Patatas Bravas – Fierce Up Your Fries

I always thought Patatas Bravas meant “brave potatoes,” which seemed a little strange since what was supposed to be so brave about them? Amazingly delicious, yes, but valiant, fearless or courageous? I don’t think so. Well, apparently my translation skills were lacking, and come to find out it actually means “fierce.” Now that makes sense.

As advertised, these are fiercely textured, fiercely flavored, fiercely presented, and fiercely enjoyed. How fierce is really up to you and your inner Spaniard. There are as many patatas bravas recipes as homes in Spain, and this is nothing more than my latest rendition. 

As long as you boil them first, fry crisp, and season earnestly, the rest is open to wild experimentation. I’ve used all sort of blanching liquids, spice blends, and sauces, and never been disappointed.

My control around food is generally decent, but I am no match for a plate of these. Once you start with the toothpick, you’ll be impaling and eating potatoes until they’re gone. If you are making these for a group, just do in batches and keep warm in the oven until you have enough. Just don’t salt until the last second, or they can get soggy. I hope you give these a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 portions:

2 pounds russet potatoes

For the boiling liquid:

2 quarts cold water

1 tbsp salt

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp cumin

2 bay leaves

For the sauce:

1 cup mayonnaise

garlic to taste
pinch of salt

1 tsp tomato paste

1-2 tbsp sherry vinegar

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

1/4 tsp chipotle powder

cayenne to taste

For the spice blend (makes lots extra):

2 tbsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp chipotle powder

chopped parsley

Read more ►

Swedish Meatballs and the Most Under Appreciated Celebrity Chef Ever

Whenever there’s a discussion about the history of celebrity chef pop culture, one name is invariably left out, and this Swedish Meatballs recipe served as a reminder of that sad fact. How anyone can talk about the pioneers of food television without including the Swedish Chef from the Muppets is beyond me.

His frenetic energy and charisma makes Gordon Ramsey seem like a shrinking violet by comparison. His technique surpasses Emeril's on every level, and if we’re just talking catch phrases, how can you even begin to compare “Yummo” to “Bork, Bork, Bork?”

Some use the excuse that he wasn’t actually real, that he was just a bunch of stained, smelly fabric, wrapped around some dude’s hairy forearm. Well, that may be true, but it goes beyond that. I believe there’s been a systematic discrimination against Swedish chefs, which has made advancing upward impossible. I call it the ice ceiling.

Do NOT forget the Lingonberry jam!

Anyway, in related news, these Swedish meatballs rocked! Unlike most of the recipes I post here, I’ve had little experience with the recipe, but was very happy with the results, except for one major issue, which I mention in the video. I broke the cardinal rule of meatball making, and used lean meat.

Not paying attention, I picked up a package of ground pork that turned out to be 95% lean. The horror. I might as well have used tofu. Nonetheless, I loved the flavor, but implore you to use regular ground beef, and ground pork with a 75/25 lean-to-fat ratio. Do that, and you’ll be enjoying a plate of meatballs even the world's most under appreciated celebrity chef would love. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 large portions:

For the meatballs:

2 tbsp butter

1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped

1/4 cup milk

2 large eggs

1/3 cup plain bread crumbs

3/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1 1/2 teaspoon fine salt

pinch of cayenne

1 pound ground chuck

1 pound ground pork

*Note: you can always cook a little piece to taste for salt, and adjust from there.

Brown meatballs in 425 degrees F. oven for about 20-25 minutes.

For the sauce:

2 tbsp butter

3 tbsp  all-purpose flour

3 1/4 cups beef broth

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce

salt and pepper to taste

Read more ►

Pumpkin Scones with Toasted Pine Nuts & Maple Glaze – A Recipe for the Other 10 Months

I have no intention of giving up the best job in the world anytime soon, but if I do, I’d try and get a job in the marketing department of a pumpkin puree company. 

I’m guessing that like 97% of the canned pumpkin in this country is used during the time from Halloween until Thanksgiving. So if I could figure out a way to get people to use this in recipes all year round, I’d be a total superstar in pumpkin puree marketing circles.

Imagine that. It would be…awesome? Anyway, maybe I should rethink this whole post-Foodwishes career path, but in the meantime, here’s just one example of how I would convince the public that pumpkin is great for anytime of the year. Ironically, I did this because I had leftover pumpkin from Thanksgiving, but still.

I may have covered this in the last scones post, but I’ve never been a huge fan of the scone. I’ve always considered it some sort of effeminate biscuit, but I’m starting to come around in my old age. There’s nothing like a freshly baked scone with a steaming hot cup of tea or coffee, especially one tricked out with pumpkin, toasted pine nuts, and maple glaze. I hope you give this a try soon…or anytime! Enjoy.

Ingredients for 12 Pumpkin Scones:

8 ounces by weight all-purpose flour (about 1 3/4 cups)

1/4 cup white sugar
1 tbsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup toasted pine nuts

1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/3 cup buttermilk

additional flour as needed
1 egg beaten with a few drops of milk or water to brush scones before baking.

*Bake at 400 degrees F. for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown

Read more ►

Giving Thanks

Michele and I had a very lovely Thanksgiving holiday with the family in Davis, CA. The food and company were wonderful, and as if that wasn't enough, I also enjoyed a flood of viewers posting pictures of their successful Food Wishes' recipes on Twitter and Instagram. I want to thank everyone who mentioned us this holiday, and I couldn't be happier or more proud of all the beautiful food you created and shared. And while we're on the subject, here are a few highlights from our meal. Enjoy!

Our handsome, free-range turkey was from Branigan's Turkey Farm in Woodland, California, and it was amazing! I did the old, herb-butter under the skin trick, and it was one of the juiciest, most flavorful turkeys in recent memory.

I love to start the Thanksgiving meal with a small salad. This is a great way to get everyone to the table for toasts, grace, etc., and not have to worry about all the food getting cold. While the turkey rests, enjoy a nice pear, persimmon salad with goat cheese, pomegranate, and candied walnuts.

What's Thanksgiving, but an elaborate excuse to eat lots of buttery mashed potatoes? These were fortified with cream cheese as family tradition dictates.

These incredibly tasty sweet potatoes were simply roasted with maple butter and topped with salty, crunchy, toasted pistachios.  They were perfect.

I decided to eschew the usual green bean casserole for this new addition to the holiday side repertoire. The beans were tossed with copious amounts of roasted garlic, and then warmed in the oven after a crumbling of Point Reyes blue cheese. No one missed the casserole! 

We finished with the pumpkin pie you saw posted a while back, and by the looks of my Twitter feed, so did many of you. I hope you had a great holiday, and enjoy the rest of the weekend. Special thanks to Peggy & Al, Nina & Tom, and Jennifer and Leanne for providing us with such an enjoyable Thanksgiving. Stay tuned for a new video tomorrow!

Read more ►

Leftover Turkey Manicotti – “Little Muffs” for the Day After the Day After

Manicotti, which means, “little muffs” in Italian, has to be one of the best ways ever for using up leftover Thanksgiving turkey. 

The moist filling will bring the driest bird back from the dead, and you can literally add anything that can be chopped up.

Leftover green bean casserole? Throw it in. Peas and Onions? You bet’cha. Cranberry Sauce? No, don’t be ridiculous. Anyway, thanks to the absence of cheese, tomato, and pasta on the usual Thanksgiving menu, this concoction will erase any connection with the aforementioned feast.

One portioning note: The recipe below made six crepes, and if you make yours slightly smaller, the filling recipe will make six nicely sized manicotti. 

I went low-carb and used all the filling to make four portions, but you should probably just fill all 6 crepes, or even double the recipe to get 12. I think you’ll want leftovers of the leftovers. So whether you make manicotti with the last of the holiday turkey, or just use the technique to recycle other meaty meals, I hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 6 crepes:

2 eggs

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup water

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp olive oil

olive oil for cooking crepes as needed
*Note: Feel free to adjust the batter's thickness by adding a little flour or water until you get a thin consistency as seen in video. 
 

For the filling:

1 cup chopped turkey or anything

1 cup ricotta cheese

1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1/2 cup grated mozzarella

1/4 tsp dried marjoram

1/8 tsp red chili flakes

1 egg

1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley

For the rest:

1 1/2 cups marinara sauce

2 tsp olive oil

1/3 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano for top

1 tbsp chopped Italian parsley, garnish

Read more ►

Ginger Pear Cranberry Sauce – Making Your Holidays More Difficult, One Condiment at a Time

You would think the vast majority of the visitors to this blog would be fine with me posting a new holiday cranberry sauce every year, but apparently that’s not the case. 

After posting the tease picture for this lovely ginger, pear, cranberry sauce, I received a bunch of comments and emails with the same basic message, “please don’t, you’re confusing us.”

Evidently, some people like our past cranberry sauce recipes so much, that they don’t know if they should stick with them, or try a new version. It’s causing quite the dilemma. Do you go with the one you know you love, and that garnered so many compliments, or do you try something new and risk it all?

Sorry, I really can’t help you decide, but at least let me make an already tough call, even tougher. This gingery, pear-studded cranberry sauce was simply amazing. I’ve been wanting to try pear in a cranberry sauce forever, and this was so fantastic that I’m a little upset I waited this long.

Anyway, I hope your Thanksgiving menu is shaping up nicely, and that tomorrow will bring a table full of fabulous food. Whether you use this cranberry sauce, or an older version, or heaven help us, one from another blog, I hope you and your family have a great holiday. Enjoy!

Ingredients for about 2 cups:
12 oz fresh whole cranberries

1 large bosc pear, peeled, diced

2 oz candied ginger, minced

zest of 1 large orange

1 cup fresh orange juice

1/4 cup water

1 cup sugar

1 whole star anise

1 cinnamon stick

1/2 tsp garam masala (an Indian-style curry spice blend)

1/4 tsp salt

Read more ►

Look What I Found

My friends at Allrecipes.com have put together a great recipe hub for Thanksgiving, and as I glanced down the page, I saw this gorgeous pumpkin flan in their gluten-free section. I quickly realized it was a recipe I'd posted a few years ago, and pretty much forgotten about. It only took one glance to remind me of this sweet, satisfying, and yet still relatively light holiday dessert.

Anyway, I wanted to share this delicious blast from the past, and also provide you with a link to the extensive Thanksgiving recipe index over at Allrecipes for all your last minute needs. Enjoy!



Click here to read the original post, and get the ingredient list.

Read more ►