Entrees

Thai Shrimp Curry

October 14, 2011 By Steve Dunn Leave a Comment

I love curries, and I mean all curries. Thai, Indian, Pakistani, Cambodian, you name an ethnic cuisine that boasts a curry and I'm all over it like…..well….

Like curry on rice!

It doesn't matter to me whether the curry is a long braised Indian lamb curry, or a quick to the table Thai version like this one here, there is just something special about the spice blends that define curries that I find very appealing. Some are scorching hot, others not so much, but one thing all curries share is a complexity and depth of flavor that I find absolutely addiciting.

Nathan's Hot Dogs

October 11, 2011 By Steve Dunn Leave a Comment

No, this is not a picture of a "Nathan's" hot dog from the world renowned "Nathan's Famous" on Coney Island, NY.

This is even better!

Hey, I've got nothing against "Nathan's Famous" dogs, in fact of all the commercially made franks I've tried, they are my favorites, but these homemade beauties leave even Coney Islands' famed meat tube in the dust.

We were originally going to make these hot dogs for a Charcutapalooza challenge a few months back, but weren't able to schedule all the right folks in the kitchen to meet the deadline and so let the challenge pass. In the meantime, we've had the pleasure to meet the son of a friend, Nathan, who as a high school freshman, is already an accomplished cook. When he heard we were trying to find time to make hot dogs, he expressed an interest in joining in the fun.

We were happy to have him join us in the kitchen that day, plus let's face it, with a name like Nathan, this kid was born to make hot dogs!

Ad Hoc Buttermilk Fried Chicken

September 16, 2011 By Steve Dunn Leave a Comment

Many of you may recall that when I posted David Chang's "Momofuku's Fried Chicken" a while back I said I'd be back soon with an honest to goodness buttermilk fried chicken recipe. Well here it is, thought it comes to us not from America's deep south, but rather by way of one of my favorite chefs, Thomas Keller, and the gang at his Ad Hoc Restaurant in the Napa Valley.

While I have been a fan of traditional, batter coated fried chicken for years, I never endeavored to make it myself until now.

Why?

Porcini Risotto with Chicken and Rosemary

September 9, 2011 By Steve Dunn Leave a Comment

For me, risotto ranks right up there with frittatas as a perfect dish with which to use up a fridge full of leftovers. As long as you have some carnaroli or arborio rice in your pantry, a wedge of parmesan in the fridge, and a good quality chicken or vegetable stock on hand, a hearty and delicious risotto is just a few minutes away.

A few days ago, Muppet and I found a lonely leek, some leftover roasted chicken and some peas that needed to be used up in our fridge. To these goodies we decided to add some lovely dried (and rehydrated) porcini mushrooms that my wife and I bought in the village of Asolo, Italy when we travelled there last year on a fabulous culinary bike tour with Chef Jody Adams, and our friends at ItaliaOutdoors. I'm kicking myself that I didn't buy more while we were there, because these shrooms are big, meaty and loaded with flavor, a world apart from the crumbled scraps of mushrooms that often pass for dried wild ones here.

Sloppy Joes

August 26, 2011 By Steve Dunn Leave a Comment

It takes a while, but every summer by about this time we all start suffering from burger fatigue. I don’t know about you, but we definitely get our fill of burgers and dogs around here during grilling season, so much so that by mid-August I start thinking about how to take the idea of a burger in new directions.

One of our favorite alternatives is this Sloppy Joe.

Please don’t tell me you reach for a can of Manwich, or just dump a jar of Ragu in ground beef when you fell the urge, you don’t do you? For years the Sloppy Joe has been sold as just that kind of meal, much like that old chestnut, Tuna Helper, a desperation meal in a can that you keep hidden in the back of the pantry. If that IS the only kind of Joe you’ve ever had, then please keep reading, as you are in for a treat.

Vanilla Brined Pork Chops

August 5, 2011 By Steve Dunn Leave a Comment

With grilling season in full swing, I wanted to toss out a quick-brine, dry rub combo to keep you and your grill on your toes. This dish was inspired by a recipe I saw recently in Fine Cooking magazine, and with just a few tweaks to the brine and rub, we've come up with a dish that we've made twice already in the last few weeks.

Cod with Roasted Tomatoes, Beans and Green Olive Broth

August 2, 2011 By Steve Dunn Leave a Comment

This meal came together on the fly the other night in an effort to rid our fridge of some produce before we left town for a week. We had some purple romano beans (did you know they turn green when you cook them?…neither did I), some baby potatoes, half a box of organic chicken stock, and a green olive pesto that had been in residence so long that it was practically part of the family.

Momofuku’s Fried Chicken

July 15, 2011 By Steve Dunn Leave a Comment

What came first the chicken or the egg? Well, in this instance I can definitively say the egg came first.

Yes, it was Chef David Chang's slow poached egg that first made its way into the Oui, Chef kitchen to much acclaim from the whole gang here (and many of you out there that tried it). We had so much fun with his egg that I've been curious to try one of his other recipes, and what could make more sense after trying his egg, then to give his chicken a whirl. This recipe comes from his tremendous cookbook Momofuku , which is not just a fab collection of recipes, but a real glimpse behind the scenes to give the reader a sense of what makes Chang tick.

Peyton’s "Jean-Georges" Meal

July 12, 2011 By Steve Dunn Leave a Comment

Today I lay down my pen (as it were) and camera, and hand over the reigns to Peyton who offered to write this guest post about an awesome meal she cooked just before heading off to summer camp. All the words and photos are hers, and she hopes very much that you enjoy them. Cheers – Steve

One of my earliest memories about Asian food was trying to use chopsticks. I struggled, and ended up using my fingers instead. Another I have is about going to a wonderful Japanese restaurant and eating at a hibachi table. The chef cooked with huge flames, made onion volcanoes, and tossed eggs into his hat. But what I remember most was his smile. He was enjoying the show as much as we were. Up until cooking with Steve, I hadn’t even dreamt of cooking Asian food. The techniques seemed so complicated and took years to master.

Not long ago I was looking through his many, many cookbooks for a recipe for lamb. I went into Jean-Georges Vongerichten's cookbook, Jean-Georges: Cooking At Home with a Four-Star Chef, and it jumped out at me. No, not the lamb dish that I was looking for, but rather a picture like what you see above. It was of a whole plate of his signature appetizers, and it looked delicious. Of course, it also looked like an intimidating challenge. If you knew me personally, then you'd know why I couldn't just turn another page. I had to make it!

Lamb Köfte with Yogurt Sauce and Muhammara

July 5, 2011 By Steve Dunn Leave a Comment

Are your taste buds tired of the same old same old?

Looking to spice up your dinner menu a bit this week?

Good, because this dish is gonna transport you to a brave new culinary world, and will totally rock those bored buds of yours.

I stumbled across this recipe in Bon Appetit some time ago and it immediately caught my eye. It also made me think of my friend Joumana and her awesome blog, Taste of Beirut, because I couldn't help but think that this was the kind of food she grew up on…..lucky girl. Sadly, I never got around to making the dish and sort of forgot about it until Joumana recently posted her own recipe for muhammara, a Syrian red pepper sauce. Hers looked so good that I knew I had to go back and find this recipe and finally give it a try…I am SO GLAD I did.

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