Chef's Line Hummus

Hummus is one of the most widely eaten and popular foods of the Middle East. It was introduced into the United States around 1910 when large numbers of people from Easter Europe and the middle East to emigrate.


Chef's Line Hummus from US Foods is packed in a resealable tub for easy storing and reuse, our all natural hummus is produced in small batches to deliver an authentic product.

It contains no preservatives or oil extenders - just imported tahini from Jordon and ground chickpeas and authentic spices (sea salt, garlic, cumin). For more information about Chef's Line Hummus Click Here!
Or check out this fantastic recipe from the US Foods Culinary Team; Beef and Hummus Dip.
Please contact Brian Isaeff, Territory Manager US Foods at 925-588

What's The Biga Deal?

The Biga the Better

“Behind each and every memorable bite of proper Italian bread we’ve daintily nibbled, hungrily inhaled, or otherwise somehow consumed, we have a biga to thank. Much obliged.” Leite's Culinaria, an award winning food website

The real art of artisan breads: a fermentation starter that develops the flavor and texture and pumps up the flour.

Start at the very beginning. The use of a sour starter is a method of bread baking that goes back at least 6,000 years, since yeast had to be sustained from bread batch to bread batch. Legend has it that Columbus brought a starter with him to America, and the technique was a standard method of baking in the early days of the U.S. This is sometimes referred to in English as a 'mother' or 'sourdough' starter and in Italian as lievito di madre, madriga or pasta acida. Before beer yeast was readily available, each household made its own starter from airborne yeasts or those found in fermenting fruits such as grapes. This was kept in the fridge and ‘fed' regularly with flour and water. These starters are everlasting--some bakeries in America claim to have had their starter for over 100 years. With the advent of commercially available yeast and baking powder in the nineteenth century, the use of such starters was confined to those pioneers who moved farther and farther from settlements.

Why biga?  The availability of baker’s yeast spurred a shift away from sourdough by Italian bakers. The biga starter was created to recover the flavor which was lost and to reinforce the strength of the dough, making it ideal for products such as brioche or stolen. Made a day before the dough and left out to ferment at room temperature, biga produces a wonderful aroma, open texture, chewy crust and a slightly beery, acidic aroma inside. The risings are long and bring out the flavor of the grain, according to breadtopia.com. “Biga provides stretchy elegance and high volume to Italian breads,” says Chef Michael Kalanty of Kitchen on Fire, a Berkley-based gourmet cooking school.  In addition, breads made with biga remain fresher and longer.

What is biga?  The Bread Bakers Guild of America describes it as: “a substantial cultivation of yeasts and acids which is very firm to the touch (42-46% of water), cool (64-68 F), and made active by a dose of yeast (1%), which achieves multiplication of the yeasts, hydration and maturation of the gluten and formation of acid and aromatic substances.” Translation: a strong, active, and mature starter. 

You have to start somewhere. Since the Chefs Line™ biga formula and process is indeed a secret, there’s no better place than the biga recipe from Carol Field’s “The Italian Baker,” winner of the International Association of Culinary Professionals Award for best baking book and has been named to the James Beard Baker’s Dozen list of 13 indispensable baking books of all time.

Italian Biga Recipe by Carol Field

1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast

1/4 cup warm water

3/4 cup plus 4 teaspoons water, preferably bottled spring water, at room     temperature

2 1/3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

Stir the yeast into the warm water and let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.

Stir in the remaining water and then the flour, 1 cup at a time. By hand, 3-4 minutes; with mixer, 2 minutes at lowest speed; with food processor, mix just until a sticky dough forms. Transfer the biga to a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise at a cool room temperature for 6 to 24 hours (many bakers are happiest with the maximum amount of time when it truly becomes yesterday’s dough). When ready, the starter will be triple its original volume and still be wet and sticky.  If you like sour bread, allow your biga to rest for 24 to 48 hours, or you might even stretch it to 72 hours. Cover and refrigerate or freeze until ready to use. If freezing the biga, let it rest at room temperature for about 3 hours until it is bubbly and active again.

Next week, another notch…a look at some of the fresh ingredients used to raise the art of bread making to flavorful highs… sesame seeds, Moroccan black olives, whole cloves of garlic – sounds like Chefs Line™ in the making. 

Batter Up: Onion Rings on Your Home Plate a Sure Fire Hit-From The Food Guy

Luring folks back to the restaurant scene after the festive feasts of December is no small challenge, but a sizzling NBA season, football playoffs, and of course, the Super Bowl, can bring them all back for some fantastic appetizers and deep fried dining. At the fragrant top of sports-fueled appetizers are piles of crispy, battered circles of perfection better known as onion rings—a great way to ring in the new year and ring up sales.

Circling back: Worship of the onion goes all the way back to the ancient Egyptians, who believed that the rings and round shape represented eternal life. The exact origins of the onion ring are unknown, but several different, equally intriguing claims are made.  A recipe for French Fried Onions may have appeared in the Middletown, NY Daily Times in 1910, the earliest mention. The Pig Stand restaurant chain in Oak Cliff, Texas, takes credit for inventing the onion ring in 1929, when one of their cooks accidentally dropped a ring of onion into a bowl of batter, fished it out and instinctively plunged it into a nearby vat of hot cooking oil. The battered onion ring became an instant hit and a permanent addition to the Pig Stand menu. Crisco weighs in with a deep fried onion ring recipe—dipped in milk then dredged in flour—that appeared in a 1933 advertisement in New York Times Magazine. The first commercial manufacture of natural, raw, breaded onion rings is claimed by Sam Quigley who started selling hand-cut rings out of his Nebraska storefront in 1955, and in 1959, built a plant to handle the demand for his "ready to serve" onion rings and in 1973 snagged Dairy Queen as one of their best customers.

In the spotlight: Today, onion rings are still best sellers at Dairy Queen, as well as Burger King, Chili’s, Nathan’s, A&W, and countless numerous gourmet hamburger restaurants and steakhouses. But it was a modest $2.75 bowl of onion rings at Holsten’s restaurant in New Jersey that was proclaimed “best in the state” by Tony Soprano in the final episode of the “The Sopranos.”  While restaurant owners Stark and Carley are thrilled with the ‘mobs’ that episode mention attracted, they’ve toned down the hype. “They’re good,” Mr. Stark said in a recent New York Times article. “Do I believe they’re the best in the state? Well, believe me; a lot of other restaurants sell the same thing.”

Put a ring on it: June 22, National Onion Ring Day.

More popular than the Bieber? A quick search reveals - Yes, a Facebook Onion Ring page counted 2,152,536 fans to Justin Bieber’s 1,648,758 fans.

Absolute Best Fried Vidalia Onion Rings: Courtesy of some culinary friends from across the country and the Food Network:

Several large Vidalia onions

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 egg, separated

3/4 cup milk

1 tablespoon Optimax oil

Peanut oil, for deep-frying

Slice onions into rings. In one bowl, mix together flour, salt and baking powder. In another bowl, beat egg yolk, then stir in milk and vegetable oil. Combine wet and dry ingredients, stir until smooth. In a third bowl, beat egg white until soft peaks form, and then fold into the egg-flour mixture, stirring until smooth. Dip onion rings into batter and deep fry until golden brown. Amazing!

Buttered Poach Maine Lobster

with Roasted Sweet Corn and Truffled Mornay Sauce
Makes two 14” Lobster Strudels 

Ingredients:

Combined Mornay Sauce

1 ½ C Poached Maine Lobster meat chopped  (6562045)

½ C Mornay Sauce

1 T White Truffle Oil   (30004483)

1/3 C ) Roasted fresh white Sweet Corn  (8208308)

Truffle Mornay Sauce

1 Minced Shallot (3620341) 

1 T Butter  (703157)

½  C Dry white wine  (4414694)

1 T All Purpose Flour  (4341632) 

½  C Cream   (9279951) 

3 oz Gruyere   (5431556)

1 oz Parmesan Grana  (1268697)

Salt and Pepper to taste (4999470 & 760439)

1 T White Truffle Oil  (3000483)

Method:

One sheet of Classic all butter Puff Pastry rolled out to 14” by 12”, then cut in half. 

Make the mornay sauce by sautéing the shallot in the butter then add the flour and cook in for 1 minute, now add the wine and cream and cook in whisking until smooth, now add the cheeses and cook in; adjust salt and pepper, then add the truffle oil. Let cool, Now mix Lobster, corn and Mornay sauce together, then fill each half sheet with Lobster corn & Mornay sauce mix down the middle. Seal edges & cut off excess pastry to make a sealed round lobster strudel with the pastry brush. Brush top with melted butter, & bake at 375 degrees F, for 25 min, until golden brown and flaky. Let it rest for 10-15 min then cut into 1” mini logs and serve.

Recipes By: US Foods – San Francisco Culinary Team 

Mongolian Style Lamb Lollipops

makes 21-28 Appetizer Chops 

Ingredients:

3 T Soy Sauce  (8002164)

1 C Hoisin Sauce  (9348160)

2 T Aged Sherry Vinegar   (317321)

2 T Seasoned Rice Wine Vinegar  (1051176)

3 T Sugar   (4395612)

2-3 Scallions  minced   (1326438)

2 tsp. Tabasco (7003932)

1 T Black Bean Chili Sauce (1552637)

1 T minced fresh Ginger Root (7015597)

1 T minced fresh Garlic (3618741)

1 tsp. Fresh ground Black Pepper (760439)

½ C Chopped fresh Cilantro  (7326366)

2 T Sesame oil   (4125027)

Method:

Mix marinate ingredients together & (pour off 1/3 cup for later.) cover lamb with marinate for 24 hours. Then grill over charcoal and Brush with marinate you reserved for later.

 

Garnish option: Garnish with chopped cilantro and toasted sesame seeds

Recipes By: US Foods – San Francisco Culinary Team

Angus Beef Tenderloin Medallions

makes 30-40 appetizer portions

Ingredients:

1 Angus Tenderloin cleaned and Blocked   (7499684)

30-40 Sliced toasted Brioche rounds 1 ½”(3708443)

1 bottle  Huckleberry vinegar (18 oz) reduced to 3oz

½ Gal (64oz) Bone works Veal Demi-glaze “Elite (4516944)”

4 med Shallots minced and sautéed(3620341)

   Salt and  Pepper to taste (4999470) &( 760439)

1 pkg Foie Gras (1759687) 

6-8 oz Sweet Butter

 

Method:

 

Cut one clean Tenderloin into 4 long strips, making 4 mini Tenderloins. Season with garlic, kosher Salt, thyme & fresh ground black pepper. Sear on high heat , on grill for 1-2 minutes. Next, roast in oven to medium rare. Let tenderloin rest for 10min. Slice medallions ¼” thick and place on toasted 1 ½” round Brioche. Sear and Slice Foie Gras, place on top of Tenderloin and then drizzle Huckleberry demi-glaze on top of all components.  

 

Huckleberry Demi;   Add shallots to vinegar reduction then add shallot vinegar reduction to veal Demi-glaze. Season with salt and pepper. Thicken with sweet butter. Next you are ready to drizzle sauce on top.

Recipes By: US Foods – San Francisco Culinary Team

Leek and Fennel Bisque w/ Smoked Salmon

Yields 4 ¾ quarts

Ingredients:

3 lbs Leeks, cleaned and sliced (211907)

2 Fresh Fennel Bulbs, Sliced (9111931)

¾ cup Fresh Chives (8436365)

2T Butter (703157)

5 cups Chicken Stock

1 Bay Leaf

3 lbs Yukon Gold Potatoes, peeled (6075907)

5 cups Manufacturing Cream (9279951)

½ cup All Purpose Flour (4341632)

1 ½ T Kosher Salt (773473)

1 tsp Garlic, minced (36187410

1 lb Smoked Salmon (3526134)

Method:

Add butter to a 8 quart pan and heat over medium heat. Add leeks, fennel, salt and pepper then sauté until veggies are translucent. Add garlic and bay leaf then cook for an additional two minutes.

Add flour and mix until thoroughly incorporated. Add potatoes, bay leaf and chicken stock then bring to a boil over high heat, stirring often; reduce heat and allow to soup to simmer until potatoes are tender (about 15-20 minutes).

Stir in cream then use an immersion blender to puree until smooth.

Serve warm with thinly sliced smoked salmon and chive garnish.

Recipes By: US Foods – San Francisco Culinary Team

Black Bean Veggie Burgers

Yields 7 patties

Ingredients:

2½ cups Black Beans, drained and rinsed (9332313)

2 cups Cooked Short Grain Brown Rice (2981926)

1t Sea Salt (7425821)

¼ cup Yellow Onion, minced (5034228)

3 T Ketchup (190009)

3 T Chili Powder (2449346)

1 tsp Dry Oregano (9449604)

1tsp Garlic, minced (1015577)

2½ tsp Ground Cumin (760629)

1/3 cup Nutritional Yeast (155606)

1 cup Rolled Oats (3731668)

1 Jalapeño (4011839)

Method:

In a large mixing bowl crush cooked black beans by hand then add cumin, chili powder, sea salt and nutritional yeast. In a small sauté pan, quickly cook onion, garlic and jalapenos. Add cooked mixture to black beans along with brown rice, oregano and ketchup. Adjust the mixture by adding rolled oats in order to reach your desired consistency (I lean towards a moist mixture to keep a nice texture in the patty). Form mixture into 7 medium sized patties and cook with olive oil on a flat top griddle, sauté pan or grill.

Recipes By: US Foods – San Francisco Culinary Team

Duck Breast w/ Gluten Free Sweet Potato Galette and Green Goddess Dressing

Ingredients: 

2 lbs Yam, peeled (4252151)

1 lb Parsnips, peeled (2481950)

10 Shallots (3620341)

6 Eggs, lightly beaten (823013)

½ cup Gluten Free Panko Breadcrumbs (1558345)

1 T Kosher Salt (4999470)

1 tsp Black Pepper (760843)

1 T Fresh Thyme, finely chopped (7326325)

25 Boneless Skin-On Duck Breasts (932855)

Green Goddess Dressing (3689965)

2 Qt Pickled Red Onions

Method:

Using a large box grater, shred yams, parsnips and shallots.

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In a large mixing bowl, combine shredded yams, parsnips and shallots until thoroughly incorporated. Add eggs, gluten free panko, kosher salt, black pepper and thyme. Mix until all ingredients are evenly distributed.

In a nonstick sauté pan, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and heat over medium-high heat. Scoop 1/3 cup of sweet potato mixture and compress until about 1/3” thick. Using a thin spatula, move your sweet potato pancake to the hot oil. Cook three to four pancakes at once, being careful not to overcrowd your pan.

Once edges are crispy, turn and continue to cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a baking sheet and store in a 200 degree oven for service.

In a large sauté pan, sear duck breast over medium high heat until skin is crispy then oven roast until medium rare-medium (125 to 130 degrees internal temperature). Allow duck to rest for at least 5 minutes.

Drizzle green goddess dressing on a serving plate, place the galette over dressing and arrange sliced duck breast on top. Garnish with pickled red onion and serve.

Recipes By: US Foods – San Francisco Culinary Team

Seeded Flatbread Crackers

I started making these about a year ago for a party and they have been a staple ever since. They are really good and the original recipe came from some appetizer magazine that Amanda gave me. 

It's almost New Years Eve so I'll make a batch of these and some wonton crackers tonight. 

Topping:
1 Tbs. sesame seeds
2 tsp. poppy seeds
2 tsp. fennel or caraway seeds
3/4 tsp. kosher salt

Dough:
1-1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour; more for rolling
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
1 tsp. table salt
3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and heat the oven to 450°F.

Make the topping:

In a small bowl, stir the sesame seeds, poppy seeds, and fennel or caraway seeds. Fill another small bowl with water and set it aside along with a pastry brush and the kosher salt.

Make the dough:

In a large bowl, whisk the all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, and table salt. Add the olive oil and 1/2 cup water to the flour; stir with a rubber spatula until it collects into a soft, crumbly ball of dough. Use the spatula or your hands to press the dough against the sides of the bowl to gather all the stray flour.

Set the dough on a lightly floured work surface and portion it into thirds. Pat each portion into a square. Set two squares aside and cover with a clean towel. Roll the remaining dough into a rectangle about 1/16 inch thick and 7 or 8 inches wide by 14 or 15 inches long.

With a pastry brush, brush the dough lightly with water and sprinkle about a third of the seed mix evenly over the surface. Sprinkle with 1/4 tsp. of the kosher salt. Cut into roughly 2” x 4” pieces

Bake about 10 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack.

Watermelon Jello Shots

We had a party recently and were looking for something different to bring to the table. Amanda suggested Jell-O shots and I remembered reading an article about various Jell-O shot ideas. While I couldn't find the exact article I did find a nice watermelon shooter on That's So Michelle. Amanda picked a couple Margarita versions too.

We went looking for Watermelon Jell-O but apparently it is not the best seller as none of the stores we checked had any in stock. We chose a cherry instead as the color was about right.

Ingredients:
10 Limes
1 6oz box Cherry Jell-O
1 cup boiling water
1 cup Booze (I used silver tequila as it was out for the margarita Jell-O shots as well)

Method:
Cut limes in half lengthwise.

Using a paring knife seperate the flesh of the lime from the skin down to a 1/4" or so.

Slide your finger in at one of the ends and "peel" the flesh out of the skin creating a cup. Do this over a bowl to save any juice. Save the flesh in the same bowl for later.

Mix boiling water with gelatin mix until dissolved. Add booze and mix.

Fill lime cups to rim and place in fridge for a couple hours to set up. After they are firm cut each half lime in half again to create watermelon wedge effect.

Squish lime juice from flesh and use for margarita Jell-O shots or to make a Lime-Aid for your house margaritas.










http://www.drinkstreet.com/searchresults.cgi?drinkid=916

Savory Cranberry Brioche Bread Pudding

Makes one 9 by 13-inch bread pudding

Ingredients:

1 cup dried cranberries


1/2 cup toasted pecans

Juice and zest of 1 orange


1/4 cup brandy, divided


1 tablespoon olive oil


1 cup sliced shallots


1 loaf brioche, cut into 1-inch cubes


1 apple, peeled, cored, and chopped


1 stick unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

2 cups cream

4 eggs


1/4 cup chicken stock

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

Soak the cranberries in the orange juice and 3 tablespoons of the brandy for 30 minutes.

Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan. Add the shallots and sauté until translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Set aside to cool.



Preheat oven to 350ºF.



Drain the cranberries and combine with the pecans, bread pieces, apples, butter, and sautéed shallots in a large bowl. In another bowl, combine the cream, eggs, chicken stock, cinnamon, coriander, orange zest, and remaining tablespoon of brandy. Whisk until well incorporated and pour the mixture over the bread and fruit, mixing until well coated. Refrigerate for an hour.



Transfer the entire mixture to a buttered 9 by 13-inch baking dish. Cover with foil and bake in the oven for an hour. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 30 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool for at least an hour before serving.

Grilled Bacon Tip From The Food Guy

Bacon and Freud

I have never met anyone who didn’t love bacon. There are people who don’t eat it as part of their diet, but bacon flavor seems to be universally loved…at least in my universe.

Americans owe our love of bacon, in part, to Edward Louis Bernays. Never heard of him? He was Sigmund Freud’s nephew, and a genius in public relations and propaganda. Bernays was a master of psychology and other social sciences and is considered the first modern marketing and PR wizard.

In his day, in the 1920s, he handled many advertising campaigns. One of them was for bacon. He convinced America, using Freud’s ideas of subconscious manipulation and indirection that the all-American breakfast consisted of eggs and bacon.

In order to get people to consume more bacon, he produced a doctors’ survey that recommended that patients eat bigger, heartier breakfasts. The results of the report were sent to 5,000 doctors and included publicity that a hearty breakfast should include eggs and bacon. The message took hold.

We don’t need much persuasion today. Bacon is still on the breakfast menu, and increasingly on the desert menu too:Chocolate covered bacon bars (Vosages), candied bacon ice cream (David Leboviz), Brioche-Bacon Bread Pudding (NYC Dovetail), and Bacon-flavored Popcorn (Nosheteria).

The Perfect Bacon Sear – try the Five (5) Easy Steps to Grilling It!

1. Identify the hot and cool spots on the grill. You’ll want to flash the bacon on a hot spot to start the process, render and cook on a cool spot and return to the hot spot for the finale.

2. Sacrifice a strip of bacon and grease up the grate. This won’t prevent all the strips from sticking, but it will help and add a more intense flavor.

3. Lay the strips of bacon at a 45 degree angle to the grates. This will help prevent them from falling into the grill. A safety note: be ready for flare-ups and handle them with a spray bottle.

4. Cook the bacon strips over the hot spot until they start to shrivel up, and then flip with your tongs and move to a cool spot to crisp up. Cooking time will vary greatly, so just hang out and keep an eye on them. Build the suspense by enjoying the wonderful scent of cured pig and fire.

5. For the finish, darken the bacon over the hot spot one more time. It should be dark rust colored, the fat should be rendered, and it should be crispy but pliable.
This method will produce consistent and solid results.

To spice things up, try adding brown sugar or maple syrup to the bacon at different stages in the cooking process. Amazing!

Chocolate Covered Bacon

Ingredients
6-8 slices thick Vande Rose Farms Bacon
12 oz semisweet chocolate chips
4 ounces white chocolate, melted, optional for garnish

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Place the bacon on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake in the oven, until bacon is cooked to your liking. 15 minutes for soft bacon, 20 minutes for crispy bacon.

Let bacon cool on the parchment paper for 5 minutes then transfer to a plate lined with paper towels.

Meanwhile set up a double boiler. Heat a large saucepan filled with water over high heat until boiling. Reduce heat to a simmer.

Set a heat-proof bowl over the simmering water. Add the chocolate chips and stir with a fork until smooth and completely melted.

Cover another baking sheet with parchment paper.

Using tongs, carefully dip the bacon into the melted chocolate turning to coat all sides in chocolate. Transfer to the clean sheet of waiting parchment paper. Repeat with remaining slices of bacon.

Drizzle with the white chocolate, if desired.

Refrigerate until chocolate is hard.

Talking Turkey

Being someone who loves food, language and their history, I’m curious about the word “turkey.” For me it’s a head-scratcher. There are only a couple of species of large birds that are relatives to our Thanksgiving favorite: the wild turkey of North America and another that’s native to the Yucatán Peninsula. What does that have to do with the country of Turkey?

The Aztecs domesticated their large birds, and the Spanish conquistadors misidentified them as guinea fowl. During the sixteenth century, guinea fowl were imported to Europe from Madagascar through…wait for it…Turkey. The bird traders became known as turkey merchants, and their product shortened to “turkey” in English by 1555.

It makes some sense, but how about common phrases like, “talking turkey,” a “turkey shoot,” a “turkey” in bowling, or, “That movie’s a ‘turkey’”? Any idea about those?

A “turkey shoot” in the middle of the 20th century was a marksmanship competition where turkeys were tied to a log; and their heads stuck up as targets, you know the rest. A “turkey” as a failure comes from Hollywood in the 1920s. And in bowling, 100 years ago, during Thanksgiving and Christmas weeks, bowling alleys would give a live turkey to the first bowler who could get three strikes in a row.

But “talking turkey”? Not a clue.

Speaking of “talking turkey”, check out this really cool recipe.

Buffalo Deep Fried Turkey

Ingredients:

1 (10 to 12 pound) Fresh Whole Turkey

1 1/4 cups chicken broth

1/4 cup Monarch hot sauce

3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

1 1/4 cups Buffalo-style sauce

3 gallons peanut oil, for frying

Directions:

Combine chicken broth, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, salt and cayenne pepper in a medium bowl; mix well. Preheat oil in a deep fryer to 400°. Remove giblets and neck from the turkey. Pat turkey dry with paper towels. Inject 1/2 cup mixture into each side of turkey breast. Inject 1/4 cup mixture into each leg/thigh area. Place turkey, breast side up, in basket. Slowly lower basket into hot oil, being cautious of splattering oil. Maintain oil temperature at about 350°. Fry turkey for 3-1/2 minutes per pound. Remove from oil to check for doneness. Insert an instant-read thermometer into thickest part of thigh, not touching bone. Temperature should be 180°.

Remove turkey from hot oil and drain on paper towels. Coat the outside of the turkey with Buffalo-style sauce. Let rest for 15 minutes before carving.

Unbelievable Flavor – Enjoy

Passion Fruit Sorbet

The distinctive tart-sweet flavor of passion fruit makes a refreshing dessert or intermezzo. Serve it over diced mango and papaya for a tropical fruit salad.

Look for passion fruits that feel heavy for their size (they'll yield more juice). There are two common varieties: the purple subtropical type grown in California, Florida, and New Zealand; and the yellow tropical fruit grown in Hawaii. Either variety will work in this recipe, although the purple fruit has sweeter juice and a stronger flavor and perfume. It's essential to let passion fruits ripen at room temperature until their hard skin is dented and wrinkled, as this sweetens the pulp.

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

2-1/2 cups passion fruit juice, pulp, and seeds
(from about 3 pounds of fruit)

Juice of 1 lime

Pinch of salt

2 tablespoons Myers' rum, optional

Make a simple syrup by combining the sugar and water in a small pan and bringing to a boil over high heat. Stir to dissolve the sugar, then remove from the heat.

Add the passion fruit pulp and salt to the sugar syrup and cool to room temperature. Refrigerate, covered, until completely cold. At this stage the mixture can be stored up to 2 days.

Strain the syrup through a fine mesh sieve set over a bowl. Press hard to extract all the liquid; discard the seeds and pulp.

Stir in the lime juice and rum. Transfer to an ice cream maker and process according to the manufacturer's instructions. Freeze until firm.

Greek Lamb Kabobs

Ingredients• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons dried oregano
• 4 teaspoons olive oil
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 pound lean lamb, trimmed of fat and cut into 1 inch cubes
• 16 cherry tomatoes
• 1 large green pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 large onion, cut into 1-inch wedges

Directions
In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice, oregano, oil and garlic. Set aside 1/4 cup for basting; cover and refrigerate. Pour the remaining marinade into a large re-sealable plastic bag; add the lamb. Seal bag and turn to coat; refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight, turning occasionally.
Prepare grill to medium high heat, brush grates with oil or coat with non-stick spray. Drain and discard marinade. On eight metal or soaked wooden skewers, alternately thread lamb, tomatoes, green pepper and onion. Grill kabobs, uncovered, over medium heat for 3 minutes on each side. Baste with reserved marinade. Grill 8-10 minutes longer or until meat reaches desired doneness, turning and basting frequently.
Serves 4

Jamaican Jerk Chicken

Ingredients
• 1/2 green onion, minced
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root
• 1 tablespoon minced jalapeno peppers
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 (2 to 3 pound) whole chicken, cut into pieces
Directions
Combine green onions, orange juice, ginger, hot pepper, lemon or lime juice, soy sauce, garlic, allspice, cinnamon and cloves. Add chicken, and marinate for 8 hours. Prepare grill, medium heat. Cook chicken, and drizzle with left over marinade that has been boiled for 2 to 3 minutes
Serves 3-4

Brian's Savory Bread Pudding

We served this last February for the Brimanda Events Crabfest at Massimo in Walnut Creek.

1/4 Stick Butter
2 Leeks cleaned and sliced-Just the white parts
3/4 lb crumbled Italian sausage
1/4 lb shrooms
4 cups day old bread cubed
1 1/2 cups half and half
3 eggs beaten
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup asiago/romano cheese

Preheat the oven to 350
In a skillet melt the butter over medium high heat. Saute the leeks until soft. Add the sausage and cook for about 5 minutes breaking it up. Add the mushrooms and cook for a couple more minutes.

In a bowl toss together the bread crumbs, sausage, and veggie mixture. In another bowl mix the remaining ingredient, then combine the two bowls. Pour into a grease baking sheet and press down firmly. Aloow the pudding to set for 30 minutes before baking. Bake for 1 hour until nicely browned.

The Best Fried Chicken Ever!

For Frying & Dredging
Whole Chicken #8522922
1 qt buttermilk #9966607
Kosher salt and ground black pepper #773473, #9501156
Canola oil for frying #716167

Chicken Brine
5 lemons, halved #4384293
24 bay leaves #760793
4 oz flat leaf parsley #7326432
1 oz thyme #7326325
½ c clover honey #4327714
1 head garlic, halved #7489339
¼ c black peppercorns #760439
10 oz kosher salt #773473
2 gallons water

Chicken Coating
6 c all purpose flour #4341632
¼ c garlic powder #760264
¼ c onion powder #4353280
1 T paprika #760405
1 T cayenne #760611
1 T kosher salt #773473
1 T black pepper #9501156

Preparation For the Chicken Brine


Combine all the ingredients in a large to, cover, and bring to a boil. Boil for one minute, stirring to dissolve the salt. Remove from the heat and cool completely, then chill before using. The brine can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.

YIELD: about 2 gallons

Putting it All Together
1. Cut each chicken into 10 pieces (2 legs, 2 thighs, 4 breast quarters and 2 wings). Place in a container with brine and cover. Refrigerate for up to 10 hours.

2. Remove chicken from brine and rinse under cold water. Pat it dry with paper towels.

3. Combine all the ingredients of the Coating in one bowl. Divide the mixture into 2 bowls and put the buttermilk into a third bowl.

4. Preheat fryer to 340 degrees.

5. Beginning with thighs, dredge the chicken in the first bowl of coating, then dip it in the buttermilk, and finish by dredging in the second bowl of coating. Repeat with all pieces of chicken and place in the deep fryer.

6. Fry until browned and crisp and remove from the oil and allow to drain.

7. Transfer to a serving platter and enjoy!