People make mistakes, don't judge me!!!!

Ok so people make mistakes, i made one on my last post. I have come to terms with the fact that the calzone is just as good as the strombole. They bolt have good points. I am sorry guidos, i love the calzone now too. Hope you can forgive me!!! Your asking your self "why the sudden change of heart?" well i'll tell you. I spent some time making strombolies today and wanted to do some cool fillings, so i set off into the walk in box to see what i could find. I cam across the regular deli meats, cheeses, vegetables bla bla bla. When then i noticed the creamed spinach!!! OMG how good does that sound??? ok so now i am thinking creamed spinach stromboli!! YUM YUM FRIKIN YUM!!! But I cant just throw the creamed spinach into the stromboli i need a binder, something to make it a little more firm. So i head straight to the eggs. I mix the creamed spinach, ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, reggiano cheese, caramelized onions, some chopped broccoli and 2 egg's into the mix. So i think about it like this..... the eggs will hold this fabulous creamed love together.. right? But i don't want this to be to firm, i still want it to me more on the creamy side and less on the manicotti filling side. (you still with me people?) So i roll out my dough and make a nice even layer of the green love mixture, roll it up and bake. So i notice my stromboli is leaking after 5 min.... OH GOOD GOD, what do i do. So i take it out of its 350 degree home and place it in my ultra hot pizza oven (550 degrees) this will firm up the bottom and crisp the top. So i get a nice crust on the top and the bottom looks firm so i put it straight into the fridge, and i pray. After some time i take this love loaf from the fridge and get it onto a cutting board. I get a nice slice out of it and yum, its great. The only problem is its a total mess. Hello what happened to my neat fabulous stromboli??? Oh where did he go? But i must say it does taste great. I could just add more egg next time, but i love the taste of it now and the creamy consistency. So i come to terms with the fact the stromboli though good is not an all around guy. Some times you need the calzone to do the, well... dirty work!!! So here i am feeling bad for talking smack about the calzone. But i still feel like the calzone is an oversized, loud mouth zip who just makes me hate being Italian!! Wait, Michael you stupid ass. Just make small bite size calzones!! HELLO OMG i could even fry them if i want, little pockets of love!! So the moral of the story is that every thing has its place... don't be a hater!!

How to make the stromboli Lets talk a little about making a stromboli. You need to get some pizza dough. I like to use a 12oz dough and make one huge stromboli, for cocktail parties or just a movie night with the girls. So i flour my service (do this on a big service) and lay the dough in the middle. Flour your pin and sprinkle some over the dough. Ok so here is the fun part, roll your pizza dough into a long rectangle.... like 2 feet X 1 foot. Now you need to fill it, Start with something eazy!!!! Ham, salami, provolone and ricotta cheese. So start from the bottom, leave 2 inches of space. and go along the bottom of the dough with one item of filling, then the second item and so on. Don't go all the way to the top, leave at least 3 inches of space. Now start folding the stromboli, first fold the 2 empty inches over the meat then flip the covered part over again and so on. When your all done seal the strombloi with egg wash and make sure the seam is on the bottom. Also trim the ends and fold under. Pre heat your oven to 350. Place the stromboli on an greased sheet pan. Score the top and brush with an egg wash sprinkle with sea salt or sesame seed or any thing you like. Now bake for 25 min. Let cool and serve! You could also make these into small loafs for a nice compact lunch! or cut into rings for a fab presentation

Get your hands off my stromboli before I ricotta your face

The word of the day is "STROMBOLI" yup! Some times i just get in the mood. I am going to make a comment some people may not like, but its the way i feel!! The Stromboli will beat the hell out the calzones any day!! There i said it... AND WHAT?? ok first let me plead my case before a group of guidos come and kick my ass!! The stromboli is so versatile, you can fill it with just about any thing. Sliced cold cuts, spinach and mozzarella, tomatoes, onion, peppers and provolone, my favorite meat balls, ricotta and mozzarella cheese. The calzone... yea you can fill it with lots of things but the cold cuts would just be floating around. The stromboli makes a nice tight casing around anything you put in it. And the shape!!!! HELLO!!! (LOL) The calzone is a half moon shape and the stromboli is a long..... just look at the pics. The stromboli can be hand held but the calzone a little to messy for my taste. The stromboli can be cut into beautiful bite size rings... can the calzone do that?? I think not! You can bring your friend Stromobli to any cocktail party and know he will go over well, and look fabulous with a martini!!! the calzone is sure to embarrass you, being all sloppy and drinking Miller high life. So if you like gentlemen you know who your man is!!!

I want to show you guys how i make the stromboli but i think we need pictures to help you through the steps. I'll make one at work tomorrow and take some picks. But i can explain the calzone.

1 roll out pizza doug into round

2 fill wit stuff

3 close sides

4 bake

no wonder the guidos love this shit!!!

Nuts for nuts!!! spicy ones

Something a little different today, i am going to give up one of my favorite recipes.... This recipe is for rosemary and black pepper nuts!!! These nuts are coated in sugar and have a crunchy texture, i also have other recipes using corn syrup. Corn syrup makes the outside coating more of a caramel then a hard sugar.

I hope you enjoy!!!

Rosemary and Black Pepper Candied Walnuts

These are a fabulous munchies item. They complement any cocktail hour and look great on fruit and cheese platters. This recipe calls for black pepper and rosemary, I wanted something a little different. In the past this recipe has had multiple reincarnations with items such as cayenne pepper, cinnamon, 5 spice powder, ginger, orange zest, and garlic chips. I have used a variety of nuts as well - the sky is the limit! You can go sweet or savory, spicy or tart…its up to you.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Sugar – 1 cup

Raw walnuts – 1 ½ cup

Kosher salt – 2 teaspoons

Rosemary sprigs – 3

Black pepper – ½ teaspoon

Lay the walnuts on a sheet pan. Bake in the oven for about 5 minutes. They should be well toasted and aromatic. Let cool for 15 minutes.

Heat a sauce pan on a medium flame. Remove the needle-like leaves from the rosemary and chop them, discarding the stems. Put the chopped leaves in the pan and sauté for 1 minute. Reduce the heat, adding the sugar and pepper. Cook the sugar until it turns a light amber color stirring rapidly to avoid burning. Quickly stir in the walnuts, then remove the nuts from the pan and lay out on a sheet pan lined with parchment. Sprinkle the salt over them, let cool and serve. You can store these nuts, sealed tightly, for a week or so. I like them warm, right off the stove.

Cook book REHAB

I NEED HELP!!!!! I JUST CAN'T STOP! PLEASE SEND HELP!!!! o.k. so I have a problem, i did it again. This time i went for the mother load, the cook book equivalent to hard drugs. Before i was just dabbling, now i am a full fledged junky. I am talking about "THE BIG FAT DUCK COOK BOOK". Ok so i read some reviews, where people say this is the holy scripture of cook books. I am a "see for my self" kinda guy, i will be the judge of that!! So i went to my local book store to get a glimpse of this holy work. It seems my local book store feels there is no market for a $$$ cook books..... So i set out on my search for enlightenment. I went to two more book store, still no luck!! I walk into the final book store, this store boasted a very large cook book section... so i had faith. I look and as usual got wrapped up in some other book, but then i felt some kind of presence, some force i have never felt. And there on the highest shelf was this cardboard book shaped box. Ok so now after all this time i can finally see the book, feel it, read it, take it in. So i take the book from the shelf and bring it to the nearest table. I slowly remove the cardboard latch that seals the box and slowly remove its cover. The f-ing thing is wrapped in plastic. OMG i'll burn this building to the ground, i will kill!!!! Now what, now what do i do? So like any normal gay man, I put it on credit. So i walked my new very pricey cook book to my car, and drove off into the sunset. Well actually i got on the highway and headed home. I unwrapped the book as soon as i got home, this was last night. I then got side tracked.... ok so the point is that i have yet to read the stupid book!!!! so i'll tell you how it is as soon as i read it!!!!

Chefs on the brain

I have sweets on the brain today. Last night the Sous Chef at the restaurant was experimenting with desserts, he put together some cool and delicious chocolate dumpling and frosted flake chocolate balls of love. I just think its funny how us "Chef" go about desserts, the first thing that comes to most of our minds is "set it on fire or fry it" thats how i think about it!!! so we spend our days frying ice cream or burning bananas. Why is it our brains are soooo different then the pastry chefs. The pastry chef is a total different breed of chef. In the last year or so i started baking at the restaurant, nothing crazy.... cheese cake, carrot cake, cookies, some pies a custard or creme brulee here and there. It was a nice change, it was relaxing. I have to be honest, it was completely forced. Cooking comes naturally too me, baking does not. Hey Hey Hey!! i can bake!!... but it hurts a little LOL. so the question is.... WHAT MAKES A PASTRIES CHEF AND A CHEF DIFFERENT. There must be some personality difference, some genetic make up? Maybe pastry chefs cook with one side of there brain and Chefs the other. Are all Pastry Chefs soft and smell like powdered sugar and Chefs crazy and loud??? HELP ME PEOPLE... WHAT DO U THINK? ohhhhhhhhh and yea there are other breeds of us like the Pastry Chef who only does occasion cakes (Weirdo!!)... the detail oriented freak, or the Chef who only does restaurant desserts, the Sushi Chef who only makes Sushi. Ok i now your probably saying... "michael its just a job, there is no predetermined genetic BS that makes you a Chef" well i think your wrong!!! One thing all use restaurant people from the prep cook to the F&B manager have in common is where all crazy. Coincidence I think not!!!

Green market 3 "Some wacky weeds"

When you think you have seen it all, bam!!! something new right up in ya face! pineapple mint!!! Pineapple sage, grapefruit mint!!!! Hello why have i not seen these plants before??? am i not in the loop? am i no longer "in the know"? HELP ME.....

Lets start out with my favorite, pineapple mint. OMG not only does this plant have a very strong pineapple scent its also very beautiful. It taste

just how you expect it to taste, both pineapple and mint are present in it flavor. I am very exited to put this in a pot and spend all summer using this herb in some recipes. How great would this be in fruit salads, salsa, pesto I could come up with a huge list of things to do with this herb. I will be cooking with pineapple mint this summer and yes, i'll post all the recipes for you

guys. Moving on.

Pineapple sage has a very green flavor but you do get some pineapple flavor in there too. It does not taste like sage at all, so it was a little disappointing. I am still going to find some cool things to make with it. Next is the strange grapefruit mint. It taste a little like mint and a little like pineapple, but i think it has a flavor all

its own. I cant quite describe it and cant decide if i like it!! its different. Ok well now i'

m inspired and hope you feel the same. So go to the farmes market and grab some herbs

.

TTFN

MVP

ohhhhh and for your viewing please i posted some pics of the herbs and just some shots of the market

Green Market 2

The green market was a blast.

the first product i came across was these jelly's, "Burkshire Berries". I know what your thinking.. no, these are not the same boring old organic jelly's. Lets start with my favorite, Berry Hot Strawberry....hmmmmm

Its a soft strawberry flavor with a nice bite. You could use this as a condiment for fish or pork, have it on bread as a snack or eat it with pretzels (like i did). Also to glaze fish or meat in these jelly's before cooking, the sugars will make a nice sweat crisp coating on the eat

They have a bunch of other not so ordinary flavors. Berry hot garlic, Ginger jelly, green pepper jelly and yea they also have the basics.

Ok well i'm off to work to try out my jelly's and to research some other cool products i found. TTYL

MVP

Green Market

There is alot of things i love about NYC, the people, the architecture, the shopping. I think one of my favorite favorite things is the green market at union square!!!! ohhhhhh god, i love it!

They have some amazing venders. Organic and local cheese, breads, and an bunch of other culinary goodies. In the colder months i always start with some warm pear cider to perk me up, it always hits the spot. I wish i could tell you what venders i love the most... but i don't remember :( Well cheer up kids, because i am going there today!!!! yup its true, im going into the city and am going to report back all the great things i find at the market. So in advance, your welcome!!!!!!

See ya later.

MVP

Ham it up for easter!!!!

Just woke up, and i am wired!! Could it be the 1/2 of cheesecake i ate last night? or the fact that i know Betty is making her famous ham???? yum yum yum...... She makes a glaze with pineapple juice, brown sugar and maraschino cherry juice. I know what your thinking, "how 1970's of her".

Your right, this is a total 70's style recipe. With pineapple rings and cherry buttons.... but its so good. There are some old favorites that we should never let go of, and this is one for me. I know in my old age i'll be making ham on Easter just the way Betty makes it for me!!!! The ham, the cheesecake and some other selected favorites are the culinary thread that will continue to run thru our family... AWWWWW

how cute am i???

MVP

Me you and a cook book!!!!

So maybe its a healthy obsession but its getting out of hand. I just cant stop! I find my self sneaking out of work or going on line to get them. I may need an intervention or maybe medical attention.

One is too many and a thousand is never enough!!!

I am talking cook books, i love them.... i need them!!!!!

I love to see the way they are laid out, the pictures, the recipes everything about them.

I very rarely cook anything from a cook book. I do get ideas or inspirations from them, but always need to add my own touch!!! soooo my new book is "a Day at elBulli" OMG!!!!! this is culinary porn, high class culinary porn. For those of you who do not know, elBulli is said to be the BEST restaurant in the world!!!! and the chef Ferran Adria the god of Molecular gastronomy!

This book lays out a day in the life!!! from reservations, to cooking to braking down the kitchen!! and the photos are killer!!!! ohhhhh gosh i think i need to be alone!!!!

If you don't know about Ferran and his restaurant look it up!!!! Get the book!!!

:)

MVP

Mia.......

Aunt Mia passed away a few years back. Mia was know for several things, her bold personality, her assaults with wooden spoons, and her Ricotta Cheese cake!!!

What makes this cheese cake so special is the fact that it was carried over from Italy by my grandparents. My brothers (mostly Dan) take great pride in this cake. It represents where we came from, the passage our grandparents made into this great new world. Its not like an old watch or some cryptic note passed down. Its something more, some thing alive. I may not be able to see Mia or my grandparents but i can invoke their presents at any time. The cheese cake also has about 2 cups of sambuca so that also helps invoke !!!!! lol

Well now that i'm filled with nostalgia and love.... i'm going to work to make Mia's cheese cake!!!! heres to you Mia!!!! xoxoxoxoxo ohhhh

The art of "GET THE HELL OUT"

Good morning folks!!!!

Today is a very special day for me! Its not my birthday.... it's a day i get to work at the restaurant alone!!! well not alone, but i will be cooking on the line allllll by my self!

this is a good thing!!! These are the days i get the most done!!! i turn down the lights, turn up the jazz and cook from the heart. I find major inspiration on these days, in between making orders i find this creative vibe. The culinary gods shine their light on me and my hands do there bidding.

TTFN food weirdos!!

Michael

pork chops and my first post

Hey

So here i go with the new BLOGG!!!! i am going to try and take some time out every day (or every other day) to just write down some thoughts i have. Some times about the show, cooking, my life, art and all the other things that help make up this fab life!!!

I woke up today thinking PORK!!!! last night before jetting out of the restaurant i decided to place an order for double cut pork chops!!!! YUM... so all night i have had pork on the brain.

I have run a special at the restaurant where i butterflied the chops so the tho bones are on outside of the now flat piece of meat!!!! i then dredge them in flour then egg and seasoned panko bread crumbs. This is getting me hungry!!! i then fry the pork chops 300 degrees for 8 min.... then finish in the oven. I like to top them with some kind of citrus salsa or mojo yum yum yum... ok so now i'm inspired i'm going to work ttyl

guess what's on special at the hotel tonight!!!!