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Apple Jicama Coleslaw – Don't Believe Everything You Read in the Produce Aisle

This crispy, crunchy, and extremely refreshing coleslaw recipe features a very under-utilized vegetable found in almost every large American grocery store's produce section – I'm talking about jicama.

In fact, there's a good chance you've never had it, which is a shame. The flavor is very mild, and subtly sweet. It's just perfect for raw salads like this coleslaw, and blends wonderfully with the tart apple and crunchy cabbage.

One problem with jicama is how it's marketed. As you'll see in the video, the label described it as, "a Mexican potato," which is just a terrible comparison. If you want to make something sound unappetizing to an American, have them think they are going to be eating something that's like a raw potato. Yum.

Jicama does have a similar texture to a raw potato, but that's where that comparison ends. It is a little starchy, but pleasantly so, and each bite produces a mini explosion of juicy goodness. So, don't be afraid! I hope you buy some jicama on your next trip to the market, and give this easy side dish recipe a try soon. Enjoy!




Apple Jicama Coleslaw Ingredients:
1/2 small green cabbage, sliced into 1/4-inch strips
1/2 jicama, sliced into 1/4-inch strips on a vegetable slicer
1 large Fuji apple, sliced into 1/4-inch strips on a vegetable slicer
For the dressing:
1/4 cup pineapple juice
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp sugar
hot sauce to taste
salt to taste
1/3 cup crushed corn nuts
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Follow Me, Foodie, Over to Follow Me Foodie

During the video panel discussion I participated in at the 2010 Foodbuzz Blogger Festival, I offered to showcase videos created by any of the young, budding video bloggers in attendance. One such blogger is the lovely and talented, Mijune, from Follow Me Foodie.

Of course when I made my offer, I should have been clearer that I didn't really want videos whose quality and production value were better than mine, but it's too late now. A promise is a promise. Here are Mijune's first two videos – an introduction to her new format, and a review of YEW Restaurant & Bar at The Four Seasons Hotel in Vancouver, BC.

By the way, the second video illustrates why I could never do video reviews. Once you feed me, any semblance of journalistic integrity dissolves like a pinch of salt in a free bowl of soup. Enjoy!





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Shrimp Cooked on Himalayan Pink Salt – I Sherpa Hope You Like It!

I've always wanted to cook something on Himalayan pink salt, but I just can't for the life of me tell you why. I knew that flavor-wise there couldn’t be any real difference between cooking on pink salt, and simply seasoning with it, but that didn’t seem to matter.

Just the idea of cooking on what's basically a slab of crystal, appealed to some indefinable internal force inside of me. Having said that, I still reserve the right to continue to mock those people that wear crystals for their healing properties, because that's just nuts.

Anyway, back to these shrimp. As I summarize in the video: it was fun, I'm glad I did it, but I don't think I would do it again, unless it was for some showy, interactive first course.

There's no doubt letting your guests cook their own shrimp on hot, pink salt would definitely be a neat way to start off a dinner party.

Above and beyond the Himalayan pink salt experiment, the ultra-simple shrimp preparation seen here can be easily adapted to your trusty non-crystal saute pan.

You'll be pleasantly surprised how good seared shrimp are with nothing more than a pinch of cumin and cayenne. Just don’t forget the salt! Enjoy.

Note: After you cook on it, the salt block can be scraped clean, rinsed off (even though they said not to), and wiped dry. It's a completely antiseptic surface and can be reused as many times as possible.



Ingredients:
1 pound large shrimp
1 teaspoon grapeseed oil
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
salt to taste if using conventional cooking methods
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A Chip Off the Old Pink Block

Tomorrow, I hope to have a new video up where I cook on a hot slab of pink Himalayan salt. I've been wanting to try this for a while, and finally found a nice piece of this sexy salt in a neighborhood grocery store. Will it work? Will it crack? Will it be too salty, or not salty enough? Will it taste like Yeti? Stay tuned!

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Artichoke and Spinach Stuffed Shells - A Lesson in Leftovers

I love cooking with leftovers, and this artichoke and spinach stuffed shells recipe is a perfect example of why. There's something very satisfying about turning a dish of tired leftovers into a vibrant new creation. It's also great exercise for your cooking muscles, which should never be confused with your following-a-recipe muscles.

When you follow a recipe, you're tying to manipulate food into something fabulous that fits some beautifully idyllic description, or looks like some photoshop'd picture in a cookbook. When you're cooking with leftovers, you don't have as lofty of a goal. In fact, your usually just trying to keep something from going straight into the bin.

Much like a sports team that has nothing to lose, and plays great because of their free and easy attitude, the same thing often happens when cooking with leftovers. In fact, if I weren't so jetlagged, I'd come up with some brilliant metaphor for living life with this same approach.

Due to dangerously high quantities of food at our Super Bowl party (by the way, how 'bout dem bones!), I found myself with a significant amount of leftover spinach artichoke dip. I've always enjoyed spinach and ricotta stuffed pasta shells, so I thought I'd see if I could turn this fairly unattractive dish of food into something slightly less unattractive.

As you'll see from the video, I think I succeeded. The would have been too long had I included the making of the béchamel sauce, but we've done that one many times, and you can see that recipe video here. I just made a standard batch of white sauce, and tossed in a handful of grated Gruyere.

Anyway, I hope this video inspires you to take a look around the fridge, and fearlessly, and without any grand expectations, make something into something else. Enjoy!

Technical Note: Do not adjust your monitors! This was filmed at my mom's home on a dark winter's day, so the lighting is not very good. Although, it is kind of fitting for the subject.


Artichoke and Spinach Stuffed Shells Ingredients:
(recommended as a side dish)
3 cups leftover spinach artichoke dip
1 generous cup ricotta cheese
1 egg
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
red pepper flakes to taste
juice from one lemon
1 box jumbo shells
1 batch béchamel sauce with 1 cup of grated cheese added to it at the end
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
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Chef John is Flying High

Chef John is currently flying cross-country, back to beautiful San Francisco. In addition to typing in the third person, for no apparent reason, Chef John is plotting a whole bunch of exciting new video recipes. Stay tuned!
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Last Minute Valentine's Day Dinner Ideas: Keep it Simple Cupid!

"Cupid's Span" Photo (c) grahamc99
We're not going to judge you, much. Sure, you had weeks to plan a nice dinner for that special someone, but you waited until today to actually figure out what you're going to serve. And, since you don't really know how to cook, you're now panicking wondering what you can possibly pull off without a practice run. Nice going.

Relax, we have you covered. Here are some very sexy main course ideas that can be pulled off by even the most inexperienced cooks and lovers (those two things usually go hand in hand). Just click on the recipe's title, and you'll be swept away to the original post, where the rest will be up to you and cupid.

I want to wish you all a very happy Valentine's Day. Remember, food IS love. Enjoy!



Besides all the great opportunities for double entendres using the word "rack," this is a simple piece of meat to cook. If you're lucky enough to have a Valentine's date that enjoys a nice big piece of red meat, this is a fabulous choice. 

Also, one rack makes two perfectly sized portions, which will work out nicely unless you have some things planned we don't know about. And if you do, please keep them to yourself.



I use this amazingly simplistic sauce on a piece of grilled salmon in the video, but it will work for any cooking method. If you are comfortable pan searing or broiling a piece of fish, this super sexy sauce will take it (and maybe you) to another place. 

I get so many emails about how much people love this recipe – so you can go forward with confidence. By the way, confidence is a proven aphrodisiac.



This bowl of pasta passion is so easy, so delicious, and so satisfying, you'll forget your trying to make someone fall in love with you. Which is perfect since that always makes it much more likely to happen. 

Be sure to find out if your date likes spicy foods before pulling out the sausage for this recipe. It can also be made with milder, sweet Italian sausage. Another tip: buy and use Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, to show them you're serious.



Shrimp and grits is a very simple recipe, as long as you get all your prep done before you start cooking. The shrimp only take a few minutes to sauté, so you don't have time to run around chopping scallions or juicing lemons. 

Once everything is assembled, this recipe is a snap. You can make the grits a bit ahead, since they stay hot a very long time – [insert your own special Valentine's "they stay hot a very long time" reference here!]

A Bonus Valentine's Day Video from Food Currated!

This gorgeous video is from my very talented friend Liza de Guia, and features Matt and Allison Robicelli, from Robicelli’s Cupcakes in New York City. Be sure to check out the full blog post here! Enjoy!

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Valentine's Day Chocolate Mocha Pot de Crème - Now, What's for Breakfast?

Easy "no-bake" chocolate mocha pot de creme
The real goal of any hot Valentine's Day date isn't to make a great dinner; it's to make a great breakfast for that same person the next day. With that in mind, we're going to need something a little richer, sexier, and more decadent than usual.

Luckily, richer, sexier, and more decadent is exactly what this chocolate mocha pot de crème recipe is all about. Sure, it's basically just a soft, coffee-flavored chocolate ganache, but when you serve it out of those cute little demitasse cups, top it with some thickened cream, and dust it with cocoa to simulate a petite cappuccino, there's nothing basic about it.

On a less romantic note, let me make a little disclaimer about this dessert's composition. If you make it with other types of chocolate, other dairy products, or other sweeteners, I can't be held responsible for it's aphrodisiacal effects.

I'm sort of a one trick pony when it comes to this stuff, so without sounding too lazy, if you're wondering about the difference between 70% and 85% chocolate, or if half and half will work instead, you should probably Google a reliable source. Or better yet, just make it exactly like this – it was really good.

Having said that, you are certainly free to put your own subtle flavoring twists on this, like a bit of orange zest instead of coffee, or as I joke about in the video, a little pinch of cayenne. I really hope you give this a try for Valentines Day, and good luck with that breakfast. Enjoy!


Here is the same video embeded with Vimeo for our European friends who can't view though YouTube!



Ingredients for 4 Chocolate Mocha Pots de Crème
4 oz bittersweet chocolate, cut into very small pieces (as small as corn kernels)
1/2 teaspoon instant coffee
very tiny pinch of salt
1 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
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Valentine's Special: Average Betty and Fabio Sexy-Up Chicken and Rice!

I'm still in West Chester, PA, after a fascinating day of training at QVC. Since I have no new video recipe to share, I'll have to do the next best thing, and use somebody else's. 

Here's my buddy Sara from Average Betty getting all female on international playboy, and Top Chef All-Star, Fabio Viviani, who in return gets all Fabio on her. Together they bring you a rustic Chicken Marsala recipe served with an unusual, but erotically charged Strawberry Champagne Risotto. This menu is so Fabio and Average Betty, it hurts.



I've posted my slightly less steamy version below, and it's one of the recipes I always recommend for Valentines Day, especially for new cooks. It's fast, easy, and always impresses that special someone. I hope you enjoy both videos!

Be sure to check out the full blog post on Average Betty, which includes recipes and lots more information! 

Chef John's Chicken Marsala


See Chef John's original Chicken Marsala post here, and get all the ingredients and more info.
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