A Classic Dessert Sauce Made Easy - Crème Anglaise

Persimmon Bourbon Pudding on a bed of Crème Anglaise

You may have heard of the five mother sauces of classical cooking (béchamel, velouté, espagnole, hollandaise, tomate), but the truth is there's a sixth missing from that list: anglaise.  While most sauces in savory cooking are based off of the five aforementioned classics, pastry's workhorse is the crème anglaise, or vanilla sauce, as it's sometimes called.  Meaning English cream in the French language, this custard transforms into some of your favorite desserts with very little manipulation.  Ice cream, crème brûlée, and pastry cream are just vanilla sauce with a couple extra steps.

With all this talk about what anglaise can be, I might not be getting across to you that this custard sauce is perfect as is for-- well, you guessed it-- a complimentary sauce to a dessert.  The recipe I show for the anglaise is simple, delicious, and doesn't require any extraneous or complicated steps you often see in other recipes.  Much like the other mother sauces, crème anglaise is a blank canvas to flavor and transform into the application most pleasing to you.

Roasted Curried Cauliflower

This short video post isn't just about giving you a delicious recipe for cauliflower, but a foolproof model on how to roast cauliflower, no matter what the seasoning.

Chicken Chettinad Masala - Not For the Faint of Heart

Although, I am a big fan of Indian cuisine, I'm not much of a fan of Indian restaurants (at least here in America).  First of all, most of them run buffets during lunch, which may be the only time you can get to them.  The quality of food on a buffet always takes a hit because of the large quantities prepared, and necessity to hold the food at a particular temperature to assure safety dries it all out.  Have you ever had tandoori chicken from a buffet that wasn't as desiccant as the Thar?  I know I haven't.

Additionally, the food served at most restaurants in America fails to deliver truly aromatic and flavorful dishes one expects from the Indian subcontinent for two reasons:

1.  Spices are expensive and Indian food uses a lot of them.  For this reason, a lot of restaurants cut back on the amount they use to reduce costs.  Your vindaloo might taste like ketchup, and your roghan josh will arrive to your table a deep red color from the paprika they used in place of the pleasantly piquant Kashmiri chiles, which create a burnt orange hue, not ruby. 

2.  Your curry is probably drowned in heavy cream!  Even if you aren't ordering korma or chicken makhani, the kind proprietors of your local Indian establishment have caught onto the fact that Americans love creamy, fatty foods, so they started throwing it into everything they make, further muting the essential spices.  

The solution to all of this is to make your own Indian food at home.  Desi people are a huge immigrant group in the U.S. and worldwide (England, the Caribbean, Spain).  Chances are there's an Indian or Desi grocery store near your humble abode.  This means you can get the necessary stuff to make proper Indian cuisine, probably saving money along the way, too. 

Dig into... Some Tonkatsu

Modern Japan isn't merely a country where East meets West.  The Land of the Rising Sun's story is more a case where East thought West was chou kawaii but after running through a couple different Western suitors (Portugal and Holland), East gave up on all foreigners and went totally asexual for a couple hundred years before that Chandler guy made them start airing Friends episodes in English... Yeah, that sounds right*.

Anyway, East finally settled on a handsome Western suitor who had the traits of a myriad of Western states, including Amurrica and Germany, to make 126 million homogenous children.  Here's where I tell you how this all relates to tonkatsu.

Two Techniques in One: Homemade Croutons and Breadcrumbs

There are three major benefits of making your own croutons and breadcrumbs at home:

1. You now have a use for stale or leftover bread.

2. Your croutons and breadcrumbs will be crunchier, healthier, and more flavorful than the store-bought variety.

3. Endless flavor combinations will keep you and your diners interested and satisfied.

Tzatziki Sauce - Save Your Quarters and Make it at Home

No matter how you say it, tzatziki's still your favorite condiment at Greek restaurants, and the proprietors know this.  Around where I live, they never give you enough and charge around 50 cents for a small side of the stuff.  I'm not saying I expect them to give it away for free, but what I am saying is that you can save your change for other important things like gumballs and toll roads by making your own.

Falafel - Try It Sober for Once

A lot of young people's relationships with falafel are akin to that of smoking: they only do it when drunk.  How sad.

Why should one enjoy falafel only when obliterated?  Or worse yet, why should this nutritious delicacy receive the same treatment as a known carcinogenic consuetude?

The answer is: they shouldn't. While everyone has their favorite vendor after they've had a couple too many, homemade falafel can far exceed the quality and freshness of stale precooked patties one encounters all too often.  Additionally, they're easy to make and cheap!

A Better Egg (for Wraps and Sandwiches)

How many times have you sunk your teeth into a breakfast burrito and taken out half the bacon on the first bite?  Worse yet, how many times have you finished all of the bacon before the wrap is done?  Whether it be a fried egg and bacon on a burger or bagel, if you incorporate bacon directly into the whites, you're guaranteed to have crispy porky goodness in every bite.

Wild Boar Ravioli

Ravioli are one of my favorite foods of all time.  I understand (and sympathize) if you have Celiac's, but you just can't trust someone who doesn't enjoy a well-prepared dish of pasta-- especially pasta that's been stuffed full of homemade ricotta and mouthwatering wild boar.  

Homemade Ricotta - Formaggio Facile for Sure

What can I say about ricotta cheese that you didn't already know?  Creamy, slightly sweet, and highly adaptable, ricotta (in one form or another) is a familiar and common item in kitchens across the globe.  But did you know you can make it at home no problem?

A Spanish Classic: Tortilla Española

Chances are if you've been to Spain, you've probably had a version of this.  Also known as tortilla de patatas (to distinguish it from the tortilla francesa, which does not contain potatoes), this culinary creation is as versatile as it is ubiquitous in the Iberian peninsula.  That's right, even the Portuguese eat this, and you should too.

An African Afflatus: Chicken Piri Piri

In the mood for something hot?  Search no further, as this African-inspired chicken piri piri will more than satisfy your cravings for capsaicin.  

Espinacas con Garbanzos: Because Spinach and Chickpeas Doesn't Have the Same Ring to It

While the name in English is anything but sexy, the taste of this tapa I greatly enjoyed from my time in Spain greatly exceeds the mundane Anglophonic title.  Though spinach and chickpeas might garner a lukewarm reaction from dinner guests, espinacas con garbanzos is sure to excite the Spanish and non-Spanish speaker alike-- granted, once you've tried the dish, the English name will do just fine.

Not Your Amma's Rogan Josh

First, a disclaimer: In no way does this recipe claim to be an authentic interpretation of Kashmiri rogan josh, hence the title, "Not Your Amma's (common Indian term for grandma) Rogan Josh."

"Real" rogan josh comes from the Kashmir region of India, where they have Kashmir chilies (mirch/i).  These chilies give the dish its signature red color, but are not necessarily easy to procure in their whole form.  Ground kashmir chilli powder can be found in certain Desi groceries, however, "real" rogan josh is supposed to have the dried whole mirchi.  Paprika is also a common substitute in Indian restaurants due to its color and mild flavor. 

Mango Salsa: You Couldn't Eff This Up If You Tried

By far the most simple thing I've posted, this mango salsa recipe is barely even a recipe.  There's no cooking, and there's no real need to measure anything.  In essence, there's no way you could mess this up.  Just make sure your ingredients are fresh and the flavors will be there. 

Fresh Pasta without the Machine

Though not inherently superior to dried pasta, fresh homemade pasta is always a real treat with endless possibilities.  Not just the sauce pairings or applications, but the shape, size, type of noodle, and ingredients can all be manipulated for a unique meal every time.

Pollo Tomatillo (Chicken in Tomatillo Sauce)

Summer is here and in about a month or so a lot of you are going to be so bored of chicken on the grill, you won't know what to do with yourselves.

The good news is that I'm here to prematurely ward off fatigue from America's favorite bird, and keep this mundane ingredient interesting with some pollo tomatillo, or chicken in a tomatillo sauce. 

(Non-fried) Gator: Ain't Nothin' Wrong with a Little Bit of Bump and Brine

If you've eaten gator before, chances are it was probably fried.  While frying pretty much anything results in deliciousness, I was curious to try alligator in a simpler preparation where the flavor of the meat could shine through, rather than be obscured by heavy breading and a ton of seasoning.

The thing is though, alligator can be even leaner than chicken, and if you think that overcooks quickly, you've never worked with alligator!  Not surprisingly, gator meat does not appeal to everyone, and it'll appeal to even less people if it's dry and chewy.

So, with moistness on the mind, how did I decide to hedge my bets and prepare the gator?  I brined that sucker, and I'm pleased to say it worked!

How to Sear a Duck Breast (and Render the Fat)

Not familiar with cooking duck?  That's fine, not many home cooks I know are.

Duck Fat Flour Tortillas

Never experienced a homemade tortilla?  Well, brace yourself for these flour tortillas made with decadent duck fat.