The Irascible Chef

Lifted from the IrascibleChef Blog>  http://www.irasciblechef.com/shrimp-parm-twist/

Twist of a classic where all the flavors explode in your mouth! And, healthier!!! Shrimp lightly dusted with my own seasoned breadcrumbs, olive oil, grated Parmesan cheese floating on a basil, fennel and garlic tomato sauce…

This dish rocked the house! Same basic ingredients—baked not fried and lightly coated—if you like the way it looks, you would love the way it tastes!

Technorati Tags: healthy twist, irasciblechef recipe, shrimp parm

Lifted from the IrascibleChef Blog>  http://www.irasciblechef.com/store-bought-ravioli-fail/

I should have known better, but there’s that ever hopeful side of me…

Italian name, flashy packaging, well wrapped, New York looking and much higher pricing… All dragged me in. I was in the mood for really good meat raviolis, something I haven’t had for maybe 20 years…

Do I have to do everything myself, do I have to drag the controversial PASTA machine out from it’s cover and go back into business as the pasta-man???

Meat might have been “An” ingredient, but it certainly wasn’t the main ingredient! (further inspection showed that chicken was the meat—that should have been enough for me—but NO!) It tasted like some sort of breadcrumb filled, chicken base flavored—Yuck!!! Like the rest of the crap out there in the market—CRAP!!!

Even my luscious tomato sauce with zucchini wasn’t enough to make this mess passable… afterward I felt empty—that it was a waste of my liquid gold…

Genova Delicatessen brand from California since 1926, besides being ashamed of themselves for such an inferior product and fraud for calling it “meat ravioli” FAIL!

Avoid: Genova Delicatessen

Technorati Tags: FAIL, Genova Delicatessen

Lifted from the IrascibleChef Blog>  http://www.irasciblechef.com/roughing-it/

Shrimp Oreganato…

Is it really a sacrifice to eat fish versus meat??? Well, only if you dislike fish, crave meat, or have problems with self denying… And then there’s the possibility you can’t cook, I guess.

You can’t go wrong with shrimp, olive oil, garlic, oregano, crushed red pepper, grated cheese, bread crumbs, wine, and lemon… Unless you over cook it! DEE-lish!

Technorati Tags: and lemon, Bread crumbs, crushed red pepper, garlic, grated cheese, irasciblechef recipe, Oregano, shrimp Oreganato, shrimp with olive oil, wine

Sooooooo GoooooooD!

Garlic, white wine, fennel, sausage, Parmesan, in a rich tomato sauce—Fan-f’n-tastic!

Technorati Tags: fennel, garlic, in a rich tomato sauce, Parmesan, Rigatoni with Salmon and Mussels, sausage, White wine

Lifted from the IrascibleChef Bloghttp://www.irasciblechef.com/happy-valentines-day/

to all those enjoying someone else’s company tonight—enjoy it, for tomorrow we die!

Or not tomorrow—eventually…

Tonight however we dined on the delights of the gods: Fantastic Pinot and Sauvignon Blanc to wash down the filet mignon au poivre (peppercorn brandy sauce) sauteed portobello mushrooms, and sliced yams with a balsamic reduction—Ohhhh my!

I almost forgot the Alaskan king crab legs with lemon butter—sorry about that…

Were you lucky enough to have a seat at the table??? —maybe next year!

More pictures please!

I really think Bad Company was trying to say something about lobster in the song Can’t Get Enough, but at the time society was as progressive as we are today—so I have taken the liberty to change a couple of words and do what Bad Company could only wish to do…

Bad Company Can’t get Enough Lyrics:
one, two, one, two, three er four

Well I take whatever I want
And baby I want LOBSTER
You give me something I need
Now tell me I got something for you
Come on come on come on and do it
Come on n..er do what you do

I can’t get enough of your LOBSTER er huh
I can’t get enough of your LOBSTER
I can’t get enough of your lobster

Well it’s late and I want LOBSTER
LOBSTERS gonna break me in two
Don’t hang me up in your doorway
Don’t hang me up like you do yea
Come on come on come on and do it
Come on and do what you do woooo

I can’t get enough of your LOBSTER er
I can’t get enough of your LOBSTER er huh
I can’t get enough of your LOBSTER

What I say now

My grandmother used to make us fried shrimp as a special treat, so like everything else I had to push it! Fried lobster tail—O M G! I’m starting to tremble just thinking about it! Served with a quick homemade cocktail sauce with plenty of horseradish and lots of lemon—could it be more simple??? It couldn’t have tasted better!

I through together a spinach salad with corn, roasted garlic, and pancetta—oh, no here I go again—AAAAaaahhhhhhhhhhhh! OMG!

Technorati Tags: bacon and roasted garlic, Fried lobster tail, homemade cocktail sauce, irasciblechef recipe, Lobster tail, pancetta, spinach salad with corn

Lifted from the IrascibleChef Blog http://www.irasciblechef.com/you-scream-we-…am-for-lobster/

I have got to apologize upfront. I am so so sorry! Sorry you didn’t get to taste the amazing lobster dinner I had the other night! I still get shivers when I think about it!

Broiled Lobster tail with a lemon, vanilla bean, and cardamon infused beurre blanc.
Served with wilted baby spinach sauteed with garlic and bacon and glazed carrots reduced in kahlua and brown sugar.

The lemony beurre blanc was balanced with just the right amount of vanilla bean so that the lobster flavor and texture remained the star!

Broiled to PERFECTION, plump, moist, yet still complimented by all the subtleness of the vanilla bean and cardamon, and contrasted by the tartness of the lemon butter sauce… The flavors exploded like a symphony in your mouth soothing your very soul. Oh, it was fantastic!

Ingredients and instructions for broiled lobster beurre blanc:

• Lobster tail split and brushed cleaned with butter, lemon, and broiled
• Beurre blanc—standard white wine beurre blanc with lemon, Vanilla bean, and cardamon in the reduction.
• Garnished with lemon and orange zest.

Ingredients and instructions for the glazed carrots in Kahlua:

• Carrots cut into planks, olive oil, onion, garlic, Kahlua, and brown sugar, FC S&P

Ingredients and instructions for the wilted spinach:

• Spinach, garlic, crispy crunchy bacon, olive oil and FC S&P

Technorati Tags: Beurre blanc, Cardamon, glazed carrots in kahlua, IrascibleChef, kahlua, lobster, Recipe, Vanilla bean, wilted spinach

Lifted from the IrascibleChef Blog http://www.irasciblechef.com/spin-on-another-family-favorite/

Baked stuffed bell peppers, the way I’ve had them since I was a child was delicious and I still enjoy them to this day.

The family version of the baked stuffed pepper had an Italian accent of course. The original was half a bell pepper stuffed with a seasoned rice, ground meat, and grated Parmesan cheese filling, topped with a thick tomato sauce and baked in the oven.

Just writing about it brings my grandmother and my great aunt right back here by my side… I can hear their voices, see their cooking techniques, and feel a closeness with them. It is great to spend some time with them again—Ohh, I miss those times, but I do feel lucky enough to have had them in the first place…

My new spin on their classic dish has a Mexican accent. I substitute corn tortillas for the rice and it really is something special!

Ingredients:

• Bell pepper cut in half
• Taco seasoned meat
• Enchilada sauce
• Diced corn tortillas
• Sharp cheddar cheese

Instructions:

• Saute ground beef or pork or turkey in olive oil
• Season with chili powder, cumin, paprika, onion and garlic powder, and cayenne pepper, FC S&P
• Add Chicken Stock
• Add Enchilada sauce
• Add diced tortillas (will end up melting in the pot with all the other ingredients and act as a binding agent)
• When thick and cooled down add shredded cheddar
• Fill peppers and baked until golden brown

Serve with sour cream, jalapeno, and cilantro.

Technorati Tags: and cilantro, baked stuffed pepper, corn tortillas, Enchilada sauce, grandmother and my great aunt, irasciblechef recipe, jalapeno, Mexican accent, Sharp cheddar cheese, sour cream.

Lifted from the IrascibleChef Blog http://www.irasciblechef.com/great-combinations/

A new quick feature!

Edibles and drinkables sometimes even a mix of the two like tonight…

I tried a very affordable very local wine from Wente Vineyards—a 2007 SYRAH from Livermore California. First of all, on its own, it kicks ass! Combined with creamy Cambozola cheese on a water cracker—oh my! Fantastic!

The richness of the Cambozola cheese, which in itself is a combination of a soft French triple cream cheese and Italian Gorgonzola.

Very tasty! Very tasty together indeed!

Few delights are more delectable than filet mignon if it’s cooked right!

I made a quick sauté of some olive oil, bruoised onions, garlic, quartered baby portobello mushrooms, paper-thin sliced jalapeño, and FC S&P.

1 inch filet of beef steaks seasoned with FC S&P in a very hot sauté pan with olive oil—2 min per side, don’t play with it, let the meat sear and crust.

OMG—fan-dab-be-dosey Tastic!

Served with dollops of horseradish and garnished with rosemary.

Technorati Tags: and FC S&P, bruoised onions, filet mignon, garlic, garnished rosemary, horseradish, iChef, olive oil, paper-thin sliced jalapeño, quartered baby portobello mushrooms