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Plantains for Your Membranes – Fried Sweet Plantains for the Winter Blues

According to my sources deep inside the online health community, eating plantains can help fight Seasonal Affective Disorder (S.A.D.), or as it's more commonly called, the "winter blues." 

I don't really have issues with S.A.D., and when I do, I usually fight it with beer, but it is nice to have another option.

It may be the tryptophan, a natural mood enhancer, or the high levels of vitamins C, B6, B12, or maybe it's just all that fiber, but whatever it is, I can report anecdotally that I felt pretty happy after eating these golden-browned beauties.

Above and beyond the purported health benefits, I have an even better reason to try plantains: meatless boredom. I like to mix in the occasional meatless meal, but tend to repeat the same old standbys. Plantains are perfect for breaking up that routine. Besides, I bet that some of your have never even tried them before, and that's just not right.

If you live near any kind of large city, especially one with a Latin-American community, you should find these fairly easily. As I mention in the video, you've probably looked at them many times at the store, but were unsure of exactly what they were, or what you should do with them.

I think when paired with a simple plate of black beans and rice, you're talking about a super simple, very frugal, and quite delicious dinner. I really hope you give them a try soon. Enjoy!


Fried sweet plantains ingredients for about 4 portions:
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 ripe plantains (peel should be mostly black),
salt to taste
lime wedges, optional
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A Fried Plantain Tease and a New Video Recipe Friend



Inspired by my recent trip to Miami, I will be posting a brand new video tomorrow for fried sweet plantains. In the meantime, to whet your appetite I've posted a video below from my new friend, Lillian, from the blog Lillian's Test Kitchen, making ripe plantains three different ways. I've just discovered Lillian's work and really like her style and delivery. Don't be surprised if you see more of her here on Food Wishes. Enjoy!


Click here to see Lillian's original blog post, where you find the recipes and ingredient amounts!
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Help! I've Been Wikipedia'd!

I never cared about having a Wikipedia page, until I had a Wikipedia page. If fact, even though it's my go-to source for the little bit of research I actually do, I've never really thought about having my own page.

The problem is, I'm so busy with work right now, I'm afraid I don’t have time to figure out how this whole thing works. I can't even figure out who nominated the page in the first place. I see that the page is up for deletion unless they can verify it's a legit entry, or something to that effect.

So I'm asking for a little help from you all. Do you know how this works? Are any of you active editors of Wikipedia? Is that even the right terminology? Can you edit and add info for me (like the awards and honors we've won)?

You can see the page in question here. Thanks in advance for any advice or assistance you can provide!
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Cocoa Cherry Pork Tenderloin – Based on a True Story

My favorite candy growing up was the chocolate covered cherry. I didn't have them often, but when I did, it was always a special treat. The way that thin, crisp chocolate would break away to reveal the florescent red maraschino cherry suspended in the clear syrup was intoxicating.

I almost never eat them anymore; only on the rare occasion my mother, Pauline, or mother-in-law, Peggy, happen to have some out, usually around the holidays. One such occasion came on my recent trip back to Clifton Springs, NY, and as I enjoyed the sweet treat a strange thought popped into my brain. What about a savory dish that celebrated the same basic flavors?

I remembered seeing Alton Brown use cocoa in a rub for chicken, and since I had a pork tenderloin sitting in the fridge, just a shelf away from a jar of black cherry preserves, I figured, why not?

I really loved how this came out, and while it's obviously an unsweetened version of chocolate being used, the plate definitely had some of the same culinary DNA as my beloved candied cherries. Anyway, that's the odd-but-true story of how this recipe ended up here, and as usual, I hope you give it a try and tell me what you think. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1-2 pork tenderloins
salt as needed
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
For the rub:
2 tablespoons unsweetened dark cocoa powder
1 tablespoon ancho chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle
For the sauce:
1/3 cup cherry preserves
1/3 cup white vinegar
big pinch of oregano
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Popping Off About the Oscars Tonight

Photo by Flickr User TimShoesUntied
I'm finishing up my last day of work here at the South Beach Wine & Food Festival, and fly back to snowy San Francisco tomorrow. This means I will miss the Oscars, which upsets me about as much as missing a dentist appointment, but had I been around I would have done some kind of special Oscar party snack, probably based around popcorn.

So instead you'll have to suffer though this little collection of popcorn-based content from YouTube. The song, "Popcorn," was the first "favorite song" I ever remember having, and below you get to see Will Ferrell dance to it. We also has a spicy popcorn by Pedro Ceja; a Parmesan Popcorn & Chocolate-Covered Cornflakes snack duo from Amy Blogs Chow; and finally, a super-slow-mo of a kernel of popcorn popping, just because. Enjoy!

Will Ferrell Dances to the Popcorn Song


Spicy Popcorn by Pedro Ceja


Amy Blogs Chow: Parmesan Popcorn & Chocolate-Covered Cornflakes


Popcorn Kernel in Slow Motion

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Hello From South Beach!

Just wanted to do a quick hello from the 10th Annual South Beach Wine & Food Festival. Today was the first of three days in the Grand Tasting tent, where I'm serving as Chef Ambassador for Tonnino Tuna.

Here I am standing in front of our table just moments before the gates opened and we were three-deep in hungry foodies eager to taste this great tuna. The fish was sampled very simply with "flavor enhancers" in front of each different variety. The consensus was, as I knew it would be, that the tuna was awesome.

Anyway, stay tuned for more foodie fun soon, including a brand new video recipe I shot before I left. Thanks!


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Sweet and Sour Pork Tenderloin Medallions – Half the Fat, All the Inauthenticity

Whenever you see those headlines like, "Worst Take-Out Food Choices Ever," on the various websites, you can be sure that sweet and sour pork will be near the top of the list. 

That's because it's usually made from fatty pieces of pork shoulder, cut into cubes, dipped in a thick batter, deep-fried, and finally coated with a super-sugary, thick, starchy sauce.

I'm no shrinking violet around high-calorie food, but classic Chinese-American take-out sweet and sour pork is basically deep-fried, sugar-coated, fatty pork chunks. And yes, once in a while, it's pretty damn awesome (like twice a decade).

For a more reasonable way to enjoy the same basic flavors, I think this pork tenderloin version is a nice alternative. As I say in the video, pork tenderloin is lean, very easy to cook (as long as you can get past those ridiculous fears about slightly pink pork), and the sauce takes about two minutes to prep.

By the way, this is not simply fake Chinese food; it's actually fake, fake Chinese food. The aforementioned death nuggets we call sweet and sour pork are not even remotely close to any kind of authentic sweet and sour preparation in real Chinese cuisine. Or at least that’s what I heard Anthony Bourdain say one time. Now that's research.

Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed this plate of florescent food, and if you're a fan of the Chinese take-out version, I believe you will too. Also, I would suggest tossing in some green onions (the white parts) along with the garlic, and save the green tops to garnish with as I did with the chives. Enjoy!



Sweet and Sour Pork Tenderloin Ingredients:
For the sauce:
1/3 cup ketchup
1/3 cup seasoned rice vinegar
reserved pineapple juice from can
2 tablespoons brown sugar
4 cloves minced garlic
1/4 cup chopped green onions, white parts, optional
2 teaspoons Asian hot chili sauce (sambal or sriracha), or to taste
1/4 cup water or chicken broth to thin sauce
1 teaspoon soy sauce, or to taste
For the pork medallions:
1 pork tenderloin, trimmed, cut, flattened into four medallions
salt and fresh ground black pepper as needed
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon butter
1 can (8-oz) pineapple chunks, drained, juice reserved
4 cups cooked white rice
2 tablespoon chopped green onion tops or chives to garnish
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Heading to South Beach to be a Tonnino Tuna Ambassador!

Well, that's one blog title I couldn't have anticipated writing, but that's exactly what's happening tonight as I board a red-eye for Miami. 

As many of you know, I won the Tonnino Tuna Chef Challenge recipe video contest, and one of the prizes was getting to serve as their Chef Ambassador for the year. As part of my duties, I'll be representing them at the 10th Annual South Beach Wine & Food Festival.

Pictured here is an "Upside-Down" Tonnino Jalapeño Tuna Taco Bite that I created to celebrate the event. Recipe cards will be available at the Tonnino booth at the Grand Tasting, but I've posted the written recipe below, just in case you're looking for a cool app for your upcoming Oscars party. Enjoy!

Note: I've finished the sweet and sour pork video, and will be posting that tomorrow, so stay tuned! Also, be sure to follow along with me on Twitter for my bite-by-bite coverage of the #sobewff, as we refer to it in the tweets.

"Upside-Down" Tonnino Jalapeño Tuna Taco Bites
Makes about 24

1 small jicama (about 1 1/2 lbs), peeled
1 jar (6.7-oz) Tonnino Tuna Fillets with Jalapeno in Olive Oil
2 tablespoon diced roasted red pepper, or pimento
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 teaspoon ground dried chipotle
1/4 cup crushed corn nuts, or as needed

Using a sharp knife, trim the peeled jicama into a cylindrical shape, about 2-inches in diameter. Using a vegetable slicer, or knife, slice the jicama into about 24 "chips" (about 1/8-inch thick).

Drain the tuna (saving the oil for a salad dressing), and add to a small mixing bowl. Pick out the pieces of jalapeño that came with the tuna, and dice fine. Add back to the bowl. Add the red pepper, cilantro, and chipotle. Mix with a fork until combined. Divide the tuna mixture onto the jicama chips, and top with the crushed corn nuts.
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Coming Soon: Pork Tenderloin Times Two

I'm getting things ready for my flight to Miami tomorrow, where I'll be attending the South Beach Wine & Food Festival. I'll have much more on that tomorrow, but the good news is I'm almost done editing a couple terrific new video recipes. One features my much lighter take on sweet and sour pork, and the other a very sexy concoction inspired by, believe it or not, chocolate covered cherries. Stay tuned!
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