Ur such a softy ya crabby bastard!!! Tell me how u feel

So once again its that time of yea...... It starts getting warmer, the boys where less clothing and so do the crabs!!! Oh yes..... its soft shell crab time. Soft shell crabs are blue claw crabs that have just finished molting there hard shell. The blue claw crab out grows its shell and shakes it for a thinner soft shell. This thiner shell will thicken up in time and back to being hard body blue boys we love. From the time they molt, you have about 4 days until they get back the hard shell. I guess you can see why its such a great time of year and you must get your crab fix ASAP. So this is the time i start plotting my attack on the soft shell crab world. Will it be soft shell crab Po-boys? or sautéed in a light flour and topped with capers and lemon juice? Maybe stir fry or oven roasted in a wood burning oven? OHHHH god maybe spider rolls or in a light tomato sauce.... The options are endless!!!!! OMG I cant wait!!!!! So until i see the box with my neat packed little crab lovers all comfortable in there straw beds my thoughts will not stop!!!

I want to know if you have a favorite soft shell crab recipe?? or some tip and trick!!! Cleaning them, prepping them... tell me, tell me, tell me!!!

E-mail me at mvpci666@aol.com and i'll post my favorite recipes or tricks on my blog!!!

Late Night Love Feast- Part 1: Curry me Crazy!!!!

Being a full blown culinary junky is a full time job! I spend 1/2 my time plotting my next culinary outing and the other 1/2 getting my fix. Trying to fit this all in can be a job unto its self. I do love living in NY for a bunch of reasons but i think on the top of that list is LATE NIGHT DINING!!!! When i get the late night yen for a select cuisine, i am in luck living in this hub of culinary love. I crave lots of foods but i think the one that comes up the most is Indian Food. OMG just typing these words and i can smell the cardamon and cinnamon in the depths of my scratch and sniff brain. India food has had a very special place in my heart for a long time. I am obsessed with Indian culture and at the heart of any culture is its food.

Growing up in a mostly white bread neighborhood you have cookie cutter thoughts of thing. For example i always associated cinnamon with apple pie. I think allot of people do, but there is more to cinnamon then the American box we put it in.

I can remember the first time i had good Indian Food. I was at Curry In A Hurry on 27th and Lex. I have had indian before, but nothing like this. My earlier Indian experiences where not very adventures and all revolved around chicken tikka masala or some basic curry chicken. I now had a smorgasbord of items laid out in front of me for my visual and aromatic pleasure. I remember being drawn to the Okra in a light tomato broth with bobbing cinnamon sticks and the curry eggplant. This was not grandmothers eggplant parm this was a whole new game.... So as i crawled out of my white bread cave i became obsessed with the new light these old ingredients took on in this Mecca of curry love.

It took me time to understand the flavors the indian pallet presents. My mind goes right back to eggplant and cinnamon, WOW who knew??? Apparently my Indian friends knew.

I spent several night trying to recreate the food that i devoured at CIH, and after a long time fixing and tweaking i think i may have come very close to the eggplant that i adore.

OH before i give you the recipe let me get back to the point of the story. CIH is open until 3 Am so you can have great food all night long YMMM YMMM YMMMM. And also let me say, i think my eggplant is great but is no replacement for CIH's eggplant just a pacifier for my addiction. The food is killer and the people are great. I love to sit by the window, chow down and watch traffic. Also its packed with people of Indian decent so you know the food is on point!!!

TTFN

MVP :)

Curried Eggplant

This is one of my favorite dishes, it tastes great and puts the warmth in your bones on a cold winter day. I like to think that some dishes have the ability to transport you to another place, and this one does the trick. One bite of this curry and you'll find yourself in the streets of Delhi, or at least at some Indian restaurant on 28^th and Lexington. I serve this with basmati rice, naan and a side of love. 

Whole eggplant – 1

Cloves garlic – 4

Small white onion – 1

Vegetable oil – 3 tablespoons

Whole cinnamon stick – 1

Ground cumin – ½ teaspoon

Ground Turmeric ½ teaspoon

Curry powder – 2 teaspoons

Whole potatoes - 2

Tomato juice – 36 ouncesChopped parsley for garnish

Steam the two potatoes until done, let cool. Peel the skin and dice potato. Dice the eggplant into ½ inch cubes, then soak in cold water for 1 hour. Peel and dice the onion and garlic. In a medium pot sauté the garlic and onion in the oil for 5 minutes. Add all your spices and sauté for one minute. Add the eggplant, potatoes and tomato juice. Cover and cook at a simmer for 45 minutes or until the eggplant is tender. Season w/ S&P. Remove the cinnamon stick and serve. You can serve it over plain rice or basmati rice. Garnish with chopped parsley.

Don't be a FRITES of change, just grits and bear it!!!

Having the opportunity to spend some time with other food obsessed people has opened my eyes!!! It has definitely changed the way i cook and reminded me there are lots of products I have forget in dry storage. So when i made my return to the kitchen at the hotel I started working on a new menu. The first thing that came to mind was the french fries. I like so many other restaurants i ordered pre-cut fries. I needed to change this, so i mad a phone call to the very culinary educated Teddy. Teddy told me i need to get the right potato, because apparently the 90 count g-pod Idaho is the potato of choice. The frite king had some explanation for this, i think it had to do with the potatoes not being too starchy. Then we discussed soaking the potatoes and the cooking process. I am not going to give you all the details out of fear Teddy may hunt me down. I do think he may have held back some of his secrets from me, but i can't tell because the new frites are killer.

There are also some other changes mad to the menu, first of all i think i may be the first restaurant in the hood to put grits on the menu!!! Not just grits but bacon scallion grits.... and there are two very fab female chefs who are responsible for this. I became obsessed with grits when one of the girls mad me Bleu cheese grits during a late night eat-a-thin!!!.... (thanks JAM) I have had grits in the past but never held then in high regards!!! They always tasted kinda bland. Well honey, have a southern girl make them for you and its life changing!!!!!

There are other culinary changes made. I am working with dried and fresh chilies, in fact i am working on a bunch of hot sauces at the moment. One that has Korean chili paste in it (thanks LOVER!!!) Ok so this is a kind of thank you letter to all the chefs who have inspired me over those weeks of filming.... Thanks LOVERS

psssss... the menu is not finished yet, but i am running lots of the items as specials!!!

Memories are made of this?

Memories are mad of this... take one fresh and tender kiss, one stolen night of bliss. Your lips and mine Two sips of wine. Maybe Dean was on to something!!! I think the song would be more accurate if the line where - One fresh and tender steak, one potato for us to bake.. your lips and mine please pass more pie!!!!! LOL

It seems to me most of my memories growing up have to do with food in one form or another. I think its those memories that got me into the culinary field in the first place. And after a very bad high school career the last thing i wanted was more school. So it was either the Army or Culinary School!! (what? don't ask, don't tell!) So my hatred for formal education also helped guide me on my current path. Ya know i can remember the smell of the food cooking in the kitchen when i was a kid, but thats about it. I think people mark allot of there memories with thumbnail photos in there brain of a certain event. I do this too, but my photos are scratch and sniff. I can remember after church when i was a kid we would go to the local deli and get club rolls. They would be in a crisp paper bag. We would slice them in 1/2 and put them in the toaster oven, then smear butter on the hot doughy center. I can still taste and smell them. Am i the only person who thinks in food? do you guys remember in food? plan your weekends around reservations or what's in season?? am i the only one?? God i hope so!

Well i wanted to share an old recipe with you from my childhood, but my therapist says i need to move on... so here is a new recipe!!! This recipe will help make memories in your home!!! Enjoy

Ain’t Yo Mama’s Oatmeal Cookies

I am always involved in some social event or another, so I always find myself looking for an item to bring. These cookies are it! Oatmeal cookies have a reputation for being boring, but not these cookies. I make cookie baskets for the holidays and these cookies are always a hit.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Softened butter – 1 cup

White sugar – 1 cup

Packed brown sugar – 1 cup

Whole eggs – 2

Vanilla extract – 1 teaspoon

All p urpose flour – 2 cups

Baking soda – 1 teaspoon

Five spice powder – 1 ½ teaspoon

Quick oats – 4 cups

Raisins – 1 cup

In a bowl cream the butter and sugars. Beat in the eggs one at a time then add the vanilla extract. Combine the flour, baking soda and five spice powder, then stir into the butter mixture. Mix in the oats and raisins. Line cookie sheets with parchment. Drop table- spoons of dough 2 inches apart on sheet. Bake for 8 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on rack.