Fall Glorious Fall

October is here and with it the start of fall, cooler temperatures, breath taking colors, the start of holiday season, but most of all fall means great food. Its the time of year when you can start enjoying all those hardy stews, soups, hot cider, mulled wine and seasonal brews. It's also the time when supermarkets and your local farmers market become filled with pumpkins.

Pumpkins come in a number varieties and they are nearly all edible. Sugar or Pie pumpkins are hands down the best for cooking, but the Jack-O-Lantern can be used with great success. Canned pumpkin is available year round and lets be honest easy to use, but it lacks versatility. Only the real thing can be roasted with a medley of wonderful vegetables to be served along side a shoulder of lamb or loin of pork. For your favorite pumpkin bread recipe fresh pumpkins can easily be used. Split them remove the seeds and steam till tender. The skin should peel away easily and the flesh can be mashed like they were potatoes.

This year with all the buzz about Universal Studios World of Magic and Harry Potter pumpkin is finding new popularity. With amazingly enough ..kids. The beverage of choice in the world of Harry Potter is of course Pumpkin Juice. Interestingly Pumpkin Juice appears in literature much before J.K. Rowlings series in a short story by R.L. Stine. In Stine's story the pumpkin juice, a combination of pumpkin, milk, molasses, butter, garlic and chicken broth leads to some frightful results on Halloween night. With my curiosity up I looked into various recipes for Pumpkin Juice on line and there are many. Not willing to just copy someone else I of course tweaked a few version into my own brew. All fall Chappy's Deli Peppertree will be serving our Pumpkin Juice under the name Harvest Cider, so come in and give it a try.

A great fondness for bread: Revised

Bread is an essential element of any good meal. Bread besides being wonderful on it's own merits, has the added benefit of moping up. You know how bread works to collect all those wonderful juices, gravy and bits of food remaining on the plate. The stuff a spoon or fork just cant get and your only other option is to lick the plate! Yes, that's what I am talking about. What a tasty treat a good piece of bread can be when drenched with gravy or soaked with some savory soup. Ah.....sweet it is.

Well the recipe that follows will help you create some good bread. It is a Irish Soda Bread at heart with some slight modifications. From start to finish, including the time in the oven it takes about 1 hour. In addition this is one of the best recipes for adaptation. I have added chopped olives, roasted garlic, fresh rosemary and any number of various oils to create different taste profiles. A simple way to compliment your meal.
1 cup Whole wheat flour
3cups White unbleached all purpose flour
1 teaspoon Baking powder
1 tablespoon Salt
1 teaspoon Baking soda
2 cups butter milk
1/4 cup oil
Mix together in a bowl and set aside. In a separate bowl dissolve baking soda in buttermilk and oil. Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixing just enough to combine ingredients. Turn batter out onto a floured surface and kneed the bread lightly. Shape into any form and slide onto a lightly oil baking sheet. Score the top of the loaf with a very sharp knife and bake in a hot oven at 350 degrees for about 30-35 minutes.

New life to an old recipe

One of the wonders of cooking is being creative. Take an old recipe and breath new life into it. Well that is what I did this past weekend. I love Quiche and it is so adaptable. You can make them in any size and the ingredients are almost limitless. We took three inch tarts filling them with assorted meats, fresh vegetables, herbs, cheese, egg and cream. Making the most delicious one person Quiches.
One of my favorite things to do with my basic Quiche recipe is to use refrigerator leftovers. I go through the various bowls and containers matching them up to create fantastic one dish meals. A little cold chicken from KFC, a few spoonfuls of creamed corn, a couple unused carrots from a salad and before you know it I had a Chicken Pot Pie Quiche. A show stopper I must say. So be bold, challenge the norm and most of all have fun.

Taking on a giant

Today I faced a giant and won. I have all ways stayed away from scratch pastry, until today. My best friend and his wife got me a fantastic cook book for my birthday. In it was a recipe for Pork Pie complete with step by step instructions on how to make your own crust.

So today I took it on and won. The pie was delicious and the crust was so easy. Some perfecting lies ahead, but I believe new horizons are just a head..

Good food becomes great when shared with friends

Shrimp & Corn Boil

I have had the pleasure of eating some outstanding meals. I recently returned from vacation, where as usual much of the time was spent in local eateries and started reminiscing about past great meals. Then it hit me that those meals that were ranked the highest, were also the ones shared with great company. Truth of the matter is, who we break bread with is important to the overall enjoyment.

Well the mouth-watering picture to the left is the work of a wonderful friend, Marina. I was not only impressed with the taste, but also the preparation. She cooked the shrimp and corn all in one pot. The seasoning she used was a secret I did not get out of her. You can't get it much simpler than that. So here's to you Marina for a great meal.

An American Passion for German Food the Bratwurst

Oktoberfest is just around the corner and it is one of my favorite times of the year. Not only does it mark the beginning of fall and football, but most of all a month long celebration of German food. Bratwurst has become one of Americas favorite grilling, tailgating and fall foods and it is no wonder, this stuff is good. A quick tour through the Internet and one can find a limitless number of ways to cook bratwurst. From stews, casseroles and soups too of course being served on a bun. You can even find recipes to make your own bratwurst which are quite good, but not so easy. I strongly recommend finding a local butcher who, if they are any good at all, will have fresh made bratwurst available.

Like all meats the cooking process is everything. Over cook it and you will have dry and tough brats that no amount of sauerkraut can rescue. I have tried many different methods for cooking them and for me the method that works best is a combination approach. First simmer (not boil) them in a strong beer on the stove top. This takes on average 30 minutes for 4 links and then I finish them on the grill for about 5 minutes each side. This method ensures a cooked bratwurst all the way through and gives the open flame taste you are looking for with a real beer flavor.

Next we are going to talk about German Potato Salad. A unique dish that goes very well with bratwurst I might add. So happy Oktoberfest to all.

BBQ Rub

I am a great fan of dry rubs on meat. This summer I have tried a number of dry rub variations and this one has become my all purpose favorite. You can of course go to your local super market and get any number of ready made rubs, but I think the results are so much better if you make your own. Its great fun and you make what you need only. I do reccomend a mortar and pestle if you are going to go the "do it" yourself route.






4tbs dark brown sugar (be sure its dark)



1tb dry mustard (I have tried mustard seed with great results)


1tbs fresh pepper corns ( mixed peppercorns are best)


2tsp paprika (smoked if you can get it)


1tsp dried oregano


1tsp dried thyme


1tsp cayenne


1tsp allspice


Throw it all into the mortar and pestle. Then bash away till everything is a fine powder. Coat the meat with it and then rub it into the flesh. Let stand for 30 minutes and the grill or smoke.

A Carnivors Delight

I love meat! Please do not invite me to dinner and fail to serve me meat. I will be polite and eat your nasty vegetables, but inside I will not be happy. I, like my muse Jennifer Patterson love meat. Give me red meat right of the bone, pink and juicy. With that said, summer is in my mind the season for meat. Grilling and smoking on a hot summer day with a beer in your hand, life does not get much better than this. One of the fun aspects of cooking meat, happens to be all the great marinades, rubs, brines and sauces that bring personal creativity to the cooking.

So this summer I will be posting those rubs and other culinary creations that make my summer cooking a great success. As always when cooking meat, I think of Jennifer and know she is cheering me on.

Sandwich master piece

All across the globe the sandwich is a true classic.  They appear at the family table and great eateries everyday.  At Chappy's Deli where I work as the "Deli Chef" sandwiches are our focus.  Beauties like this awesome Muffaletta can be found.

Muffaletta Olive Salad Mix

Muffalettas are a New Orleans tradition. They are wickedly addictive and a natural for the summer time taste buds. This recipe is one I have addapted from a number of sources, looking for the perfect balance.

6oz black olives
6oz green olives
6oz artichoke hearts drained well
3oz chopped red onion
2oz carrots shredded
2oz banana peppers chopped
2/3cup olive oil
1/4cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Put all ingredients in a food processor and blend to desired consistency.

Muffaletta Madness

Breaking Bread with Christopher has great news to share with you all. July 2nd I will be appearing on a brief (3min.) cooking segment with the local CBS channel 8. It also happens to coincide with Chappy's Deli new product launch. So I thought I would do one of the featured sandwiches on the segment. Chappy's summer features includes their own in-house made olive salad mix. This is essential when doing the famous New Orleans Muffaletta sandwich. The recipe is one I developed and believe to be rather good and easy. Next week I will post the recipe, along with some photos.

Summer Fun

I have always preferred fall and winter food. Soups, stews, one pot casseroles and pumpkin you get the picture. Well this summer I am finding a whole new world of excitement in outdoor cooking. Oh my goodness there is just so much, smoking, grilling, why grills now have so many gadgets you can do everything out side. I have so far this summer baked bread on my grill, smoked a 12lbs turkey, pan fried new potatoes and this list goes on. So for the next few posts I am going to be sharing the winners and the losers of this summers outdoor experience.

Chicken Salad the Last Chapter

Now let's put it all together for some great chicken salad. My all time favorite chicken salad is what I call "home style". Its a basic mayo, egg, relish, salt and pepper kind of thing, so simple.

Here is my basic method:

3 c. cooked, diced chicken

1/2 c. chopped celery

1/4c. red onion, chopped

4 tbsp. dill pickle relish

4 tbsp. homemade mayonnaise2 tbsp.

2 whole boiled eggs chopped

Salt&Pepper

This and nearly all of the recipes out there call for mayonnaise. So its important that you use good mayo. As you may have guessed, I am about to suggest you make your own. Making mayo is simple, but a little time consuming and it requires some patience. Cooks.com has some very good mayo recipes available to try. If you are not up to the challenge than buy a good brand. Read the label and avoid brands that add colorings or questionable preservatives. Once you've made or purchased your mayo select a good basic chicken salad recipe. When you find one you like go ahead and experiment with it a little by using different relishes or spices. Small changes can make a huge difference which allows you to keep changing things up for your family or guests. Explore the many variations of this easy and fun summer classic.

Dennis, Nikki, Nick, Adrienne and David its about you!

I spend considerable amounts of time at my job every week at Chappy's Deli. I often get asked how it is I can work all week in a demanding food service job and enjoy cooking on my time off. The answer is "love". We all speak a different "love" language and mine is food. It thrills my heart to see those I love enjoying what I have made for them. Cooking for cooking sake is a job. Cooking to please others is a joy for both the giver and the receiver. I have had the awesome pleasure of cooking for some amazing friends. So I just want to say to the world and my friends, Dennis, Nikki, Nick, his wife Adrienne and my boss David I do what I do for you.

Chicken Salad Part Two

Every kitchen should be equipped with some key pieces of equipment. One such piece is a good stock pot, which is essential to boiling our chicken. In our fast paced world everyone is taking short cuts, that can be necassary, but it comes at a price. When cooking it is often flavor that is given up for the sake of speed. When making chicken salad, I know many who use boneless and skinless cut chicken pieces to make theirs. Again that's fine, it is faster, but you lose flavor. It is in the bones and skin of the bird that most of the flavor comes from. So I make chicken salad from whole birds. First rinse your chicken well, then salt and pepper the cavity. Then place into the cavity a whole peeled onion and three or four cloves of garlic. Set the bird into the stock pot and place around the bird stalks of celery and carrot. I like to add bay leaves, thyme, parsley and a pinch of nutmeg to the pot and then pour in water. The water should come up over the chicken by about an inch. Bring it to the boil. Then lower the heat and simmer for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. From this will you not only get some great tasting meat for your salad, but some of the most delicious stock as well. In my third post about Chicken Salad I will talk about smoking and baking together, but most importantly the recipes.

Chicken Salad Part Three

Now let's talk about smoking chicken. It's really quite easy, the problem is few of us have a smoker at home. If you are passionate about your food you can buy one at any home supply place for about 70 dollars. Just follow the simple instructions for your model. In about three hours you'll a have great tasting smokey flavor. Be adventurous and try different types of wood chips when you do smoke your birds. Smoked chicken gives great flavor to almost any recipe you have, the problem is many find the smoke flavor over powering. So you will have to just experiment! Baked chicken is my least favorite method of making chicken for any salad, but it is easy. Just remember to season the bird well and for goodness sake don't over cook it. Over cooked chicken demands amazing amounts of mayonnaise to make chicken salad. Now with mayonnaise being the most common of ingredients in any salad recipe. Even recipes for pesto use some mayo. I thought I would spend the next post talking about good mayonnaise. I cant help it, but there is just so much to say about making good chicken salad. So I appoligise for this dragging on a bit longer than I planned.

Chicken Salad Part One

With spring in the air, I found myself drifting into slightly lighter fair. One thing I find popular this time of the year is Chicken Salad. A quick search of recipes on any food site and you will find hundreds of variations. I have been working in the food service industry for near 20 years now and have made my fair share of chicken salad. While the ingredients you add to the chicken are important, the real key is the chicken itself. Start with quality chicken. This is your family you are feeding. Don't by factory raised, hormone fed birds. Spend more for the better quality and better tasting free range and hormone free chickens. Buy local birds, if possible, and get to know the source. I have often heard people say "Oh, it will just be wasted on my kids. Why waste the money." It's because of your kids that you should. . Give your children the purest food you can! OK, now that you have bought your birds, how to cook them becomes the next step.You can boil, smoke or bake your chicken, all good methods and each has a different result. My personal choice is boiling. Smoking is good, but I feel it limits my applications. Baking is fine but the chicken can lack flavor or even dry. By boiling I can add flavor to the chicken, it tends to be more moist and you have the by product of a quality stock. Another area of debate is white meat vs dark meat. All white meat chicken salad is good, but the flavor is really more about the ingredients you add not the chicken. By adding dark meat chicken you are getting a true chicken flavor, therefore, needing less ingredients to give it taste. On the next post we will explore how to boil that chicken. It may suprise you, but there is more to it than you think.

I have a great fondness for bread. Bread of all kinds. I don't care how much food is laid out before me, I can not help but be disappointed when I don't see any bread. Yeast breads are wonderful, but lets face it they are time consuming. There is a wide world of quick breads out there to explore. It is just a matter of finding the one that works for you. I found an old two book set on bread and pasta at a flee market. In it I found a recipe for Irish Soda Bread. What I loved about the recipe was its simplicity. I could turn out a nice loaf start to finish in about 1 hour. After a few modifications I had a base that could adapt to a number of variations. I agree with most of the comments that baking is a very precise processes, but I have found that some variables do apply. The quantity of buttermilk depends on the flour. Things like the storage and age of the flour can all affect the amount of buttermilk in this recipe. So where the quantity of buttermilk is listed you will see a range of amount.

What I have listed here is my base recipe, but be adventurous. So here is Breaking "Irish" Bread with Christopher.

1cup Whole Wheat flour

3cups All Purpose Unbleached flour

1teaspoon Baking Powder

1tablespoon Salt

Mix together in a large bowl

In a separate bowl dissolve the baking soda in the buttermilk and then add the oil

2-2 1/2cups Buttermilk

1teaspoon Baking Soda

1/4cup canola oil

Pour the buttermilk mixture into the dry ingredients and mix just enough to combine. Turn out onto a floured surface and kneed the bread into a 9" round shape. Slide the loaf onto a lightly oiled baking sheet. Then score the top with a very sharp knife. Bake in a hot oven at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.

Venison Pie

I happen to have a good bit of venison in my freezer at the moment, that is why I am giving you yet another venison recipe. I love venison! Most people complain the game flavor is to strong and it can be. This depends a great deal on how you are preparing it. Marinades and the method of cooking can mellow out that flavor. Farm raised venison is naturally a bit milder than wild, but the expense is outrages. Here in Alabama it is quite easy to find someone with a freezer full of venison they are very willing to share. For the recipe I am sharing with you today, I used about 2lbs of what the package said was round steaks. After trimming a way the bands of muscle tissue, which I have heard Clarissa (Two Fat Ladies) call "nicker elastic" I had 1 1/2lbs of meat. Now to begin.First you want to make some stock from the trimmings. Throw them into a pot with onion,carrot,parsley,salt,pepper,bay leaves and 1 quart of water. Bring to a boil then simmer for about an hour. While the stock is working chop on whole onion into small pieces, but not minced. Slice 8oz of mushrooms or you can buy the already sliced ones. Mince 3 cloves of garlic. Heat a good sized frying pan with 2oz of butter in it and two tablespoons olive oil. Saute the onions, garlic and mushrooms together till the onions are soft. Once the vegetables are soft you want to add salt,pepper,2 tablespoons of whole grain mustard and a 1/4 cup Madeira or Sherry. Set the mixture to the side and let it cool. Once cool add 4oz of sour cream.
Now to the venison. In a large zip lock bag make up some seasoned flour. Add to the bag the venison pieces and shake till coated well. Fry the pieces in batches only a few minutes, 3-4 at the most. You just want to sear the outside, leaving the meat still very rare. You want there to be blood, you are going to cook it some more after all. Once you have all the meat done add it to the cooled mushroom mixture. With this done you now want to prepare a deep dish pie plate to receive the mixture. Buy a good pie crust, it is way to much fiddle faddle to make a crust from scratch. Place the bottom crust into the pie plate and fill with the mixture. Place the top on and be sure to seal the two crusts together. Bake till the crust is golden brown all over, about 50 minutes at 400. Enjoy!!

How a Passion for Meat Began

As a child growing up in Michigan, with a father who was a avid sportsmen meat was a significant part of every evening meal. My sisters and I had everything from venison, rabbit and moose to fresh salmon. As a child I did not fully understand what an amazing advantage we all had. So as you can see, meat was to me the main event. In today's politically correct environment, meat has been getting a bad wrap. I agree that the American mass production process makes the benefits of meat questionable, but meat is still a part of a balanced diet. Now, God has been good to me and one of His gifts has been my friend, Nick who shares my passion for food. Nick like me gets all misty eyed when looking at a glorious side of beef. He turned his passion into a career. Nick is the happy owner of the Cajun Cleaver meat market, which (sigh) I must admit has made me just a bit jealous.

Today, in keeping with the wild game theme, I want to share with you my huntsman's meatloaf. This is not for the faint of heart, but for the bold true meat lover. So below you will find my recipe.

8oz sliced mushrooms

1cup chopped onion

2 cloves garlic crushed and minced

nutmeg to taste

pepper and salt

2tablespoons olive oil

1/4cup sherry

I start by first heating the oil and then adding my mushrooms. Cook till warmed through and then add the onion and garlic. Grate fresh nutmeg into the mixture according to your own taste. I use a good teaspoon myself and add a pinch of salt. Pepper I also fresh grind into the mixture and I like a good teaspoon or so. Add the sherry and heat the whole mixture through till onions just soften. Set aside to cool.

1lbs ground game meat (venison, moose or elk)

1lbs ground lamb

1lbs ground spicy pork sausage

Break each up into a large bowl and then mix together. Then add the following ingredients to the meat.

1teaspoon dry mustard

2tablespoons worcestershire

2 eggs lightly beaten

1cup bread crumbs

cooled pan of mushroom mixture

Using your hands mix everything together and place on a shallow baking dish. I like to wrap strips of bacon around it and tuck in bay leaves and sprigs of rosemary or thyme. Put in a pre- heated 375 degree oven for about 1 hour.

I like to serve this with braised cabbage and beans. Enjoy!

Fear is the Mind Killer

I read one day in the Sci-fi book Dune, "Fear is the mind killer" and that it is. All to often I have allowed fear of all sorts to stop me from doing so many things. Rejection being at the top of the list for me, followed by fear of ridicule. Even in the area of cooking I deal with mind numbing fear. I ask myself "Who are you to talk about food? You are not even trained!" That kind of thinking has kept me locked up in a little box to long. So I boldly and with many mistakes declare my love of Christ Jesus and that talent which I receive from him. No more waiting to be perfect...Ha, that will never happen. So here I go speaking boldly about my experience with food and life.

I have heard that we all talk a different language of love. Well food is how I express love to others. Having guests at my home and serving a meal tailored to them, gives me great joy. That is how I tell you I love you. Last night I said I love you to a long time friend Nikki. I prepared for her a dish I have mentioned before, Kedgeree! It is such an easy dish to prepare and taste great. I followed the traditional method of onions, turmeric, gar am masala, smoked fish and soft boiled eggs and it was delicious. What I like so much is the well balanced flavors. Nothing over powering. Everything subtle and noticeable, the way it should be.

So here's to good food, life, friends and leaving free of fear.

Nikki's Cilantro Cornbread

Nikki, a friend of many years has a rather strong obsession with cilantro. So for Valentine's Day I prepared a meal with cilantro in everything. The surprise hit of the meal was the corn bread. It was so well received that I tried it a number of times after that and always to rave reviews. So here is the recipe so you too can make Nikki's Cilantro Cornbread.

1 cup unbleached white flour
1 cup blue or yellow cornmeal (blue gives a great look)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
combine above ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Set aside.

1 cup buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
combine these in another bowl and allow baking soda to dissolve. Then add the next set of ingredients.
2 eggs
1/4 cup brown sugar
and 1/3 cup melted butter or light oil. Butter is recommended. Than add 1/4 cup fresh squeezed lime juice and 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro. Combine this bowl with the dry ingredients, mixing only enough to combine. Pour into what ever pan you like. Bake at 400 degrees for about 15 to 20 minutes.

Chappy' Deli web page

I am so happy to announce to everyone, that recipes of mine will be appearing on the Chappy's Deli web page! This should begin in March, with the launch of their redesigned site.
Each month two recipes and possibly an article will appear. The recipes will be my own and based on National food holidays. My first will be a smashing recipe using artichokes. As you guessed artichokes have a day in March as a "National Day Of".
If you are not a fan on the Chappy's Facebook page become one now. So much is coming down the road from Chappy's starting in March. As Chappy's Deli says Eat, Live, Laugh!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Cooking for a small group of Church of Highlands

Monday night I offered to cook for a small group of people. The group it's self is named " Soul Food" and is faith based. The group leaders Dathan and Dillan have a gift for helping others reach thier full potential in Christ.
For this group I prepared Roasted Red Pepper and Corn Chowder as a starter. A very simple sauté of the veggies, which included onion, corn, peppers and spices. To this add chicken stock. Do NOT use bullion cubes or some dry package of dust to make chicken stock. Such products taste terrible and have way to many questionable ingredients. For goodness sake use store bought stock if you can not make your own! Once the stock has been added bring it to the boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer then add cream, rice and diced pre-cooked chicken.
The main course was a splendid piece of Loin of Pork. This I got at my local butcher shop "The Cajun Cleaver". I cut an opening down the length of it so I can stuff it with fresh ingredients. I filled the opening with cilantro, minced fresh ginger, garlic and seasoning.
I roast it till almost done. Remove it from the oven, slice it and then return to the oven covered in coconut milk. The coconut milk I make while the pork is cooking. It's a simple combination of ginger, green onion, chili peppers and lime juice.
Once again I learned so much from the experience. Most of what I learned was about transporting hot food. Not so easy by the way. In the end all was well. With good food our bodies were fed and by the word of God our spirit nurished as well.

Life Is Over When You Stop Learning

No matter what you do in life, you must challenge yourself. With that in mind I set out to try a new recipe, technique or food every week. Each week I have come away from the experience with something new. This weekend while flipping through endless pages of the same old thing, I came across a recipe for Plum Kuchen. A German dessert with, you guessed it plums.

This dish was so very simple and the idea of plums appealed to me. I don't know if I have ever cooked with plums before. I went to my local market and did my very best to look like I knew what I was doing while selecting my plums. Yes, I could have asked for help and often do, but not this time. I wanted to learn. I choose four plums that were so dark in color as to be almost black and two that had a more red to their color. While cutting and removing the pits from them, I noticed that the very dark plums cut easier and the pit came out with ease. The redder ones took a bit more work. The real difference came at the time of tasting. The redder plums were still a bit firm after forty minutes of cooking, while the darker ones were much softer. As for actual taste the redder ones were more tart, which was a nice contrast to the egg and sour cream custard that covered the plums.

So you may be asking, what did I learn? One dinner guest loved the more tart flavor, while another the melow flavor of the darker plums. It's all a matter of personal taste.

The First Breaking Bread with Christopher

I have been very blessed by our lord God with great friends. One such friend has been so helpful to me with this project. Steven and his wife played host to some friends of theirs and asked me to cook. What a treat the night was for me.

I went with a Indonesian theme of sorts for the menu. Here is where I learned a valuable lesson. Don't experiment on an assignment, cook what you know. Everything turned out fine, but it was risky. I realised what a bad move it was mid way through making the main dish.

The starter I choose was a favorite of mine, Pumpkin and Coconut Curry soup. I love this! Chicken stock and the coconut milk added to the pumpkin alone is good, but the red curry gives it a remarkable lift. Garnished with basil and green onion, this is a great winter soup.

I am a great fan of the cooking show and style of "Two Fat Ladies" and they were with me that night as well. Using a recipe of Jennifer Patterson as a foundation, I made a version of Kedgeree. This is a rice, turmeric, gar am marsala and smoked fish dish, that I adapted as follows. To keep the smoky flavor of the fish I substituted smoked chicken. Other touches to the basic recipe were the addition of roasted red pepper, assorted olives and French's brand fried onions. I was pleased with the results and even went so far as to write it down.

Dessert was another of my favorites. Once again this basic concept come from a Jennifer Patterson recipe, but I change the fresh fruit on it. That night a used cherries, red raspberries and blackberries with sweet tasting results.

Discovering a Talent

I started cooking when I was very young. I, like so many had a working mom. Her job required a significant commute every day. As a result my sister and I took up the job of preparing the evening meal. My sister we discovered had little natural talent. She mistook sugar for salt on one occasion and ruined our fathers steak. Before long I found myself the official cook when mom was not at home.





I do believe anyone can cook. Follow the instructions given and you should be able to get the desired results. Its like painting by numbers. We can all paint in that way, but few are gifted with a talent for painting. I have never been formally trained and therefore I am not a chef, but I do have a real talent for cooking. A talent I believe comes from God.





I found my way into the restaurant industry in my mid twenties and have been having great fun with food ever since. God played his part in this as well by directing me towards a career with a local deli named Chappy's Deli. The owner, David Barranco allowed me much creative freedom which served as a spring board to new experiences in food for me.



Recently I stumbled onto a clip of vintage 90's video of a cooking show called "Two Fat Ladies" and fell in love. I loved every thing about the show. Jennifer Paterson became a mentor of sorts, helping me too be bold with cooking and life. So with Jennifer as my muse and God my guide I take a new step in life and food.