It seems a bit complex, but after you do this two or three times, you won't even have to measure anymore! Match with your favorite pasta: fettuccine, bow ties, angel hair, etc.

Don't forget the garlic bread and the white wine! Enjoy

Kitchen tip: Place chopsticks or a wooden spoon on top of your boiling pasta, so that it won't boil over! ;-)

The Dessert of Kings

Baklava is multi-thousand year old recipe that cannot be traced to its origin! It was, without a doubt, the food of kings! It has amazing taste, texture and aroma! If you have never had it, you should change that as soon as possible! This dessert was my #1 favorite for years and years, until I met creme brulée!
To make it, you should buy one package of phillo dough (most grocery stores have it in the frozen food section.), honey, butter, sugar, pistachios, or walnuts, or cashews, or a combo of nuts, and cinnamon.

VIDEO: https://www.facebook.com/erich.coleman.5/videos/10153649834819829/

Video:Erich Coleman

1package phillo dough (thawed)
3/4 cup melted butter (177 ml)
2 cups chopped pistachios (474 ml)
1/2 cup sugar (divided in half) (118 ml)
1/3 cup honey (79 ml)
1 1/2 cups water (355 ml)
2 tbsp cinnamon (30 ml)

THE BAKLAVA:
First, preheat your oven to 350 F degrees (177 C). Take a glass baking dish that is 9"x 13" (22cm x 33cm), and let the phillo dough thaw for at least an hour. Be careful as you unroll it. If it breaks easily, let it thaw until it is easy to work with. Unroll all the dough onto your counter space, and cover with waxed paper and then cover again with a damp dishcloth. It is extremely thin and will dry out quickly, if you don't do this.
Divide out 1/4 (59 ml) cup sugar, and add to chopped nuts and cinnamon in a bowl. Carefully place a few sheets of phillo on the bottom of the baking dish, using a culinary brush, brush it with the melted butter.Then sprinkle some of the nut-sugar-cinnamon mix on top. Repeat this until the butter, phillo, and nut mix is used up. Butter, sprinkle, repeat! the last layer of phillo should have twice as many layers as usual. You will have about 7-10 layers depending. If you run out of butter, just melt some more, no problem. Make sure you cover the phillo dough back each time you take some from under the waxed paper. IT DRIES OUT QUICKLY!
The top layer should be buttered as well. Now CAREFULLY cut diamond shapes through out the entire dish. (Refer to video) The buttered phillo dough will stick to your fingers, but with practice, you will get good at keeping it down. After it is all cut, place it in the preheated over for 45 minutes or until golden brown on top.

THE SYRUP:
The syrup is made from sugar honey and water, and can be done while the baklava bakes. It does not need to be done ahead of time.
Heat the water in a small pan (preferably one with a pour spout) if you don't have one, you can always transfer the prepared syrup to a measuring cup.
Without bringing to a boil, add the remaining sugar, and honey. Stir constantly, the mixture will become thickened, and smell delicious, after about 10-15 minutes.

THE FINISH:
Once the baklava is ready and browned, carefully take it from the over and immediately, but slowly pour the syrup over every area of the baklava. You will hear it bubble and sear into the dried hot dessert, and the heat from the glass dish will further evaporate the water in the syrup, which makes it thicker. Be sure to pour all along the sides and on top of the baklava (see video).
I call this the "Magic Moment", and if you are doing this at a dinner party, you can time it so that your guests can watch this part. Wait about 10-15 minutes for the dessert to cool. If you serve it a la mode, while it is still a bit warm, I guarantee success! Refrigerate any that is leftover; there won't be much!

Kitchen tip: Clean out your microwave oven easily by heating up a cup of water for two minutes in it first. This softens the cooked on food for easy clean up!

Crab Bisque: Everyday Gourmet (with alcohol substitute)

For so long I have heard many gourmet food names, and wondered what the big deal was. There was Chicken Cordon Bleu, Beef Wellington, Coq au Vin, Duck L'Orange, and many others.
Well, much to my delight, the shellfish bisque lives up to its allure and exquisite taste!
Bisque is a French word defined by Merriam-Webster as a thick cream soup made with shellfish or game; a cream soup of pureed vegetables.
Now some would say that a "real" bisque is made with some sort of shellfish, with lobster, crab and shrimp being the most popular. I have even heard of oyster bisque, but as of this post have not attempted it! Anyway that you want to look at it a bisque is cooked on the stove, taken off, pureed and then reheated to a succulent creation.
Let's break it down. There is "bi" meaning twice, and "que" coming from the beginning part of the word "cuisine", which is' of cooking'. So it is cooked twice....get it?
If you have not tried to make it, please do,and then you might be as addicted to it as I am, so watch out!
I never cook with light, low-calorie or substitute foods, but I found this light recipe on www.myrecipes.com that is just delicious! You can use the whole food version of the light ingredients, if you please! Also, you can substitute coconut milk as well!

                                    Crab Bisque Recipe

                                           Photo:Erich Coleman

This is actually a lobster bisque, but the recipe is exactly the same! You can put in any shellfish you want. (Prawns, oysters, crab, shrimp,etc.) Each one is utterly delicious, and you should try at least three to get good practice. You can to impress a date very easily, or a serve it as special treat for a small dinner party!

I love to pair all the shellfish bisques with gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches and white wine. Chardonnay works very well, but a Pinot Grigio is also a treat. For the grilled cheesy delight, I start off with sourdough bread, (or a multi grain or herb bread) and I select two fine cheeses, like Gruyere, Baby Swiss, Havarti, etc. I like to put one cheese on the left side of the sandwich and the other cheese on the right side. That way you get  three distinctive tastes as you bite across the sandwich. You get one distinct cheese, a mix of the two, and then the other cheese by itself at the end! Try it! Above you can also see that a few tart apple slices also go with this meal. I like them for the change in texture, cleansing of the palette and it goes pairs with the wine as well!
Try them and see!
Happy cooking!

(IF YOU DO NOT WISH TO USE ALCOHOL IN THIS RECIPE, USE UNFLITERED APPLE CIDER. IT WILL PROVIDE THE FRUITINESS NECESSARY) :-)

Chicken with a Twist

Everyday we eat the same foods over and over again. Food becomes a comfort, whether it in a bowl of cereal in the morning or a chicken pot pie at night watching a good movie. The foods we love are naturally eaten more often. What foods are out there that we haven't tried yet? What delectable taste is around the corner, close but hidden in another culture. A food that your specific palate would love is not going to come looking for you. You must look for it! Seek out new tastes from other cultures! I cannot express in words how my tongue felt when I first tasted mango, or maracujá, or pinha (peen-ya) from Brazil! Simply amazing indescribable tastes! I hope that I inspire you to create a dish that you have never tried.

I was just talking to Anastasia,  a friend of mine who also cooks, about variations to ingredients that recipes call for. Like substituting half the butter in brownies for black beans. You get less fat, more protein, and the taste will keep them coming back for more.
 I forgot to buy chicken broth, and my friend Anastasia suggested that I use beer instead. It's good to have good friends with good ideas around!  The alcohol boils off, and you are left with a delicious flavor, especially when adding foods that absorb flavor well, like mushrooms or onions. I tried this (when visiting her) and it turned out great. No, beer, chicken, basil, provolone, and prosciutto are very simple foods. Put them together and it is amazing how the flavors and textures reward your tongue in ways unforeseen!

The stuffed chicken recipe below is a great example of substituting for either taste, calories, or you are in the middle of cooking and don't feel like dropping everything just to run to the store again.

PHOTOGRAPH BY Romulo Yanes (Photo reprinted with permission)

http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/prosciutto-stuffed-chicken-with-mushroom-sauce

I substituted lager beer for the chicken stock! It came out just fine. Once the alcohol evaporates, you are left with a hoppy broth, that does well on the stove! (IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO USE THE ALCOHOL OPTION, THE CHICKEN STOCK IS PERFECTLY FINE!) I added some wild rice and steamed some broccoli, and it was a very nice combo!

photo:Erich Coleman

Wings Wings Wings!

Hello! I am back!
Food is my passion, and food is my life! It is normal for my friends to ask my if I have cooked anything interested lately. Usually I have some descriptive, delicious food idea to throw back at them, but sometimes,  I just  don't feel like cooking (doesn't last very long), and I find myself inspired to go back into my small kitchen to create.

I love chicken wings! The endless  sauces you can slather on them, the texture, the heat, the satisfaction, all make it worth biting into...you know what I mean! There are many ways to prep and cook chicken wings; you can boil, grill, fry, deep fry, and bake them. My favorite thing about biting into wings is feeling the meat just melt off the bone into your mouth! Slow cooking does this, and I will share with you a way I came up with and even was hired by one of my co-workers to cook my wings at her house party! My first money as a personal chef...wow! ok..ok I digress....

I like to buy wings that have to be cut and prepared. I do not mind the few minutes of prep time. I like to get all my wings ready in a big bowl, get my favorite BBQ sauce ready in a bowl. (KC style is my fav, but there are a few honey-based ones from S.Carolina that are worth glazing on your wings too!

 Start off by preheating the oven to @185-200 degrees depending on your stove) then boil the wings for about 15 minutes. This renders some of the fat off of them and breaks down the ligaments a bit. When your oven is up to temp, take the tongs and one by one dip each wings into the bowl of BBQ sauce on place on a non-stick cookie sheet. Repeat this until the cookie sheet is full of wings. Each should be about an inch apart and not be touching.

      (Notice the the darker color sauce, that's not shadows, but concentrated sauce that cooked the longest...deelish!)

Cook these wings for about two hours and take the cookie sheet out and re-dip each wing. Place back in oven for another two hours. Repeat this a third time and wait about another two hours.
Each wing will have a pool of sauce under it, and each stage of adding sauce will leave more BBQ sauce in three different concentrations.  You will be able to see and taste clumps of concentrated flavor. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the BBQ excess sauce off the cookie sheet. Since you used a low temperature, the sauce will not stick or burn, and should slide very nicely off the cookie sheet into your big bowl of delicious wings. This adds so much flavor! Don't forget your celery and carrots! I like bleu cheese over ranch, but don't be afraid to try a creamy Caesar or asiago peppercorn (pictured above in white ramekin), or something exotic like that. Garnish with a vertically sliced strawberry, if trying to impress a date or loved one....
Enjoy!