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One of my favorite dishes is risotto. I have a particular way of making it that is hard to describe, but easy to demonstrate. Since I don't have web cast capabilities, I'll have to put up a recipe from the archives.




Risotto with Wild Mushrooms and Scallops

Extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 pounds sea scallops, crescent-shaped muscles removed and discarded (You can use those cheapy frozen ones from the local grocery store)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 onion, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound assorted mushrooms, such as Portobello, crimini, and shiitake, stemmed
Leaves from handful fresh thyme sprigs or a teaspoon of dried
2 tablespoons chopped fresh or dried flat-leaf parsley
2 bay leaves
2 cups Arborio rice
1 cup dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio
8 cups canned chicken stock, heated ***No MSG*** Kitchen Basics or Swanson Natural
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano


Place a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat and drizzle with enough olive oil to coat bottom of pan. When the oil is hot, sprinkle the scallops with salt and pepper and brown well on both sides, about 2 minutes. Remove to a plate and cover to keep warm while you make the risotto.

Reduce the heat to medium. Drizzle a little more olive oil into the pan. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes until soft. Toss in the mushrooms and herbs and cook until the mushrooms lose their liquid and are lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the rice and stir 2 minutes to coat with the oil; the grains will turn opaque. You ought to smell a 'grainy' smell as well. Season again. Stir in the wine and cook until nearly evaporated.

Now pour in 1 cup of the warm stock and stir with a wooden spoon until the rice has absorbed all of the liquid. Add another cup of stock. Continue in this way, stirring constantly and adding the stock 1 cup at a time, allowing the rice to absorb the liquid before adding more. (You may not need all of the stock; the risotto is done when it is slightly firm but creamy.) Fold in the scallops with the last cup of stock to warm them up. When the risotto is cooked, fold in the butter and cheese. Serve hot. Serves 4.


Food,Recipes

Got some friends coming over for dinner this weekend. I'm thinking this for the entree:

Stuffed Pork Loin with Peaches
****Loin****
2 lb pork loin roast
3 ea patties country sausage mashed; crumbled, cooked, and drained
1/2 ea small peach; peeled, pitted, and diced, or 1/2 cup from the can you need for the sauce.
3 tbsp Cognac, Brandy, or Apple Jack
1/4 c diced red onion
1/3 c bread crumbs
3 tbsp butter; melted

salt and pepper
2 tbsp olive oil

Peach Sauce
2 1/2 ea peaches (or 14 oz can, drained)-- peeled & pitted
2 - 3 tbsp sugar depending on sweetness of fruit (not needed for canned fruit)
3 tbsp sherry vinegar or apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp Cognac, Brandy, or Apple Jack
1/2 tsp ground chipotle
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
2 tbsp butter

Heat oven to 350F.

Saute diced onion in one tablespoon butter until translucent.

In a small bowl mix sausage, onion, bread crumbs, sage, salt, and pepper. Melt remaining butter and drizzle over stuffing mixture along with Cognac.

Pat roast dry. Insert a carving knife from end to end of loin cutting a slot. Reinsert carving knife perpendicular to first cut to form an X extending through roast. Your trying to make a 1 inch tunnel through the meat. Widen it out with a wooden spoon, get your fingers in there, spread it out. Fill roast with stuffing (a wooden spoon helps pack it in). Liberally season roast with salt and pepper.

Heat olive oil over medium high heat in an ovenproof skillet and brown roast on all sides. Place skillet with roast in middle of oven and cook until an instant-read thermometer registers 145F at center. Remove from oven and allow to rest.

While roast cooks, slice 1/2 peach into thin wedges and reserve. Chop remaining peaches and simmer in a sauce pan with other ingredients for 15 minutes. Process until smooth in a blender or food processor. Be Very Careful Blending Hot Stuff! It has a tendency to rapidly expand, and if your not careful, you could burn yourself. Put a towel over the cover of your blender or food processor.

Serve roast, garnished with peach slices and drizzle with the peach sauce. Serves six.



Food,Cooking,Recipes

I was unaware that there are other bloggers who do the "post a recipe on Friday" thing. Like this guy Vodka Pundit, who put up a recipe for Crock Pot Lamb today.

Hmmm. Looks good to me.

I try to post Friday's recipe on Thursday, but I didn't have a chance yesterday. So, in honor of my Catholic readers, I post a fish recipe. Once again, I can't credit a source because I just pull these out of my big freakin' folder of recipes. Maybe I got it in school, maybe from a job, probably the internet.

Hey, that could be a name for my Cook Book! Surly Dave's Big Freakin' Folder of Recipes.


Fish Tacos

White Sauce:
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup milk
4 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon garlic salt

Fish Tacos:
Oil
2 packages Tempura Batter Mix
1 can beer
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon coriander
24 ounces boneless cod, cut into 2-inch pieces
6 corn tortillas
2 cups shredded cabbage
1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped
2 limes

For the sauce:
Mix all ingredients together and set aside.

Preheat a fryer or a deep pot halfway filled with oil to 375 degrees F. Remember to get a thermometer like discussed here.

Mix 1 of the packages of batter, but only use 1/2 the required amount of water and use beer for the remaining amount instead. Add the beer until the batter becomes almost like a heavy cream consistency.

Using the other package of batter add salt, garlic powder,cumin, coriander, and coat cod pieces with the dry mix, then dip into prepared batter. Deep-fry for about 3 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through.

Place fried cod pieces on warmed corn tortillas, add white sauce to fish, a little shredded cabbage and a squeeze of lime, to taste.

Garnish with chopped cilantro.

Now here is a holiday I can support: March 15th Eat A Tasty Animal for PETA Day: EATAPETA Day.

PETA wishs that all animals would live out happy, useful lives. They all have a place. Right next to the mashed potatoes.

But then there is this: Save Jill.

I would like to introduce to you a new member of the Dr. Phat Tony family. This is Jill. Jill is 3 ½ weeks old, and probably one of the cutest things ever. Unfortunately Jill is in a fight for her life and she doesn’t even know it.

I'll be keeping you up to date on this.


Save Jill

Mediterranean Potato Salad


Preheat Oven to 425

You'll need for 8:

2 lb Baby Red potatoes, washed, dried, and quartered
1 Bunch of Fresh Asparagus (Or 1 lb Fresh Green Beans) cut into 1 inch sections
1 Sweat Onion, thinly sliced
small carton of cherry tomatoes, halved
one small jar pesto.
olive oil
Kosher salt
fresh ground pepper

Toss the potatoes and onions with olive oil. You want enough to coat, but not bathe. Sprinkle with salt (2 good pinches) and pepper, place in baking pan in oven for 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes, remove and add tomatoes and asparagus. Add another pinch of salt, stir, and return to oven for 15 more minutes.

Check the potatoes for doneness Should be with in 5 minutes of being done, but always check. How? Taste.

When done, pour the mix into a large bowl, and stir in half the pesto. This is one of those 'you be the judge' moments as to how much. Coat everything well and serve it up.


Cooking,Recipes