RESEP MASAKAN ORIENTAL

I w ake up in a strange kitchen with no windows. I have no idea how I got there. All the doors are l ocked. I am alone. There is a note on a nearby table. "You're to cook dinner for six people tonight, using anything in this fully stocked kitchen. You will not be told who'll be eating your food, or even what country you are in. When it's ready, ring the bell on the table, and then lock yourself in the room at the back of the kitchen. There's a selection of old People Magazines for you to read while you wait. If they enjoy your offering, you will wake up back in your San Francisco kitchen with no memory of this evening. If they do not like what you've made, you'll be terminated." Well, that's just great – and I never even got to see the first season of Mad Men. Okay, so the preceding science fiction scenario is a little far-fetched, but if that were my predicament, what would I prepare? That's a no-brainer –Arroz Con Pollo, also known as Chicke...

I always thought Patatas Bravas meant “brave potatoes,” which seemed a little strange since what was supposed to be so brave about them? Amazingly delicious, yes, but valiant, fearless or courageous? I don’t think so. Well, apparently my translation skills were lacking, and come to find out it actually means “fierce.” Now that makes sense. A s advertised , t hese are fiercely textured, fiercely flavored, fiercely presented, and fiercely enjoyed. How fierce is really up to you and your inner Spaniard. There are as many patatas bravas recipes as homes in Spain, and this is nothing more than my latest rendition.  As long as you boil them first, fry crisp, and season earnestly, the rest is open to wild experimentation. I’ve used all sort of blanching liquids, spice blends, and sauces, and never been disappointed. My control around food is generally decent, but I am no match for a plate of these. Once you start with the toothpick, you’ll be impaling and eating potatoes until they’re...

This video recipe for Flank Steak with Cabrales Cheese, reminds me of my theory that American's fondness for blue cheese as a garnish for burgers, steak, and other foods, can be traced all the way back to the Buffalo chicken wing . Now, I've done no research, nor will I, as I find it easier to simply guess about these kind of things, but think about it - who was crumbling blue cheese on their hamburgers before the chicken wing made it socially acceptable to eat our traditional meats and poultry with this funky addition? This delicious incarnation features juicy flank steak topped with Spain's famous Cabrales blue cheese. This flank steak recipe is simple to make, and even if your grilling days are over this season, you can pan sear or use a grill pan inside to make this dish. Enjoy! Click here for ingredients and transcript

You have to love the flank steak; so easy to cook, almost no trimming, relatively lean, and perfect for a party since it’s slight change in thickness from one end to the other allows for slices of medium rare and medium well off the same piece of meat. This very interesting recipe has something I always appreciate in a dish; it makes its own sauce. As you’ll see in the video recipe, we used the juice from some grilled oranges with the natural juices from the steak to create a fabulous looking, and tasting platter of beef. While this dish may appear to be inspired by Italian or Spanish influences (which it is), it’s also a take on one of my favorite Chinese dishes; spicy orange beef. I love to grill flank steak with a highly flavored rub of garlic, fennel, salt and black pepper. I wondered what would happen if I added a little orange to the marinade, and then I got the idea to caramelize some orange halves on the grill, and squeeze the juice over the meat after it was cooked and sli...

I feel kind of bad posting a recipe that leaves out what is arguably the most important ingredient, and such is the case with this gazpacho. This garden salad masquerading as a cold soup was originally a way for field hands to stretch their resources by crumbling up stale bread into a mixture of crushed tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers. Sorry, panzanella, but I’ve never been a big fan of the whole wet bread thing. Even versions I’ve had where the crumbs where completely pureed in, weren’t as pleasing to me as all-veg versions. Besides, some culinary traditions are simply leftover from a time when people had to do it that way, you know, so they wouldn’t starve to death. I call this the rutabaga syndrome. Happily, most of us can now survive just fine without fortifying our gazpacho with such additions. Having said that, if you grew up eating that style, I’ll assume you think I’m insane for even suggesting there’s another way to make it, as you rightfully should. Like I said in the video...

My non-fat yogurt kick continues with this yogurt and paprika marinated grilled chicken. The name in the title is an homage to one of the best chicken take-out joints in San Francisco, called " Good Frickin' Chicken ." I've always loved the name, so I'm stealing it for this recipe. While this is a pretty straightforward grilled chicken recipe, the vinaigrette trick you'll see at the end was a last minute touch that worked out nicely. I really like oil and vinegar-based sauces on grilled meats. They work beautifully with the smoky, caramelized exterior. It's this part of the recipe where you can summon your inner chef and decide what oil, vinegar, and other flavorings you'll use to bath your chicken. I mention in the clip to use a fresh Spanish paprika to get the best results. The cheap, rusty-brown dust in the back of the spice shelf you use to sprinkle on the deviled eggs once a year is not going to cut it. There's really a major difference in ta...

This is the time of year when one of my favorite seasonal foods, the Padron pepper makes its very short, annual appearance. By the way, in the video I refer to them as "Padrones," which is what I've always called them, and what the guy I always bought them from at the SF Farmers' market called them. However, they are more commonly called Padron peppers (just in case you are calling around looking for some). What follows is a repost from 2008... Padrones are small green peppers, native to Spain, but occasionally available in American farmer's markets. The season is short, and in just a few weeks they disappear, like some mysterious, charismatic visitor, leaving just as things are heating up. They tell you they'll see you next year, but that doesn't help the melancholy as you mope over to the jalapenos. In addition to their complex, bitter-sweet flavor, the usually mild padrones are the world's most exciting pepper to eat. This is due to a fascinating ge...

Today’s video recipe will expose one of the great faux-gourmet tricks of all time. In the back of everyone’s refrigerator there is usually a collection of dressings, sauces and condiments. Many are almost gone, containing just a few tablespoons, yet you just couldn’t bring yourself to throw it away the last time you cleaned out the fridge. Thank goodness you didn’t! These last few spoons of “whatever” spread on some fresh wild salmon filets and then glazed under a hot broiler can produce some amazing “gourmet” results. In this video recipe I used one of my favorite condiments, Romesco sauce, which is a spicy Spanish roasted red pepper and almond pesto type mixture. You may have seen me use this in a delicious stuffed summer squash recipe a while back. But, as you’ll hear me say in the clip, this can be done with almost anything; salad dressings like balsamic or lemon pepper, almost any aioli or mayo based sauce, any style bbq sauce, even pesto or olive tapenade will work. Since salmon...

When I first do a version of a classic dish like paella, I try to use a minimum of number of ingredients and steps so we focus on the technique. So, while you experienced paella makers will probably find this quite unremarkable, it really is intended for the first-timer.  Real paella is not baked, but cooked on top of a fire, which results in a similarly textured rice to what you see here, except a layer caramelizes onto the bottom of the pan, and those gloriously crunchy bits are considered the best part. So, basically I’m telling you we left out the best part. The trade-off is that this method eliminates most of the finesse and monitoring required by the traditional method. Consider this a gateway paella, and the first step to a serious, lifelong addiction. Besides the method, ideally you’ll use a wider variety of ingredients; things like clams, mussels, squid, chicken are all very commonly used, and will make your rice that much more interesting. No matter how you cook you paell...

When people ask me if I'm ever afraid of running out o f recipes to film, I usually joke that new recipes aren't the problem, it's running out of things to call them that's the real fear. Take this horribly named Spanish mustard beef for example. Least poetic name, ever. Despite the awkward name, this fast and user-friendly wet rub did a fine job flavoring some carne asada I grilled recently (yes, that was redundant). I'm calling it Spanish mustard since I spiked the Dijon with a couple of my favorite ingredients of all time – smoked paprika and sherry vinegar. Be sure to go find the real stuff (that it comes from Spain is one clue). If your m arinade is only going to have a couple ingredients, you better make sure you're using top shelf stuff. The other two keys to this recipe are as follows: only let the meat marinate for about an hour, otherwise it may start to "cook" in the acid; and be sure to build a very hot fire. Since this is a wet rub, we ne...

Fish “Veracruz” was the first “authentic” Mexican recipe I ever ate. I had it 30 years ago at the Casa Del Sol in Saranac Lake, NY, where I worked while enrolled in culinary school.  I remember trying and loving it, and being very surprised that “this” was actually Mexican food. Besides…olives on fish? That was some crazy stuff. Up to that point, the only “Mexican” food I’d ever had was crispy cafeteria tacos made by completely non-Mexican lunch ladies. So, this kind of thing was very exciting for me. I’ve forgotten the exact recipe after all these years of adaptation, but that’s of little consequence as it’s the kind of dish you make a little different every time anyway. I like red snapper for this, but any white, flaky fish will work. By the way, many Veracruz-style fish recipes call for pickled jalapenos, but I think there’s plenty of acidity in this from the lime and tomatoes, so I like the fresh pepper a little more. If you don’t want to do this in individual portions like I d...

This grilled prawns wrapped in Serrano ham video recipe, I did for About.com, is a perfect way to add a new, delicious, and very easy menu option to your Fourth of July barbecue. Once the prawns are wrapped and skewered, they only take about 5 minutes to cook, and are guaranteed to be the hit of the 'Q. In the video you will hear me talk about Serrano ham, which is very close to a proscuitto. The great thing about this recipe is that you can really use any thinly sliced, smoked ham. A nice Virginia ham, or Black Forest ham would work great. I have even seen people use pastrami! The skewers can be seared in a pan, as I do in the video, or broiled, but the best way, and this should totally work this weekend, is to throw these on the grill for that extra special hit of smoky caramelization. By the way, if you aren't crazy about the Spanish-style I chose, this technique works with any flavor profile - Asian, Italian, Cajun, or just a little salt and pepper. Enjoy! Click here for in...

I adore aioli, I secretly love ketchup, and I've had a thing for tzadziki for a long time, but if I had to choose my favorite all-purpose cold sauce, it would have to be romesco. "Sexy" is an overused adjective that chefs toss out to desc ribe food when they can’t think of anything else to say. But, in this case, it is spot-on. Romesco sa uc e is a classic, very popular, and yes, sexy, Spanish condiment. There are many versions and recipes, but it's basically a spicy almond and red pepper pesto-like mixture. The reason I love it so much is that romesco sauce is great on everything…literally. From the lightest grilled fish, to the reddest of red meats, to any and all vegetables. I always have a jar in the fridge, and when a dish I'm cooking has that "something is missing" taste - I throw in a spoon of romesco, and usually, things suddenly get more exciting. This video recipe I filmed for About a while ago just aired, and when I listened to it, I noticed m...

Today’s post is really two separate demos. One is to show you a fantastic, all-purpose salad dressing using sherry vinegar. The second is a technique that makes emulsifying a dressing a fast and easy process. The reason I like sherry vinegar so much is that combines the complex, tartness of really good wine vinegar, with the rich, sweetness of balsamic vinegar. The vinaigrette shown today literally goes great with everything; whether it’s under a delicate filet of poached fish, over a grilled steak, or with an avocado salad, as you see pictured here (avocado salad sold separately). The squeeze bottle method I show is such an easy way to emulsify a dressing and eliminates the need for the old “stand there and slowly drizzle in the oil in a fine stream” method. Lots of professional cooks will of course use a blender, which works great, but for the home cook making smaller amounts, I think my squeeze bottle is the way to go. By the way, as you’ll hear me attempt to explain during the vide...

I usually go out of my way to simplify the recipes we post here, but for some things, like this Spanish-inspired, sausage-stuffed calamari recipe, there just are no acceptable shortcuts to take. However, your efforts will be rewarded with something that tastes every bit the effort it took to make…as long as they don’t explode in your face. If you overstuff these, like I do every single time, they can burst open, sometimes violently. As you’ll see, the final results will still look great, and you do get to sneak a few tastes of the stuffing as you grill. So, be careful not to fill these too much, and/or wear your sunglasses while grilling these beauties. As far as grilling time goes, you really should use a thermometer, and cook until you have an internal temp of 155 F. Especially since you’ll have squid of various sizes on the grill at the same time. If that’s not an option, look for when the juices and fat from the sausage starts bubbling out. I was so hungry when I finally finished...

At some point this summer, you’ll get tired of grilled chicken. Any grilled chicken. No matter the marinade, or the delivery system, you will have simply reached your limit, and that’s when you need to reach for the chorizo.  Impale a few slices of this famously delicious, Spanish sausage in between your chunks of chicken, and as it grills, it will splatter its spicy, smoky fat all over its much blander skewermate, and once again, you and grilled chicken will be good buddies...just like Eddie Murphy and Nick Nolte. That reference will make a lot more sense once you watch the beginning of the video. Anyway, this is nothing more than a suggestion to help cure grilled chicken fatigue, and as usual, I expect you to tailor this concept to your own strange and exotic tastes. I hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy! Ingredients for 4 Skewers: 8 oz chorizo sausage, cut in 16 pieces 2 large chicken breasts, cut in 10 pieces each 1/2 red onion 1 red bell pepper salt and pepper to taste 1 tsp...

I knew it was only a matter a time before I'd set a video recipe to the Chicken Dance . This spring and summer, millions of inebriated people will be joyously flapping their elbows, and bobbing their heads, to this tune at weddings all over the county. I have no problem with them, they're drunk, what do you expect? It's the sober ones that go out there to "get their Mick Jagger on," I wonder about. They really should know better! That's right, I'm talking to you Tom and Katie (see photo below). Anyway, this video is a recipe for the game hen (aka Spring Chicken) I posted a picture of a few weeks ago. It was so delicious and beautiful I promised to film it the next time I made it, and I did. The key ingredient here is the erotic, exotic blood orange. They're Spanish in origin I believe, and add a wonderful sweet/tart flavor that's just perfect with the spicy chili sauce and aromatic rosemary. I know what you're thinking, "this jerk just us...

What’s the one thing everyone knows how to make (besides toast)? The ubiquitous quesadilla. Even the most culinarily-challenged among us can throw a tortilla in a pan, with some grated cheese, and 5 minutes later are enjoying a warm and satisfying snack. In today’s video recipe clip we will give the common quesadilla a delicious twist by using a classic Spanish fruit and cheese combination. The cheese we are using is called “Manchego.” Manchego cheese, from the La Mancha region of Spain, is made from sheep's milk. It is aged for at least 3 months, but can be aged much longer for a firmer texture and stronger flavor. It is classified as a semi-firm cheese, which means it grates beautifully and melts nicely. The flavor is a bit tangy, slightly salty, and amazingly delicious paired with the Membrillo. Membrillo is a very firm fruit paste made by cooking down a fruit called Quince with sugar and sometimes lemon. In the raw form, Quince is too hard and sour to eat. But, as it cooks the ...

There’s nothing quite like the piquillo pepper. They’re sweet, fruity, slightly smoky, and just bitter enough. For me, they’re the San Marzano tomatoes of peppers. And while I enjoy them in literally anything, these delicate, triangular beauties are just made for stuffing. I don’t think I’ve ever filled them the same way twice, and while this most recent exploration was quite amazing, who knows what the future will bring. Having said that, this one may be worth repeating. I loved this Spanish-inspired combination of flavors. The thing to keep in mind is that since you’re only cooking these for about 20 minutes, you’ll want to stay away from things that take longer than that. Things like raw rice, or larger chunks of vegetables just won’t work well here. Thankfully that leaves like a thousand other possible ingredients, so you have that going for you. These are surprisingly easy to find, and any high-end grocery store should stock them. Gourmet cheese shops almost always have them, an...

As a very, very small percentage of you may know, tomorrow is National Garlic Day, and what better way to celebrate than with a big bowl of Spanish garlic soup? Sopa de Ajo is a wonderfully rustic bread soup, spiked with sliced garlic, paprika, and ham. If that wasn’t enough to get your attention, it’s also topped with eggs poached in the fragrant, brick red broth. It’s like a steaming bowl of breakfast-for-dinner.  Like I say in the clip, there are as many ways to make this as families in Spain, but I really think toasting the bread is key. You’re basically replacing the flavorless water in the bread with olive oil and awesome soup. Plus, having the olive oil baked into the cubes makes for a better texture in m y opinion. W hether you make this tomorrow to celebrate a totally made-up holiday, or wait until you have some stale bread sitting around, I really hope you try this incredibly comforting Spanish soup. Enjoy! Ingredients for 4 portions: About 6 cups of cubed French or It...