Cold Smoked Cherrywood Oyster Mushrooms w/ Farro and Black Garlic Risotto

 Along with the uncertainty of one moment to the next this crazy year has brought us, the same can be said  about the weather of 2020.  Just last week, here in Central Virginia, we had freezing rain, flooding, winter storms and tornado watches and warnings, all at the same time!! 2020, am I right? Granted, much of the weather's paradoxical misgivings, is due to our increasing and ever volatile climate change, but I would like to think it also has to do with the Grace of God and a certain Earth cleansing agenda.  Along with those happenings, we are doused with little sprinklings of Hope and magic in nature and omnipresence in the world, trinkets for us to find, signaling that everything will be okay, some day, soon.  Edible mushrooms are one such byproduct of time, steady moisture and luck of the draw in stumbling across the desirable ones while just living life...

The discovery of the mushrooms featured is one such jewel.  I am an avid and engaged mushroom enthusiast, learning and growing as I go. I have photo-logged at least  60 different types of fungi that flourish in our area, including the phenomenal day my cousin Bradley and I, happened upon the mother lode of fresh Morels, the 'early' variety and ultimately the only variety of the season for us, for the most part.  We gathered in excess of 120 mushrooms that afternoon.  I encouraged Bradley to assist with his trusty pocket knife, cutting just above where the mushroom's trunk exits the ground, to leave the remnants in case there were spores left behind, to be further spread by the wind and woodland creatures alike. 

 The mushroom itself grows underground and the visible portion is called the fruit or fruiting body.  Prior to this magnificent marvel of an event, I had only found 3 in the wild in several years, while Brad had never even heard of nor seen one, until that day in late March, when he happened to catch a ride with me.  

We hit the proverbial jackpot, making a memory that will last a lifetime. We had the best time, he was tickled that I was tickled, his laughter louder and longer, after every fruit body I found, my excitement and squeals of joy, like that of a school girl, ducking and dodging the pursuer in a game of tag or dodge ball.  The moment was ethereal.  I appreciated the excursion, but didn't fully realize the full brevity of that fateful day, until just a couple of weeks ago...

The Oyster mushroom or Pleurotus Ostreatus above were stumbled upon in our backyard, growing conspicuously on a piece of cut log, too knotted for our wood splitter to accommodate.  I was out and about, piddling with this and that, getting in a bit of exercise, when I spotted them.  I immediately hurried to get my camera, to log and capture the specimen in the natural light of the sunny day, hoping they were, in fact, what I perceived them to be.  I was probably about 20 feet away when I first spotted them.  I walked down to the stump, leary and questioning if this could really be happening.  I was a bit skeptical, because I had been 'pseudo certain' about another specimen, which turned out to be the 'cousin' of the desired Turkey Tail Fungus or Tramedes Versicolor Polyporales.  

After due diligence double checking my information and following ID procedures/characteristics, I triple checked with my mushroom group with a description and photo check, I felt victorious!  The best part is that there were 5 more clusters, in different stages, growing on another stump juxtaposed to the first stump!  Initially, I left it to chance, growing where it was, but with the weather dipping down into the super low digits, I thought it would be best to haul the stump inside, protecting it from various scenarios the Arctic chill, pets and people.  I read that a good cold snap is what gets Oyster Mushrooms going this time of year! Things are going swimmingly.  

This was my first experience with Oyster Mushrooms and I was elated to take on the task at hand.  I wanted to make the most of my bounty and create a recipe equivalent to my appreciation and excitement, also using ingredients I had on hand.  I used a packet of Knorr, featuring Farro.  This worked for me because I envisioned a risotto of the Farro, being par cooked helped with the time allocation for the project and was an excellent chance to try my hand at a risotto, of which I was not as experienced, certainly not with Farro standing in for Arborio or risotto rice.

I love using my cold smoker and felt the mushrooms could benefit from a kiss of Cherrywood, subtle and sweet nuances, yet smoky and fruit forward.  I smoked them for about 5 minutes, as the mushrooms were eager to soak in its surrounding aromas and flavors.

Afterwards, I simply sauteed them in a small pat of butter and some extra virgin with fresh garlic.  I wanted to keep the flavors clean and complement the Farro.  

I used some black garlic grated into the risotto and some Parmigiano Reggiano, a splash of cream, helped to marry the flavors very well.  

The dish overall proved delightful and the tasters agreed, this one is a keeper!  

This entry is dedicated in memory of my cousin and 'Morel Support' buddy, Bradley Spencer Smith, 10/20/1983-12/08/2020. We had the best time ever gathering Morels, I'll never forget that day and I'm glad I was able to share it with you.

Korean Barbecue Meatball Subs

 

I'm not going to 'beat around the bush', this recipe is bad ass!  I'm proud to share it with you, plus it's a less stress, no mess ingredient call and with the use of a pressure cooker or crockpot,  the flavors can be super infused for a bevy of bold taste, in a short period of time!  The flavors of Korean Barbecue kick you right in the mouth and finish with warm buns and tangy toppings.  I used sweet and hot banana peppers for a splash of color and some mozzarella cheese, bringing in some neutral and stretchy cheese goodness that we look for in a meatball sub. I used store bought, precooked chicken meatballs for a fast, familiar and complimentary flavor profile, mimicking the flavor of Korean Barbecue chicken! 

 Once the veggies have been chopped, the rest is smooth sailing into a delicious and unforgettable lunch, dinner or game day special feature, so easy, a toddler could do it!  No shade toddlers, I'm just saying, it's crazy easy!  This dish is not too  harsh on the middle, so what the hell, have 2, just wait until the next day for the second one, the taste is even better after the cavorting of ingredients overnight!  

Recipe:

2 lbs.  store bought or precooked chicken meatballs

1 11 oz. can diced tomatoes

1 c. ketchup

1/2 c. veggie stock, you may also use less sodium beef or chicken stock

1/4 c. Gochujang

5 cloves garlic, pressed or finely minced

1/2 c. yellow onion, chopped

1/4 c. pure cane sugar

2 tbsp. liquid aminos or soy sauce

2 tbsp. fish sauce

1 tbsp. mirin 

2 tsp. Liquid smoke, mesquite 

1 tbsp. dried cilantro, divided

12oz. grated whole milk mozzarella

1 small jar sweet/hot banana peppers

 4 green onions, trimmed, white and green parts, sliced

8 to 10 hoagie buns

Olive oil for drizzling

SPST (Salt and Pepper to Suit Taste)

 

Instructions:

Place meatballs frozen or thawed in Ninja Foodi. 

Add stock first, pouring over meatballs.

Add remaining ingredients, down to cilantro, adding 2 tsp. to the pot. The remainder will be for garnish.

Place the Foodi on pressure cook mode and set time for 30 minutes.

Once 30 minutes is up, carefully release pressure and remove

 top and stir.

Place Foodi on Sear/Saute mode at medium high and reduce until desired consistency of sauce is reached, generally about 10 minutes.

Place oven on broil setting.

Split hoagie buns and place a bit of sauce and a scant amount of cheese to each bun.

Add up to 5 meatballs to each bun.

Sprinkle generously with cheese.

Drizzle all subs with olive oil.

Sprinkle on remaining cilantro and place under broiler.

Broil until golden and bubbly, about 4 minutes.

Garnish with sliced green onion and sweet/hot banana peppers.

Makes 8 to 10 Subs. 

Serve with chips, fries or green salad.

If using a crockpot, simply place all ingredients in the vessel, then place on high setting for 4 hours.

Follow assembly instructions as stated for the Foodi.

If using a stovetop, place all ingredients minus meatballs in a medium heavy bottomed pot with lid and bring up to a boil, add meatballs and simmer for 2 hours, then place on medium high setting for the last 15 minutes to thicken the sauce.

Ramen: Mukbang Style

This post is simply dedicated to the one that got away.  Featured is a photo of my rendition of How I do 
 Ramen, a contest sponsored by Nissin, which was founded by a Japanese fellow by the name of Momofuku Ando, in 1958, who invented chicken Ramen.  He later went on to create "The original Top Ramen in 1970 for the United States. For  the 50th anniversary, Nissin launched a contest seeking a person to fill the newly created position as the "Chief Noodle Officer", by submitting a photo of 'how you Ramen', recipe and short paragraph on why you would be the one for the job.  The winner was to receive 50 years worth of Ramen, $10,000, and exclusive rights to different aspects of the Noodling process with Top Ramen for a full year, pretty cool right?! But yeah, the concept I came up with is an homage to Korean origin Mukbang, which started gaining popularity around 10 years ago, and has since become a phenomenon that has swept world for obvious and some not so obvious reasons.  I was also amidst another chef's challenge at the time, which I go into in previous articles, so I was pouring most of my time and energy into that project. I really enjoyed the Spiceology challenge and know my creations will go towards a good cause, that makes me smile.  The noodle bowl for the aforementioned contest was a fun one too. 

 The bowl consists of three types of Ramen flavors, chicken, shrimp and beef.  The seasoning packets are combined to create the broth for the recipe.  I only added enough to be visible in the photo, maybe about 1/3 of yield.  I included some sweet and sour shrimp, simply marinated and broiled to perfection  and brushed with some Thai Chili sauce, after marinating in some rice vinegar, garlic, brown sugar and liquid aminos.  I also included some crispy, crunchy and appetizing Hot Cheetos Chicken, cutlets of sliced chicken breast, double breaded with an egg wash and deep fried to a heavenly crunch, with the chicken breast retaining its moisture within the Cheetos barrier.  I also have some Everything Bagel fried Spam.  I made a quick batter using buttermilk pancake mix and a tablespoon of Everything Bagel blend, rendering a nice and crunchy shell over the Spam, imparting much needed texture to a versatile and often loved or hated protein source, I for one, enjoy a piece of pan fried Spam every now and then, there is no shame here.  I also included an egg, steeped and slowly cooked in concentrated green tea and liquid smoke!  I sliced some sweet red peppers and added fresh cilantro and Serrano Chiles, plus some crunchy, pungent and tangy Kimchi, fresh lemons and sliced green onions, all adorning the top of this dish to feed several or one Mukbanger.  I made sure to add an umami rich dipping sauce full of Sambal Oelek, with a touch of brown sugar and reduced sodium soy and a splash of fish sauce, plus the ever popular Cheese Sauce for dipping and I guess helping food slide down your gullet, chewing optional.  Please chew your food lol.  I made sure to include a nice tall mug of dark soda, diet for,  me, which is usually always included, ice cold with a straw to top it all off and of course provide much needed service when applied.  

Due to a technicality, my submission was not able to be accepted, I worked literally up to the minute to get it in on time, alas I digress.  I failed to email the tiny paragraph about why my photo and recipe would be the right  choice for representing the new CNO. And to think, I submitted the writing part the next morning on a whim, an added incentive, and just to be on the safe side.   Oh well, you win some, you lose some, but I feel like a winner, because I came up with a Fantastic presentation, concept and recipes.  This bowl is something serious, seriously good, my family and I shared this bowl after the photo shoot and all was well.  Next time, I'll make sure the fine fine print is taken care of, in the meantime, I hope this feature fills your head with creative energy and your bellies with delicious rewards.  

The XXL Hot Cheetos Burger

After much cajoling by the kiddoes, I decided to duplicate yet another food item from the Mukbang videos, the Hot Cheetos Burger.  This one, though seemingly rather easy from the video, gave way to a bit more of a challenge, as opposed to doing the chicken and even the pork cutlets, I didn't post those guys, but they were phenomenal.  In keeping with the burgers we saw on the video, they were easily 1/2 lb. each, way too much for my taste, for a single patty at least, though I do love a good double burger!  The size however, does lend to a protein with medium rare to medium outcome, of which I failed miserably and had to microwave my "Ginormagantuan" (borrowed from Stan Smith, American Dad) burger.  The microwave, though shunned by some, was a savior for this recipe, this time. 

 The burger demo calls for the par-cooked burger to be dipped in an egg wash, then doused liberally in the Hot Cheetos coating, then deep fried.  Due to the stupid crazy size of my burger, I was left with a burger, medium, with a raw center.  I used ground chuck mixed with super lean beef to achieve a more meaty and stable patty, I think I'll use the good old 75/25 blend, which is great for maintaining a super moist product, as long as you drain it properly, always pour off that extra animal fat, you don't need it, even if you add some olive oil back into the dish to retain moisture, it's still a 'better for you' fat, with no cholesterol.

Once I worked out the doneness kinks, the rest was smooth sailing.  For dramatic effect, I added Colby Jack Cheese, American cheese, which is just the right thing to do, some fries, WuJu Sauce and Blue Cheese, for a Hot Cheetos Loaded, Black and Blue Behemoth. For the record, WUJU is a beast!!  You will want it on everything!  The burger was rather tasty, but I will definitely make it with 2 patties instead of one next time and use corn starch before the first dip, to keep the red hot coating in place, its all about the crust.  The family received the burger well, and everyone was beyond stuffed.  They did however agree that the chicken and pork are more favorable candidates for our imminent next round of Hot Cheetos Mania coatings.  

 

'Ten'doori Style Chicken, Soulful Mixed Greens and Southern Style Corn Pudding w/ an Island Twist

 Multiple cuisines inspire this dish for wonderful results.  I recently finished up a most exciting recipe contest sponsored by Chef's Roll, Spiceology and the National Kidney Foundation.  The goal of the contest involved select chefs,  were chosen to develop recipes using a collection of 13 Salt Free Spice Blends, put out by an absolutely amazing spice company called Spiceology.  You can read more about the aforementioned on my post before this one!  

The following recipe is one that I developed using no added salts and limited  fats for submission, but eventually ended up replacing it with a couple other recipes.  I  planned to come back and make this a part of the #lifeordeathrecipe challenge, but failed to meet the deadline.  I was able to submit 4 other recipes that I feel good about though!  

The chicken for this recipe is inspired by the Spiceology Salt Free Blend, Tandoori Glory, a  bright and vibrant dance of warm spices, including paprika,cinnamon, cumin and others.  In fact, I created a Tandoori Chicken marinade, with the name, a play on my own, Tendoori, because I decided to use sour cream instead of yogurt, and a few other depth building ingredients, call that 'Southern Swang'.  I marinated the chicken in the spice forward sour cream and Tandoori Glory combination, for several hours, imparting a delicious and vibrantly colored protein, that I served with Southern American side dishes, loved and respected in our home.  

The greens were hand picked for me, by one of my dear friends, Vee, who always brings by seasonal goodies, grown with love! I  prepared the greens in a traditional Southern American Soul Food fashion, with smoked ham hock or smoked turkey necks, low sodium chicken stock, onion, garlic and a healthy pinch of Spiceology Guac and RolI (Gr)!  The beauty of Spiceology Salt Free Spice Blends is that you can take them in any direction.  For this instance, it is used as a flavor enhancer to a dish, that contains ingredients with potentially too much salt and balances it out with lots of herb and spice flavor boost! At the same time, going less salt and salt free is right at your fingertips for the next recipe, accommodating regular and restricted diets respectively.  Anytime is a good time to seek out a comfort zone when cooking and consciously limiting sodium intake.  It's a practice that is beneficial to us all, each and every one.  

I hadn't made a corn pudding in ages it seemed and it turned out to be a perfect accompaniment to the dish as a whole.  The corn pudding recipe is inspired by the Islands and Tropical places.  I used coconut milk instead of regular 2% milk and evaporated milk, which I use in my traditional Southern American version.  I also used a healthy teaspoon of Spiceology's Salt Free Mango Tango (Mt) to impart delicious mango and chamoy notes.  I use pure cane sugar on the regular for sweet or sweetened dishes, as well as everyday purposes, which is Island inspired by nature.  For an interesting edge, I also added Spiceology's Salt Free Chile Margarita (Ch) spice blend to counter yet compliment and balance the sweetness of the corn pudding.  My mom said that dinner was "Excellent" and that felt like 1000! She is my most discerning critic, one I adore and accept her objective opinions respectfully and with a keen ear.  

The natural bitterness of the mustard, kale and turnip greens blend, contributes to the overall Umami of the combination of spices, ingredients and cultures that are represented on this plate.  

Today, I'll be publishing the recipes for the Tendoori Chicken and the Island Inspired Corn Pudding.  

Tendoori Chicken:

4 to 6 🐔 leg quarters, about 8 oz. each, with or without skin, bone-in or boneless, your choice

8 oz. regular or reduced fat sour cream 

1 tbsp. Spiceology Tandoori Glory (T) Salt Free Blend

1 tbsp. smoked paprika

2 to 3 drops, red gel food coloring, optional

2 cloves 🧄, pressed or finely minced

2 tbsp. grated 🧅 with juice

1 tbsp. Sriracha or to taste

1 tbsp. Buckwheat 🍯 or to taste

1 tbsp. liquid aminos or to taste

Wash, trim and pat dry leg quarters, removing any slimy or fatty portions, before bending at the joints and making diagonal cuts across the top sides.   

Combine all the listed ingredients to create marinade.

Slather each leg quarter front and back with marinade, making sure it gets down in the slices  and refrigerate for 3 to 6 hours.

When ready, roast off in a 400*F oven, air fryer or grill, until juices run clear, internal temperature is 165*F and  the protein is golden and shows signs of caramelization, about 35 minutes.

Remove from oven and let stand for several minutes to redistribute juices and handle.

Serves 4 to 6. 

Tropic Southern Style Corn Pudding:

2 cans, whole kernel 🌽, drained and rinsed or 1 1/2 lbs. fresh frozen, thawed

1 can cream style 🌽

2 large eggs

1 can coconut 🥛, regular or lite

1/2 c. packed brown sugar

4 tbsp. melted unsalted butter

2 tbsp. organic Coconut flour mixed with 2 tbsp. AP flour

2 tbsp. pure cane sugar

1 tsp. Spiceology Salt Free Mango Tango (Ma) Blend

1/2 tsp. Spiceology Salt Free Chile Margarita (Ch) blend

1 tsp. Vietnamese Cinnamon

1/4  tsp. Five Spice

1 tsp. Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla extract

Zest of one 🍋, and the juice of half the 🍋 

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375*F.

Blend the liquid ingredients, then stir in spices.

Add corn and stir.

Pour into a butter greased or non stick sprayed baking vessel, about 11x9 or a large cast iron skillet.

Cover with foil and bake for first 25 to 30 minutes.

Remove foil and cook until pudding is slightly reduced and set, with no giggle in the center, about 45 minutes total, depending on oven.  

Let stand for at least 15 minutes before serving.

Serves plenty, with extras. 

The Spiceology of Life, We're on a Chef's Roll

Spiceology has 13 Salt Free Blends!

Roasted Ratatouille Sandwich w/ Cauliflower Pistou on Herbed Cloud Bread

 I am fortunate enough to have been selected to take part in a most exciting adventure with the help of Chef's Roll and Spiceology.  In support of and in conjuntion with the National Kidney Foundation, chefs and Culiniarians from all over the United States are coming together to create recipes, for those with salt sensitivities or other renal conditions that makes too much salt, a most dangerous and unwelcome endeavor, potentially putting their lives at stake, yes, causing death.  

Renal conditions do not have to mean loss of enjoyment and flavors in your meals and with the help of Spiceology, kicking up meals and taking delicious bites of life, just got easier.  Spiceology presents us with 13 magnificent Salt Free blends to layer on the taste, wake up the taste buds and put enjoyment back on the menu for almost 370 million people, worldwide.  The best part of it is you don't have to have an issue with your kidneys to care about the sodium you consume, sometimes senselessly in some other seasonings available on the market.  Spiceology has new and inventive blends, that in turn may be blended together to create just about any flavor profile from any cuisine you can think of.  Purple Haze, Everything Bagel, Chile Margarita, Steak and Bake, Mango Tango, Lemon Pink Peppercorn, Really Ranch, Guac and Roll, Greek Freak, Pizza Pie and El Taco are some of the names of these awesome blends, each one, as spectacular as the next.  No longer do you have to accept the salt with the rest of the principal ingredients of a spice and herb blend, Spiceology makes it easy.  

Bold and bright, Spiceology brings the A game and inspired the recipe for the photo above, Roasted Ratatouille with Cauliflower Pistou on Herbed Cloud Bread.  Head on over to Chef's Roll and Spiceology to check out the amazing Salt Free recipes for your viewing enjoyment and a  detailed listing of each blends' specific ingredients. Better yet, get your hands on some and work your magic!  An added incentive to this exhilarating challenge is that I too have become more aware of the added salts in these herb and spice blends on the market' and I am happy to be a new edition to the Spiceology family. 

 You can have more confidence in the foods and dishes you prepare for clients and family members, knowing there are no 'sneaky', unwanted salts hanging around or hiding in your herb and spice blends, making the meal healthier and better for  you, with just a pinch, shake or a palmful. This #lifeordeathrecipe challenge is just that.  Take charge and get BOLD with Spiceology, Chef's Roll and the National Kidney Foundation.  I am thankful for the opportunity to be a part of something much bigger than myself and helpful to those in need... of a little spice in their life!  I have several more recipes featuring Spiceology Blends to be submitted to the challenge, wish me luck!

Veg-cellent!

A good tip for making sure you get your proper veggies for family meals is to go ahead and prepare them all at one time, for the whole week.  That may sound like a lot of work, but in reality, it shaves tons of time off your meal planning for each and every day, making light work out of 1/3 of the decision process.  The only thing that will be needed is a protein and a starch, then you're good to go.  The easier the vegetables are to access, the more likely your family members are to consume them.  Simply grill a bunch of your favorite veggies as seen above or to your specific liking and let the fun begin.  The prepared items may be added to a large, plastic and rectangular bowl with a lid.  For mealtime, you can have an extensive variety to choose from with ease.  I used my newest 'toy' for these guys, a 17 inch tabletop outdoor griddle, put out by Blackstone. It's fueled by these handy 1 lb. canisters of propane, and the work surface is such that you can get a substantial amount grilled at once.  I love it!  I even made Pad Thai on the griddle for a super fresh and easy dinner one night, then we had dinner right on the patio, serving off the griddle, serving as the warmer and the dish.  Now, back to the veggies, you can vary your seasonings and flavorings by way of different oils and salts, even butters.  I used Ghee for some of the above vegetables.  For others, I used simple extra virgin olive oil.  Of course, you can prepare the vegetables separately or in combinations.  I found that doing both ways was the bee's knees! 

 I also used this magnificent oil called Cocavo, which is a blend of organic, unfiltered coconut and avocado oil, scented with Lemon, along with Turmeric.   This oil is bright, light and full of fresh flavor, complementing whatever you add to it with lots of vigor and flavor pop!  

The vegetables may also serve as add ins to your Ramen, soups, sandwiches and other dishes you make, easy peasy.  Realistically, you may want to freeze them until needed, but the fact that they are super ready to go will serve you and your family in a considerable way better than needing to wait for them to defrost or thaw, which will change the texture and more likely the level of satisfaction with your dishes.