La Grande Soirée

Once in a while,  there comes a great meal that makes you think "Wow, did I do that?" I'm talking a culinary masterpiece that is so epic, it leaves you with a food hangover... Oh yes. This has been known to happen.

Well hello there ETF Nation. It's your trusty Food Guru and I am back with another Guru/Maestro collabo. Oh yeah.... This is happening. So get ready to tickle your senses and be blown away. Get your food game up!

First up..... appetizers.

Bruschetta: Food Guru style.

©RajRao

You'll need:

• French baguette
• Mozzarella
• Garlic
• Tomatoes
• Basil
• Balsamic vinegar
• Salt
• Pepper
• Parmesano regiano

Method:

Combine the diced tomatoes, basil, salt, pepper in a bowl and set aside.

©RajRao

Slice the baguette into quarter inch slices. Toast them in the oven for few minutes to give them a light golden color and slightly crispy texture. Once they come out of the oven rub a clove of garlic directly onto them. Now it's layering time.

Place a teaspoon of tomatoes on the baguette. Next, layer it with the mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle some balsamic vinegar and finally thinly shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano. What? Oh you're probably wondering how to shave Parmesan cheese since it comes in that famous green container. Well ETF nation, let me school you in a little gourmet. Buy cheese in bulk. I don't mean go get a government issue wheel of it, but get a small hunk of it. You will never look at that green container again. Freshly grated cheese is king.

©RajRao

In each bite you will get the crunchiness of the baguette, the sweetness in the tomatoes and the tartness of the balsamic vinegar. The mozzarella cheese will bring everything together with it's neutral taste.




Mussels a la Guru
You'll need:

• 2 lbs fresh mussels. None of the frozen kind pls.
• 1 fresh red chili
• 5 cloves garlic
• 1 shallot
• 1 bottle Chardonnay
• Italian flat leaf parsley
• Pepper

Method:

Wine-soaked mussels. ©RajRao

First, clean the mussels. You have to let the mussels sit in some water to clean the sand. Use a knife to cut the beard off the edges.

In a skillet add some Olive Oil. When the oil is hot add the shallots and once the shallots turn translucent add the mussels. Pour 2 cups of Chardonnay to the mix. Add half of the chopped garlic and cover the skillet for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes remove the lid and by now the mussels should have opened up. Add the chopped parsley, chopped red chili's and the remainder of the garlic.

Now it's ready to be enjoyed with some hard bread.

The combination of the wine and mussels is brilliant. The saltiness of the wine pairs well with the sweetness of the mussels. The chili's add a hint of spiciness at the end of each bite.  Overall it's a homerun.

Clean the meat. ©RajRao

Main course

Roast tenderloin
You'll need:

• Tenderloin
• Cumin powder
• Paprika
• Salt
• Pepper

Method:

First and very importantly... Clean the tenderloin. Make sure you remove the silver back lining. If not you will be chewing for days later like the cow you want to enjoy.

Once the tenderloin is cleaned, rub it with the combination of cumin, paprika, salt and pepper, to taste.

A little black or white truffle butter elevates this dish.
 ©RajRao

Let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes. Then heat a cast iron skillet on high heat. Add some oil and put the tenderloin on the pan. Let is sear on each side for at least two minutes before turning. After searing all four sides place the skillet in a 375 degree oven for 15 minutes for a good medium rare steak.
After taking the steak out of the oven, let it sit for at least 20 minutes before you cut it. This will ensure that all the juices will set in the steak. You definitely want this.

After 20 minutes it's time to enjoy the fruits of your labor.  The combination of paprika and  cumin will add some smokiness to the steak. Every bite will be tender and juicy. I'm saying this tastes so good, it'll make you want to dance in place and hum while you're eating it. You know that "I-got-food" happy? Yeah, you know.

©RajRao

Hey Guru, let the Maestro kick it one time....

He may be the Guru of all things culinary but I happen to be the Maestro of Sauces. I run this and I have for you a couple of my sauce signatures that will blow you away. Let's start with the compliment to Guru's delectable tenderloin...

Cognac Au Jus 

©Raj Rao

©Raj Rao

The Jus gives the beef tenderloin an added depth of flavor without masking the natural flavors in the beef.  The shallot and garlic aid in developing the complexity of the beef stock.  The cognac offers a slightly nutty flavor and caramel note to the Au Jus.

Ingredients                                                               

½ tbsp shallot

½ tsp garlic

½ quart beef stock

1 oz cognac

salt & pepper to taste

Potato Hash

©Raj Rao

This hash is not involved, but if done right the flavor will be savory and sweet with a crispy texture to boot.  The sweet potato adds a depth of sweetness to the straightforward russet potato.  The white onion provides an extra layer of sweet while the paprika balances the dish with a smoky aftertaste.

©Raj Rao

Ingredients

1 c. diced Sweet Potato

1 c. diced Russet Potato

½ c. minced white onion

1 tbsp. Paprika

salt & pepper to taste

  

 Method: 

 Dice up the potatoes and the white onions and mix together with the rest of the ingredients. Transfer contents to a preheated skillet on medium-high heat and sauté until it begins to brown. Reduce heat to medium and let the potatoes cook through but be careful not to overcook them. Stay close by. Once you potatoes are cooked and browned, remove from heat an prepare to serve as a bed for your beef tenderloin. 

Almond Panko Crusted Chicken Breast 

©Raj Rao

I enjoy using Panko bread crumbs rather than flour because Panko provides a crispier texture than flour.  The almonds heighten the flavor of the crust while adding a nuttiness to the crispy chicken.  As a food maestro I have to add red chili pepper so that the crust has the right amount of heat and spice.  

©Raj Rao

 Ingredients

2 c. Panko Bread Crumb

1 c. ground almonds

1 tbsp. minced red chili pepper

¼ c. Italian Flat Leaf Parsley

3 whole eggs

¼ c. heavy cream

salt & pepper to taste

(Optional)--

Mango Chutney

2 mangos

1 tbsp. red chili pepper

1 lime

salt & pepper to taste

©Raj Rao

Mango Dill Cream Sauce 

The dill and mango give the cream a vibrant acidity and a fruity note.  While the cream balances out the mango and dill and provides a rich flavor and notable texture.

Ingredients

½ tsp shallot

15.2 oz. or 1 retail bottle of Odwalla Mango Tango

 ½ pint of heavy cream

 corn starch slurry

1 tbsp. chopped dill

 salt & pepper to taste

So, think you have to be an internationally known Food Guru or Maestro to throw a kick ass dinner party? Nope. Just have to know how to work the ingredients and introduce your guests to flavours and tastes they have not experienced before. So, assignment for you till next time.... throw a small dinner party with some close friends, try out some of these recipes or message me for ideas and get your food game up! Please post comments on how your creations worked out, I would lovesome feedback.

This has been another Guru/Maestro culinary collabo.

Watch out for my upcoming blogs on a gastropub in Dallas, a French cafe to die for and of course some more of my own creations. And remember... MAVS FOREVER!!!

Food Guru out.

Pleased to Meat you

So. Pop quiz: Did you guys try making the hunter's chicken yet? Those that did, you get an A. Those slackers who think I'm doing this for my health, you fail. That's what I call tough love. I'm doing this for you, the masses who needed a guru to guide them on their culinary adventures to an epicurean nirvana. Yeah, I know I'm blowing smoke, but you love it.

©Raj Rao

Anyway, this time I am back with a collaboration dish with my best buddy Jimmy, a.k.a Culinary Maestro. So we are chilling, watching the Cooking Channel (check your local listings) and in a moment of impulse and inspiration we pretty much talked ourselves into rushing to Central Market (a culinary Mecca) to get the ingredients to recreate and put our own personal stamp on steak and veggies. Oh yeah, we're doing it big this time. It was either that or PBJ sandwiches for dinner and these playas don't play.

Now before I enlighten you as to the how, you gotta let me jump ahead to the end a little. This dish is simple gourmet done right and any man would be proud to take credit for this. I'm talking ribeye steak rubbed to seasoned perfection and cooked till it is melt-in-your-mouth-backhand-your-mamma good. Oh yes, that good. It's quick, it's simple and it's gourmet. What more can I do for you? Seriously. 

Ok now the how.

Ingredients:

Boneless rib eye steak (1-1 ½ inch thickness) – 4 pieces

Asparagus – 1 lb

Heirloom carrots – ½ lb

Herb Butter – 1 stick

Lemon – 1

Shallots –

Eggs – 4

Garlic – 6 cloves

Tabasco Sauce – 1 table spoon

Salt and pepper to taste

Oil

Maestro's Dry Rub for the steak:

Cumin – 2 table spoon

Paprika – 1 table spoon

Celery Salt – 1 table spoon

Cracked black pepper – 2 table spoons

Salt – 1 table spoon

Chili powder – 1 table spoon

Red chili flakes – ½ table spoon

Steak:

Combine the entire dry rub in a bowl and coat the steaks liberally with it. Be generous in the coating and you will be rewarded in the end. Let the steaks sit for a few minutes before searing. A-ha, catch phrase number one – SEARING. This means cooking on extreme heat. This is to ensure that an outer crust is formed which seals the flavor inside the steak.

Add oil in a cast iron skillet and put it on high heat. If you don’t have a cast iron skillet, go get one. If you can’t afford it, borrow from someone. If you can’t find someone who has it look for a local garage sale and get one. No exceptions.

Once the oil is extremely hot, put the steaks in the skillet. Do not crowd the skillet. Leave the steaks to cook on each side for at least 2 minutes. Do not move, poke, jiggle or touch the steak. Just look at your stop watch. Once the two minutes is up flip the steaks and cook for another 2 minutes. While this is happening make sure your oven is set at 400 degrees.

After the final 2 minutes place the entire skillet with the steaks in the oven and let it cook for approximately 5 to 7 minutes until medium rare. If you don’t like it medium rare then cook it for an extra 5 minutes and you will get your desired leather.

After 5 minutes take the skillet out and let the steaks sit on a covered platter. Let them rest for AT LEAST 15 minutes. Do not cut into it because all your hard work and valuable flavors will pretty much be lost.

Right before serving, place about one table spoon of the herb butter on each steak to elevate the taste to greatness. 

Heirloom Carrots: 

Introducing... the world famous Culinary Maestro in the building!

Also known as White Satin carrots. There are a few schools of thought on what is considered an Heirloom plant.  Many gardeners consider 1951 to be the latest year a plant could have originated and still be an heirloom.  Heirloom plants will have a decisive look to them because they have adapted to the climate and soil they are grown in. 

Cut the Heirloom carrots in half lengthwise, which will decrease cooking time and allow the carrots to soak up the seasoning. Place the carrots on a sheet pan. You will need to space out the carrots so that they can crisp up during the baking process.  Sprinkle black pepper, Fleur De Sel, (French Salt, aka the best of the best), the juice of 1/2 a Meyer lemon, ½ a diced shallot, 3 cloves of chopped garlic and a generous amount of olive oil to coat the carrots. The olive oil will enable the carrot to crisp up quicker.

**Side note: white carrots are great for soaking up the lemon juice and olive oil, and in our opinion are more desirable than their orange counterparts.  The carrots will take approximately 10 minutes to cook and then they are ready to be served.

Asparagus:

©Raj Rao

Boil some water in a pot and add salt. When the water is boiling, drop the asparagus in it and let them hang out there for about 2 minutes. Then remove the asparagus and immediately drop them in an ice bath. This is not something you bathe in after watching Kim Kardashian jog on a beach, an ice bath is a bowl that has ice and water and is used to stop the cooking of anything you drop in it. You are pretty much shocking the food. This technique is called blanching, catch phrase number two. 

Dice half a shallot and 3 cloves of garlic. Add some olive oil in a skillet. Sauté the garlic and shallots in it. After a few minutes add the blanched asparagus and cook them for about 2 minutes. Add some salt and pepper to taste and remove the asparagus.

Hollandaise Sauce:

Separate 4 egg yolks and put them in a mixing bowl. Place the mixing bowl over a double boiler, catch phrase number 3. A double boiler or bain marie is a method to cook sauces without boiling or burning them. You are pretty much cooking the sauce in steam. The way to set it up is to bring a pot of water to boil. Then place a mixing bowl on it and make sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the boiling water. Whisk the egg on the double boiler until it has doubled in volume and changed to a lighter pale colour. This is where all the hours you spent pumping iron in the gym will come into play. Once the colour has changed, you add the juice of half a lemon and keep whisking like your life depends on it. Add salt and Tabasco© sauce and butter and whisk for another few minutes. The sauce will look creamy and glossy.

Serve the hollandaise sauce alongside the sautéed asparagus.

The best part:

©Raj Rao

Being patient and letting the steaks sit for at least 15 minutes before eating pays off.  All the juices and flavor spread all over the steak which results in a perfectly cooked steak.  The dry rub gives the steak an extra depth of flavor and a moist, tender texture on the inside while the outside had a deep flavorful crust.   Mmmnn... just like buttuh baby.

Serve this steak with a good glass of Pinot Noir.

The asparagus are fresh, crisp and mild tasting which complements the bold taste of the steak very well and adding the hollandaise sauce over them gives it that extra punch of taste that was needed.

The carrots... I mean.. it's a beautiful thing ETF Nation. They have a rich brown color to them and the sides of the carrots come out crisp while the center stays tender and soaks up all the flavors from the lemon, oil, salt and pepper like a sponge. The natural sweetness of the carrots combines well with the tartness from the lemon.

©Raj Rao

So get off that couch, chair or tree you are living on and make this dish and call me a liar when I say you will backhand your mamma AND your aunt, its so good. Share your thoughts with us. It’s very simple to make and you can do it in no time. 

Thank you for tuning in to the world's greatest..... this has been a Guru-Maestro collabo production. And once you make this pimp dish... why don't you go and brush your shoulders off...

Doing it Hunter-Style

After a brief hiatus from Food Guru-ing..... I am back and better than ever. Thank you for all the support Food Guru Nation, it was much appreciated.

So let's get into this.

©Raj Rao

Why did the chicken cross the road? Because it was running away from the hunter. Barump-pum. Anyone? Anyone? No? Ok, bad joke. What you want from me, it's a "Why did the chicken cross the road" joke. The comedic bar was already set low.

From a culinary standpoint though, I am talking about a dish called Chicken Cacciatore or Hunter’s chicken, hence the bad joke.

The dish itself originated between 1450 and 1600 in central Italy. The actual name for the dish is Pollo Alla Cacciatore which is Italian for hunter-style chicken. Hunter-style means a meal that is usually prepared with tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, herbs, bell peppers, and sometimes wine. The dish has many variations from the choice of meat, the choice of wine and the mushrooms used. Traditionally rabbit or pheasant are the primary choice of meat. Remember when you freaked out about goat meat? Yeah, humans have been eating anything they can catch for a while now so get with it. The hunters will usually use the day’s catch for the dish. I am convinced that's why Elmer Fudd was obsessed with stalking Bugs. He wanted some Bunny Caccia-Wabbit for dinner. Eh? Eh? See what I did there? Cacciatore.....Caccia-Wabbit.... Still nothing? Whatever, I don't have to impress you.

I am here to talk food anyway, so here is my recipe for the delectable Chicken Cacciatore

Ingredients:

Whole chicken cut into 8 pieces. Skin on.

Shallot – 1 medium size

Garlic – 6 medium sized cloves (Yes, I love garlic and you should too)

Red pepper flakes – 1 tablespoon

Crushed tomatoes – 3 cups

Tomato paste – ½ cup
Chicken stock – ½ cup

Dry white wine – ½ cup (theory on wine for cooking, only cook with wine that you will drink. And drink while you cook, always makes for a happy dinner.)

Green Bell Pepper – 1

Red Bell Pepper – 1

Orange Bell pepper- 1

Baby bella mushrooms – 2 cups (halved)

All purpose flour – 2 tablespoons

Cayenne pepper – 1 teaspoon

Salt – To taste

Pepper – 1 tablespoon

Olive oil – 2 tablespoons

Bay leaf – 2

Method:



©Raj Rao



Mix the all-purpose flour, cayenne, salt and pepper on a plate. Coat the chicken with the flour mixture and shake off excess flour. Coat a non-stick cooking pot with the olive oil. When the oil is hot, place the chicken in the pot with the skin side down and start browning on all sides. Once all the chicken pieces are browned take them out of the pot and place them on a plate. Don’t freak out if you see the bottom of the pot looking brown or coated with brown chicken bits. That is the good stuff. Place the bay leaf in the pot along with the onion and start sauteing them. After about 2 minutes add the garlic and red pepper flakes. You knew I'd add a little heat to this.



©Raj Rao



Now add the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, chicken stock and white wine. Stir for a few seconds and turn up the heat to high. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium and add the bell peppers and mushrooms. Now add the chicken to the pot. Stir a few times to make sure everything is coated with the sauce. Put the lid on and let it cook on medium for about 25 minutes. Make sure the heat is on medium or else you will have a disaster of a dish.

After 25 minutes, the sauce would have thickened up a bit. Taste the sauce to make sure it has the right amount of salt. If needed, add more to the dish, adding salt is no culinary sin kids. Once you are happy with the taste, remove it from the stove and let it sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes.

Serving suggestions:

This dish can be served with your choice of pasta, bread or rice. Yes I did say rice and there is nothing wrong with that. Who's the guru here?

Taste:

This is it. Time to enjoy the fruits of your labor.

©Raj Rao

Visually this is a stunning dish because you get the vibrant and bright colors from the multi-colored bell peppers and mushrooms. I mean it's truly a work of art in the Italian tradition. The chicken is very tender due to the slow cooking. It absorbed all the tomato and wine sauce. The crushed red pepper gives just the right amount of heat to flirt with your pallet. The sweetness from the tomatoes is balanced by the tartness of the wine. The bell peppers are al dente and give a good crunch to the dish. Mushrooms add another layer of flavor and texture to the dish.

The entire dish was a success. Feel free to add more things to the dish. I have tried adding asparagus and it worked just fine. You can also use red wine instead of white wine if you prefer a bold sauce.

Hopefully I have managed to stir up the inner hunter in you to go catch a chicken and make this dish. Right. I realize that in your case you will just visit your local grocery store and buy one but make it an adventure in the poulty aisle and evoke the hunter inside of you.

Grazie e arrivederci

Food Guru out….

©Raj Rao

What the French Toast?!!!

No no...I wasn't trying to curse. I am talking food.

Behold.........  the almighty French Toast.

What? You don't think a dish that has been around since the early 5th century deserves a blog?

©Raj Rao

French toast can be traced back as far as early Roman cuisine. In the Roman cookbook called Apicius, which consists of early Roman recipes, they describe a dish where you break fine white bread, soak it in a mixture of milk and eggs, fry in oil and serve with honey. From there this dish was modified and assimilated in multiple cultures and took various different names from pain perdu, pain a la romaine, German toast, Spanish toast, nun toast (wth?) and finally in 1871 the term French toast started to make its appearance.

Eat That Food nation, your food guru is about to inspire you and share his favourite French toast recipe for you to try. I am positive you will LOVE it.

Here are the ingredients that you will need.

• Brioche Bread (Didn't make it up, it exists! (Check your local bakery) - 1 loaf
• Eggs - 2
• Half & Half - 1/4 cup
• Cinnamon Sugar - 2 Teaspoons
• Sugar - 2 Tablespoons
• Vanilla Extract (look for the one that does NOT have corn syrup) - 2 teaspoons
• Serrano Ham (again, didn't make it up. If you can't get it, try Prosciutto ham) - 4 slices
• Half stick of unsalted butter
• Pinch of salt
• Maple Syrup (the real deal) - 1 cup
• Orange zest - 1 teaspoon

French Toast:

©Raj Rao

Slice the Brioche to about 3/4 to an inch thickness. For this recipe I used 4 slices of bread. Beat the eggs in a bowl and add the half & half to it. Then add cinnamon sugar, sugar, salt and vanilla extract. Whisk the mixture until all the ingredients have combined and it has a nice creamy texture which is called a custard. Pour it in a square bowl so you can dip the bread in it.

     Heat your favourite non stick skillet on medium and coat it with butter. Dip the bread in the custard mixture and let it soak on each side for 15 seconds. Trust me, your patience will be rewarded. Then move the bread to the skillet and, depending on your stove, the cook time for each side might vary. So don't leave the stove to catch the game or cartoons. I cooked each side of the bread for about 2 minutes. After cooking both sides move it to a plate and cover for serving later or you can be like me and eat it immediately.

Serrano Ham:Turn on your oven to the broil setting. Cover a sheet pan with aluminum foil (to minimize on clean up) and lay the Serrano ham slices about an inch apart. When the oven has reached its broiling temperature place the sheet pan on the middle shelf. DO NOT walk away. All it takes is 2 minutes and your ham will be perfect.  Serrano ham is very thinly sliced, hence the extremely short cooking time.
Remove the ham slices and place it on a serving plate.


Maple Syrup:
Heat your sauce pan on medium high and pour the maple syrup in it. Add the orange zest. Let it sit for a minute and start stirring. When you see small bubbles, turn off the heat and move the syrup to a bowl.

The best part:
Now its time to enjoy the fruits of your hard 20 minutes of labor. I would drizzle and not pour the syrup over the toast. You want to eat toast with syrup and not the other way around. At first bite you can tell the difference that the Brioche brings to the dish compared to regular sliced bread. The bread soaks up the custard very well and at the same time still holds its shape. Cinnamon and vanilla also compliment each other perfectly and the zest in the syrup adds freshness to the dish.

I would take a bite of the toast and alternate with the soft and almost crunchy piece of ham. I personally love this sweet and salty combination as no single element is overpowering my taste buds. But that's just me.

©Raj Rao

I hope I have inspired you to try this recipe. It's very simple to make and does not take any time at all. You could make it while watching an episode of Family Guy. The best thing about French toast is that, it's a canvas for billions of possibilities. You can tweak it in many different ways and enjoy it. You could make stuffed French toast, add a fruit spread on the toast instead of syrup, use Challah bread instead of brioche and many more. The limit is only your imagination.

So with that I shall bid you adieu.

Food guru out...

Peri-Peri Goodness

Washington D.C...

Modern day secret city that has a plethora of buildings reminiscent of Acropolis, with big pillars and intricate statues. The city was designed by a French-American mason who was not paid for his work and still haunts the capitol looking for his money. Ok, enough of my conspiracy theories, this could go on for days. That was your mini-history lesson. Now, let's talk food.

1/2  chicken with Portuguese rice and macho peas  ©Raj Rao

In Chinatown, right by 7th and H street is a festive little place called Nando's. Funny name but when it comes to grilled chicken, they are very serious. This chicken joint originated in South Africa in 1987 and currently has restaurants in over 33 countries. The secret to their success is their one-of-a-kind famous peri-peri chicken. Piri-piri (alternately pronounced peri-peri) is the Portuguese term used all around Africa to denote African birds eye chili. This is a very spicy chili that has a Scoville rating of 75000 units. Scoville rating is......well let's just say African birds eye chili is 40 times spicier than the jalapeno pepper. So you get the idea. 

Anyway, the chicken is marinated with peri-peri sauce for 24 hours (to make sure that flavour goes down to the bone itself) and then grilled to order. Before serving it,  they baste the chicken to keep it moist and control the spiciness. The flame-grilling gives the chicken a good char on the skin. At first bite,  I get a quick tangy flavour and the delicate spiciness hits my palate, seducing the senses. A taste so subtle, yet it feels bold and all i can say is it is the best grilled chicken I have ever had in my life. It makes  KGC (Kentucky Grilled Chicken) look like airplane food.

1/2 chicken and chips ©Raj Rao

The menu is pretty simple. You choose the portion, as in quarter, half or whole chicken (yes. A whole chicken. No Jenny Craig here lol). You pick the type of sauce which ranges from plain to extra hot with wild herb and lemon as alternatives for the spice-challenged. And finally you can pick your side. Their choices for sides are chips (fries), corn on the cob, garlic bread (excuse me while I wipe the drool off my chin), Portuguese rice, macho peas and red skin mashed potatoes. Purists will usually stick to chips but I always go for the rice. The vibrant colours and rich flavours in the sides makes them a bonus and not an after thought.

Aside from having peri-peri chicken platters, you can also get the same juicy chicken in a sandwich or pita bread. They also serve wings smothered with the same fantastic peri-peri sauce. Last but not least you can also purchase the peri-peri sauce in little bottles for you to use is as a condiment or a marinade at home. I tried my extra-hot peri peri sauce on a burrito, scrambled eggs, and even tortilla chips and it made these simple dishes seem like gourmet, exotic wonders.

  

So next time you are in D.C and doing some sightseeing or dashing off to meetings, secret or otherwise,  all that walking from the Capitol to the Lincoln memorial will get you hungry.  So hop on the metro, get off at the Chinatown station and walk 2 minutes to this grilled chicken heaven. I am pretty sure this is where delicious goes when it dies. You will not regret it. 

Have I ever failed you in the past when it comes to food?

Go Peri-Peri...

Food guru out.

Goat.....the other red meat.

Ok....calm down. Breathe. It's gonna be alright. Are you calm? Goat meat is nothing to be feared. Yes I did say goat. Please don't be alarmed. It tastes much better than lamb and is a lot healthier. Goat meat is low in fat and cholesterol compared to beef and lamb. Now that you have officially been introduced, let's get into it.

So. Stew.

©Raj Rao

A simple word that has almost a thousand possibilities. Almost every culture in the world has some sort of a stew. Be it vegetarian or otherwise.


So a few weeks ago, I decided to make lamb stew. A nice, easy all-in-one meal with some tender, juicy lamb.  After driving around to few grocery stores I could not find any decent lamb. I decided to call an audible and switch over to goat instead. This is pretty easy to do. Despite the minimal popularity of goat meat on this side of the hemisphere, it is relatively easy to find. Your local Indian or Middle Eastern markets are bound to have some goat meat.

So I picked up some goat, a package of baby bella mushrooms, some beef stock, red potatoes, carrots, fresh thyme (don't skimp and go for the bottled stuff, fresh is always better), an onion and a nice bottle of decently priced Pinot Noir. Now, you don't have to be a wine connoisseur to pick out a good wine, just read the label.

©Raj Rao

Almost 2 hours later I was enjoying a criminally delicious bowl of homemade goat stew. The Pinot definitely added more body to the stew. The goat meat was very tender and absorbed the wine like a sponge. That's a good thing. The carrots were still al dente and absorbed the flavour of the stew and the fork-tender potatoes added a mild sweetness to the dish. The baby bella mushrooms had the perfect meaty texture and the fresh parsley added an extra freshness to the dish. All in all, your guru made a kick-ass goat stew that was a last minute improvisation. Don't be concerned because, after all I am a food guru. But trust me, this is very doable, even for goat virgins. Minds out of the gutter please.

So please be daring and go to your local butcher and get some goat and make the stew. You will not regret it. Oh, don't  forget to get some hard bread to go with the stew. 

Ciao.....           

Ingredients:

1.5 pounds goat meat

1/4 cup of flour

1 onion

2 cups Pinot Noir

7 baby bella mushrooms

1 cup beef stock

1 tsp fresh thyme

3 carrots

4 to 5 medium red potatoes

Fresh parsley

Salt and pepper

©Raj Rao

Method:

First season the flour with some salt and pepper in a large zip up bag. Cut the goat meat into bite sized cubes and add into the bag. Shake it up until meat is fully coated. Take goat out and shake off excess flour and put the meat on a plate.


Heat up a Dutch oven, when it is hot add two tablespoons of oil. Add the meat and sear it for about four minutes. Add onions and sweat the onions. Then add the carrots and quartered potatoes and sauté it all together at medium heat. After another two to three minutes, add the beef stock and scrape the bottom of the pan. Then add the Pinot.


Increase heat to high and bring it to a quick boil. Reduce heat to medium and add mushrooms. Cover and let it simmer for about 30 minutes. Open the pot and stir it up and make sure it it coats the back of a spoon to ensure the right thickness and make sure potatoes are fork-tender. Add some rough chopped thyme and stir. Remove from heat. 


Right before serving, chop up some fresh parsley and top it off. Serve with French baguette and enjoy!

Pollo Loco!

©Raj Rao

Let's talk fried chicken. Being born and brought up in Malaysia, my choices for where I could go for some fried chicken were pretty limited. It was either hitting up some mom and pop shop or rely on good ole KFC... Kentucky Fried Chicken that is. I am still amazed at how many people have no idea what KFC stands for. Now, even though the menu items are pretty similar, I think KFC in Malaysia tastes much better than the KFC here in the States. Sorry, the food guru has spoken. Oh and Malaysian KFC doesn't freak out when I order sky juice*. I'll give you a moment to work that one out, Ace.

©Raj Rao

Anyway, I digress. I recently discovered a fried chicken joint that has the colonel beat and it's called Pollo Campero. This Guatemala-based restaurant has been around since the 70's but did not venture into the US until 2002.


The fried chicken has a rich latin twist with well coated spices and seasonings. The skin has that perfect colour and crispness while the meat underneath remains moist. It's a taste that you will not forget. 

They serve corn tortillas with each order. You can be like me and make your own lil taco with the chicken and some of the home made salsa that they have at the store.  The best part about this place besides the chicken are the sides. They include yucca fries which are made from thick cut yucca root that has been fried to a rich golden brown. You can also get fried plantains which have the perfect balance of sweetness and tartness or you can opt for spanish rice or beans. True to their Mexican roots, they serve flan for dessert.

©Raj Rao

When it comes to beverages you can either get soda if you are boring and every-day, or you can be a Maverick and get your choice between Jamaica© which is an hibiscus-based drink that is mildly tart and sweet, or Tamarindo© which is a tamarind-based drink.

Take my word for it and look for a Pollo Campero around your area and go now. If you like fried chicken you will definitely love this place.

Food guru is never wrong.....

**Sky Juice is plain water.