Kaffir Lime Mango with Smooth Coconut-Fromage Blanc Cream by Chef Grégoire Michaud

It has been a while since the last entry in our series featuring dishes from my esteemed guests that capture the essence of the three Tom Yam herbs, i.e. lemongrass, galangal, and kaffir lime, are featured. The series debuted with French macarons with the flavors of Tom Yam. That big hit was followed by another chart-topper, Baked Alaska infused with Tom Yam herbs. Not to be outdone, my third guest, Pastry Chef Grégoire Michaud of the Four Seasons, Hong Kong, has come up with another great creation exclusively for my readers: Kaffir Lime Mango with Smooth Coconut-Fromage Blanc Cream.

Read more...

Pretzel Hamburger and Hot Dog Buns

Matthew, one of my readers, wrote with a request -- an odd one -- for hot dog buns that are, "just as strong as your brioche burger buns but not as rich or sweet and a little more manly." I'm usually not one who shies away from asking questions, but there are times when the fear of possible answers is far greater than the need for an explanation. I thought about what he could have meant, and I feared the worst.

Manly hot dog buns? Manly hot dog buns? Hot dog buns that exude manliness? Hot dog buns that enhance your manliness? Hot dog buns that, uh, personify manliness?

Read more...

Foodbuzz 24x24: Gulf Relief Shrimp Fra Diavolo and An Interview with Chef Adam Sobel

Fra Diavolo is a tomato-based sauce featuring seafood -- most often very large shrimp -- and served with pasta. Though light, this sauce is a flavor powerhouse thanks largely to a base of highly-concentrated shrimp shell stock and very fresh ingredients. The necessary component, other than the copious amounts of garlic and onion, is red pepper flakes. The sauce is supposed to be on a spicy side; it's not named, "Brother Devil," for nothing, after all.

This dish was made on April 24th, 2010 as part of a special meal hosted by Foodbuzz. The recipe comes from Adam Sobel, Executive Chef of RM Seafood in Las Vegas.

Read more...

Homemade Pancake and Muffin Mixes

This post in under construction. Please pardon the dust.

Read more...

Coconut Sticky Rice Pudding with Corn (ข้าวเหนียวเปียกข้าวโพด) and Winners of Battle Corn

Here's an easy, comforting, down home snack-cum-dessert enjoyed throughout Southeast Asia, if not wider. The types of rice used differ from culture to culture; so do, of course, the names. In Thailand, long grain glutinous rice is used.

For this batch, I stuck with my tried-and-true sticky rice:water ratio of 1:5 and cooked the rice according to the way I was taught. After I'd shut off the stove and let the rice continue to soften in a covered pot, I added to it kernels from two fresh ears of corn. Post-sweetening sticky rice and corn pudding was then served warm with moderately-salted coconut milk drizzled on top.

Read more...

No-bake Mango Cream Tart

The number one and most disappointing failure when it comes to cold, no-baked, gelatin-stabilized desserts is when they do not set. Sometimes, this is simply due to insufficient refrigeration in which case the problem can be easily solved by chucking the runny mess back into the fridge and allowing it more time to chill in remorse and repentance without you uttering a word. Occasionally, when you deal with misbehaving desserts, passive-aggressive silent treatment is the only way to get the message across.

Read more...

Massaman Curry Recipe (แกงมัสมั่น)

Standing out among the other curries in the classic Thai cuisine is the unique Massaman* curry whose name, according to an unsubstantiated theory is homonymic with an out-of-use word for a Muslim man (I'm still waiting for credible evidence supporting that theory). Regardless, all signs point to strong influence from the Middle Eastern and South Asian cuisines on this particular curry; i.e. the aroma of cardamom and cumin is more dominant, the heat more subdued, and pork is traditionally never the meat of choice. In our household, when I was growing up, Massaman curry was considered a "training curry" for children due to its lower level of spiciness compared to that of red, green, or panaeng curry.

Read more...