Taste With The Eyes

Chorizo Sausage and Onion with Cheddar Cheese Omelette

This Mexican Style Chorizo is fresh pork sausage made with dried chiles, garlic, paprika, dried Mexican oregano, ground cumin, salt and vinegar. Mexican Chorizo differs from Spanish and Portuguese Chorizo, as it is fresh, not smoked or cured, and the ingredients vary slightly.

Sauté chopped white onion in olive oil, then add the fresh chorizo, cook through.

Melt butter in a non-stick pan. Beat 3 eggs with salt and pepper. Cook the eggs, gently lifting them with a spatula, so the uncooked egg flows under the cooked egg. This method makes a wonderful fluffy omelette with a tender and creamy center (it looks like a flower).

Generously sprinkle the egg with shredded sharp cheddar cheese. Then top with the hot chorizo mixture. Fold in half onto a plate, garnish with sour cream.

We make a “Man’s Pizza,” too. It has double meat.

Season with salt and pepper, then dust the shanks with flour. Brown in olive oil. Then add 6 slices of roughly chopped bacon, cooking for few minutes more. Deglaze the pan with 1/2 bottle of Zinfandel, then add red onions, chopped garlic, sprigs of rosemary and thyme, 1/4 cup of honey, 1 t. of allspice, and enough chicken stock to submerge half of the shanks. Bring to a boil then cover and cook in 325 degree oven for 2+ hours until the meat is falling off the bone.

I’ve always liked that phrase: “meat falling off the bone.”

Remove the lamb from the pan, keep warm.

To make the smokey Zinfandel sauce, separate the cooking juices from the fat (using a fat separator), and then add the juices back to the pan. Bring to boil whisking in a little flour. Adjust seasoning. Drizzle over the lamb shank and orzo.

In the meantime, make the orzo pilaf. A couple minutes before the orzo is done cooking add chopped kalamata olives, chopped sun-dried tomatoes, currants, and pinenuts. When cooked, remove from heat and add the final ingredients – grated lemon zest, finely chopped mint, crumbled feta cheese and a splash of olive oil.

We began this special meal with delicious Shrimp Marinated in Olive Oil, Lemon Juice and Feta over Mixed Lettuces prepared by Father Adam.

Cheers! Wishing everyone joyous holiday meals with family and friends.

My beautiful and very photogenic new china is Mikasa “Silver Jewels.”
Thank you 🙂

This sweet and savory brisket recipe was a big hit at the holiday dinner party.

Into the French Oven go sliced carrots, parsnips, onions, garlic, whole prunes, fresh rosemary & thyme, 2 bay leaves and a little olive oil. Add about a half cup of brown sugar and equal amounts of chicken stock and sparkling apple cider.

Brown the brisket under the broiler to get some caramelization then the meat goes into the Le Creuset French Oven, cover to cook for many hours at 200-225 degrees. This photo is about half-way done, had to take a peek (and a photo).

“Le Creuset has been the mainstay of French chefs as long as anyone can remember. Since 1925, the skilled craftsmen at Le Creuset have perfected enameled cast iron cookware. Each shape is one of a kind, made from molten steel and cast in a unique mold, and then expertly enameled. No other procedure yields cookware that so evenly distributes heat, browns and caramelizes food to perfection, and creates a masterpiece at the table.”

After several hours, 6 plus, remove the meat from the pot, cool, then store separately in the refrigerator overnight. Remember to remove the bay and the sticks from the rosemary and thyme.

Cook’s tip: Taste the meat, if it is not butter tender, keep on cooking slowly…

Day 2: Skim the congealed fat from the sauce then heat and reduce by half. Meanwhile slice the cold brisket against the grain.
Use an immersion blender to puree some of the sauce, leaving some vegetables whole. Adjust seasoning.
Place the sliced brisket in a roasting pan or Pyrex dish, add the sauce, cover and reheat. Serve with horseradish cream.

Happy Hanukkah!
No knife required… dahlicious, and so tenda!

This is Nuovo Pasta crab and lobster ravioli. Crabmeat & steamed lobster are coarsely ground and tossed with drawn butter and herbs. This mixture is folded into a crab mousse then piped into a striped square ravioli with red and yellow pasta.

Serve with a lovely green salad and crusty Italian bread…MANGIA BENE!

For the sauce: Saute minced shallots in butter, then add white wine and reduce. Add chopped tarragon and lemon juice. To finish, whisk in creme fraiche and season to taste with sea salt and fresh ground pepper.