Red Lobster Margaritas and Tequila recommendations

Want a sure-fire way to get your party going? Whip up a perfect pitcher of margaritas - Red Lobster style.  But use good tequila.  I highly recommend the higher end Hornitos lines - like the great taste for the price Sauza Hornitos Anejo.  Yes, there are better tequilas, but bang for the buck you'll be hard pressed to beat that Anejo.  I also really like their Commemorativo as well.  Avion Silver would be my next step up from there.  And if you want sex appeal in a bottle try Asom Broso La Rosa Reposado.  And if you have more money than brains, you can't go wrong with the best tequila I've ever tasted - Patron Gran Burdeos Anejo.  Tried it in Mexico on vacation last year, and wow.  Mixing it is probably a sin though, so don't tell any serious tequila aficionados if you chose to do so.

Serves 8to10

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (from 4 to 5 lemons)
• 1/2 cup fresh lime juice (from 2 to 3 limes)
• A splash of fresh orange juice (from half an orange)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 cups tequila
• 3/4 cup Triple Sec
• 3 3/4 cups water
• Ice

Preparation:

Red Lobster Margaritas

1. In a pitcher (or blender), combine the sugar and water. Stir until the sugar is dissolved.
2. Add the lemon and lime juices, and the splash of orange juice.
3. Mix in the tequila and the Triple Sec, and stir well.
4. Keep in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

For Straight-Up Margarita:

1. Combine the prepared margarita with ice in a shaker.
2. Shake 20 to 30 times.
3. Strain into chilled martini or margarita glass.
4. Garnish with a lime wheel.

For Margarita on the Rocks:

1. Combine the prepared margarita with ice in a shaker and strain into martini or margarita glass filled with ice.
2. Garnish with a lemon wheel.

For Margarita with a Salt Rim:

1. To salt glasses, rub the rim of the glass with lime or lemon first.
2. Gently dip into saucer laced with kosher salt. (Please note: Do this before the glass is filled with ice or cocktail.)

Chef's Tip:

The key to a great margarita is not to over-salt the rim of the glass. Start by running a quartered lime around the rim of the glass. Pour some coarse or kosher salt onto a napkin, and then lightly touch the glass rim to the salt. Shake off any excess so that only a small crust remains.

Cranberry-Apple Sangria

I should mention that anything with Tuaca is worth drinking.  You could mix that shit with motor oil and I'd down it without a second thought.

This comes from Red Lobster's recipes.


This special variation of sangria would be the perfect complement for South Beach Seafood Paella. Try orange wedges and green apple chunks for a beautiful garnish.

Serves 4 (or one if you really want to tie one on!)

Ingredients:

• 4 oz. canned cranberries, pureed
• 1 bottle of Chardonnay
• 1 bottle of White Zinfandel
• 2 oz. Tuaca liquor
• 1 mini-bottle (approximately 1 2/3 oz.) of Sour Apple Pucker
• 1 mini-bottle (approximately 1 2/3 oz.) of Triple Sec
• 4 oz. cranberry juice
• 2 oz. orange juice
• Orange wedges and green apple chunks for garnish

Preparation:

1. Place the canned cranberries in a blender and puree for approximately 4-5 seconds. The mixture should not be totally smooth. Measure out 4 ounces.
2. In a two-quart container or pitcher, combine all the ingredients.
3. Stir well and store in refrigerator until ready to serve.
4. Serve approximately 6 ounces of the beverage over ice in a tall glass. Garnish with a fresh skewer of fruit using the orange wedges and green apple chunks.

Chef's Tips:

It's best to make sangria a day in advance, because the longer the flavors can blend together, the better. Don’t put the fruit into the sangria at the last minute. Allow it to soak up the flavor of the liquids. Use a quality wine in your sangria, and make sure to put it in the glass or pitcher before you start mixing in the other ingredients. Since fruit is a great expression of the seasons, use those types that are fresh and in season. For example, during the summer, mix a white wine with peaches, nectarines and blueberries. In the winter, use citrus fruits like oranges and tangerines. In the fall, choose apples and berries. Be sure you use fruit juices that are consistent with the fruits in your sangria. In the summer, use peach nectar. If you’re using citrus fruits, use orange juice. If you're using berries, use cranberry juice.

Green Olive Salsa

This comes from Red Lobster's Recipes.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 Cup Green Olives, chopped small
• 1 tsp Capers
• 1 Tbsp Diced Shallots
• 1 Tbsp Minced Garlic
• ¼ cup Chopped Green Tomatoes
• 1 tsp Finely Chopped Basil
• 1Tbsp Pure Olive Oil
• To taste Salt

Preparation:

• Combine all ingredients in mixing bowl cover tightly, refrigerate (for a slightly smoother texture you can blend items in blender for 10-15 seconds)

I got a new cookbook! Lee Bros Southern Cookbook ROCKS!

I was recently given the Lee Brothers Southern Cookbook, and I gotta tell you, it is Ah-maazing!

I love to cook, and I love to eat.  Especially Southern food.  I could probably use to lose about 40lbs, and about 90% is Southern Fried Chicken weight!  The rest would be Italian, but that is for a different post.

The funny thing is, I had never heard of these guys before I got the book.  A good friend of mine gave this to me on loan about a year ago, and when he realized how much I liked it he bought me my own copy.  I don't know where my buddy found out about them, but it is heaven sent!  And then today I saw these two Lee brothers on TV with Bobby Flay!

The recipes are my kind of recipes - simple for the most part, but outstanding in the final product.  There are a bunch of things in the book I wouldn't cook since I won't it, but that is the case with every cook book.  But this one in particular has a very high rate of eatability on my taste scale.

When I did a bit of research on who these guys are, I was surprised to find out they don't own a restaurant anywhere.  So where do they get their expertise?  They work as food writers for things like The New York Times among other places.  So they know food.  And I learned they do a lot of work with various Martha Steward shows and products too.  So they have pretty good provenance. 

And it shows in the food.  I am a good cook, but by no means a great one.  I am creative within a small window of foods, and what this book has done is greatly expand that box of expertise for me.  I've loved Southern food since I was a wee lad, but I've never really learned to cook beyond Southern Fried Chicken and Biscuits and Gravy.  This book has changed that.  I'm trying all sorts of new things, many of which include new preps for seafood.

I gotta tell you, after this long in seafood restaurants new preps for seafood is just what the doctor ordered.  If you are looking for something new, check it out.  You might even be able to find it in a local Barnes & Noble or Boarders, and possibly a cooking supply store as well.  For the $24 it cost, I'm certain you will quickly recoup that expense by making some awesome meals at home rather than going out.  And your friends will think you are the king of chefs!

The rib recipe alone is worth the price of the book.  Last month I made their ribs (no smoker needed!) and was blown away!  Best ribs I've eaten in a long time, and quite possibly the best ribs I've eaten North of the Mason-Dixon line!

Chocolate Truffles Recipe

Here's something I haven't done in quite a while - a recipe! This comes from Alton Brown, one of my favorite TV personalities (let alone food personalities!). I love Brown's quirky earthiness. And we seem to have the same taste in foods. Plus he ride a motorcycle, which adds to our bond. The below recipe is outstanding, and quite simple if you make multiple batches. They work great as gifts in the upcoming gift giving season if you wrap them up in a cheap and simply customized hand crafted box. Or wrap the box in shiny wrapping paper and tie some ribbon around it and people will think you are a rock star gift giver. And did I mention they are delicious!?!

Ingredients

• 10 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
• 1/4 cup brandy
• 1/2 cup Dutch process cocoa powder, finely chopped nuts, and/or toasted coconut, for coating truffles
• 8 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine

Directions

Place the 10 ounces of chocolate and butter in a medium size glass mixing bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds. Remove and stir, and repeat this process 1 more time. Set aside.

Heat the heavy cream and corn syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat until simmering. Remove from the heat and pour the mixture over the melted chocolate mixture; let stand for 2 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, stir gently, starting in the middle of bowl and working in concentric circles until all chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth and creamy. Gently stir in the brandy. Pour the mixture into an 8 by 8-inch glass baking dish and place in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Using a melon baller, scoop chocolate onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and return to the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Place the cocoa powder, nuts, and/or toasted coconut each in its own pie pan and set aside.

In the meantime, place the 8 ounces of chocolate into a medium mixing bowl which is sitting on top of a heating pad lined bowl, with the heating pad set to medium. Depending on the heating pad, you may need to adjust the heat up or down. Stirring the chocolate occasionally, test the temperature of the chocolate and continue heating until it reaches 90 to 92 degrees F; do not allow the chocolate to go above 94 degrees F. If you do, the coating will not have a nice snap to it when you bite into the chocolate. Once you have reached the optimal temperature, adjust the heat to maintain it.

Remove the truffles from the refrigerator and shape into balls by rolling between the palms of your hands. Use powder-free vinyl or latex gloves, if desired.

Dip an ice cream scoop into the chocolate and turn upside down to remove excess chocolate. Place truffles 1 at time into the scoop and roll around until coated. Then place the truffle into the dish with either the cocoa powder, nuts or coconut. Move the truffle around to coat; leave truffle in the coating for 10 to 15 seconds before removing. In the meantime, continue placing the chocolate-coated truffles in the cocoa or other secondary coating. After 10 to 15 seconds, remove the truffle to a parchment lined sheet pan. Repeat until all truffles are coated. Allow to set in a cool dry place for at least 1 hour; or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Truffles are best when served at room temperature.

Rock Shrimp Creole

Rock shrimp meets Creole cuisine in a spicy sauce with tomatoes, onions and peppers. Dip your favorite bread into a big bite of Louisiana.

Serves 6 8

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds rock shrimp, peeled and deveined
• ¼ cup butter
• ½ cup green bell pepper, diced to one-half inch
• ½ cup onion, diced to one-quarter inch
• ¼ cup celery, chopped fine
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp. flour, all purpose
• 1 can 14.5-ounce whole peeled tomatoes, roughly cut
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. salt
• ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
• ¼ tsp. black pepper
• 3-4 cups cooked rice

Preparation:

1. Rinse shrimp briefly and remove any large veins that are visible.
2. In a small sauce pan, melt 2 tbsp. of butter over medium heat.
3. Mix in flour and stir until dissolved and mixture begins to thicken, then reduce heat.
4. Add tomatoes and their juice to the butter and flour mixture, stir well, and heat through. The mixture will thicken. Hold warm.
5. In a large skillet, melt two tbsp. of butter, and over medium-high heat, cook bell pepper, onion, celery, and garlic until soft, but with a little bit of a crunch.
6. Add shrimp and cook until no longer transparent (three minutes).
7. Add tomato mixture, bring to a boil, cover and let simmer for five minutes.
8. Serve over hot rice (white or wild mixture).

Chef's Tip:

• If rock shrimp are only available cooked, then add the shrimp and the tomato mixture at the same time.
• Add a Cajun-style sausage when cooking the vegetables for an extra Cajun flair.
• Cajun- or Louisiana-style seasoning can be used instead of, or along with, salt, cayenne pepper and black pepper.
• Serve with French or sourdough bread.

Red Lobster Recipes: Citrus Couscous

This is an older recipe, but it's good eating!

Ingredients:

8 ounces dry couscous
1½ cups water
1 tsp. fresh chopped dill
1 tsp. fresh chopped mint
½ tsp. salt
1 tbsp. brown sugar
1/8 tsp. white pepper
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 can mandarin oranges
Preparation:

1. Place water, salt, sugar, pepper and olive oil in a sauce pan and bring to a boil.
2. Remove from heat and add couscous cover and let stand for about 7 minutes.
3. Fold in oranges, juice, and fresh herbs.
4. Let stand for 2-3 minutes.

Chef's Tip:

Try adding raisins or dates for a different flair. (I personally add currants)

Serving suggestion:

This dish is delightful with seafood or chicken.

Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits

In each one of our Cheddar Bay Biscuits there are 170 calories and 9 grams of fat. My guess is that our store has more calories as our bread makers seem to put extra butter sauce on top of them.

I've seen people eat 10-12 and then ask for some more to take home. Ugh.

Red Lobster Biscuit Recipe

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Lobster Bisque Recipe

Not quite the same as we server at Red Lobster because ours has to be mass produced. The below recipe is better than the Red Lobster version, but RL's isn't bad if you don't want to go through all the effort to cook up a back of bisque.

a 3-pound live lobster
1 medium onion
1 celery rib
1 carrot
1 vine-ripened tomato
1 head garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 bay leaf
8 black peppercorns
1/2 cup brandy
1/2 cup dry Sherry
4 cups fish stock*
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons water

*available at fish markets and some specialty foods shops

Fill a 6-quart kettle three fourths full with salted water and bring to a boil. Plunge lobster headfirst into water and cook, covered, over high heat 8 minutes. Transfer lobster with tongs to a large bowl and in a measuring cup reserve 2 cups cooking liquid. Let lobster stand until cool enough to handle. Working over a bowl to catch the juices, twist off tail and claws and reserve juices. Reserve tomalley and discard head sacs and any roe. Remove meat from claws and tail, reserving shells and lobster body. (Lobster meat will not be cooked through.) Coarsely chop meat and transfer to a bowl. Chill lobster meat, covered.

Chop onion, celery, carrot, and tomato and halve garlic head crosswise. In a 6-quart heavy kettle heat oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and sauté reserved lobster shells and body, stirring occasionally, 8 minutes. Add vegetables, garlic, herbs, peppercorns, brandy, and Sherry and simmer, stirring, until almost all liquid is evaporated, about 5 minutes. Add stock and reserved tomalley and cooking liquid. Simmer mixture, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 1 hour.

Pour mixture through a fine sieve into a large saucepan, pressing on and discarding solids. Whisk in tomato paste and simmer until reduced to about 3 cups, about 10 minutes. Add cream and simmer bisque 5 minutes. In a small bowl stir together cornstarch and water and whisk into bisque. Simmer bisque, stirring, 2 minutes. (Bisque will thicken slightly.) Add lobster meat with any reserved juices and simmer bisque 1 minute, or until lobster meat is just cooked through. Season bisque with salt and pepper.

Serves 4.

Related Tags: Red Lobster, Lobster Bisque, Lobster Soup, Darden, Seafood, Seafood Restaurant, GMRI, DRI, Waiter, Waitress, Server, Food Service

APPLE STRUDEL TURNOVERS

The pastry chefs at Spago make fresh strudel dough, but we call for packaged phyllo here. For the breadcrumbs, finely grind crustless white sandwich bread in a processor, then toast the crumbs in a 350°F oven until dry, about 10 minutes. You'll need two 14-cube ice-cube trays for the filling.

2 1/4 pounds Braeburn or Fuji apples (about 6 medium), peeled, cored, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
1 1/4 cups (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
1/3 cup water
2 tablespoons (packed) golden brown sugar
2 tablespoons mild-flavored (light) molasses

28 13x9-inch fresh phyllo pastry sheets or frozen, thawed (about 3/4 pound)
1 1/4 cups lightly toasted fresh breadcrumbs

Vanilla ice cream

Mix apple cubes and lemon juice in medium bowl. Mix 1 cup sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and white pepper in small bowl to blend. Melt 1/4 cup butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat and stir constantly until butter browns, about 3 minutes. Add 1/3 cup water, then sugar mixture and cook until syrup turns deep amber color, stirring constantly, about 4 minutes. Mix in brown sugar and stir until dissolved. Add apple cubes with lemon juice; cook until juices are thick and spoon leaves path when drawn across bottom of pan, about 13 minutes. Add molasses and stir to blend. Divide apple mixture equally between two 14-cube ice-cube trays. Freeze until frozen, at least 4 hours. (Frozen apple cubes can be prepared 1 month ahead. Cover; keep frozen.)

Melt remaining 1 cup butter in heavy small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stack 14 phyllo sheets on work surface. Trim phyllo stack to form 13x8-inch rectangle. Cut stack in half lengthwise, forming two 13x4-inch stacks; place on top of each other. Cover with plastic wrap, then damp kitchen towel. Repeat with remaining 14 phyllo sheets, forming second stack. Place 1 phyllo strip on work surface. Brush lightly with melted butter. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon breadcrumbs. Top with second phyllo strip. Brush lightly with melted butter; sprinkle with 1 teaspoon breadcrumbs. Remove 1 frozen apple cube from ice-cube tray; return remaining cubes to freezer. Place frozen apple cube on lower short end of prepared phyllo strip. Turn bottom right corner of strip over apple cube so that bottom edge lines up with left side. Continue folding up phyllo, flag-style, creating triangle and enclosing apple cube. Brush triangle with melted butter; place on rimmed baking sheet and transfer to freezer. Repeat with remaining pastry strips and apple cubes. (Turnovers can be made 2 weeks ahead. Cover; keep frozen.)

Preheat oven to 400°F. Bake strudel turnovers on rimmed baking sheets until golden brown, about 13 minutes. Serve strudel turnovers warm with vanilla ice cream.

Makes 8 to 10 servings.

chef Sherry Yard
Spago, Beverly Hills, CA

Related Tags: Recipe, Apple Strudel, Apple Turnover, Apple, Turnover, Spago, Sherry Yard, Beverly Hills, phyllo, Ice cream, Vanilla, Dessert

Green Bean Gratinate

From Lidia Matticchio Bastianch. I saw her prepare this on her PBS cooking show, and they turn out great!

Green Bean Gratinate

Servings: 6 or more

Description: One day, when I was wondering what to make with a nice batch of fresh green beans, my daughter Tanya remembered a salad she’d had on a recent trip to Italy—perfectly cooked green beans, cherry tomatoes, basil and cubes of fresh mozzarella. Because I long to take things a step further, I decided to combine the very same ingredients in a casserole and bake them with a grattinata of bread crumbs and grated cheese. It was wonderful. And it is a fine example of how one simple procedure—baking ingredients coated with cheesy bread crumbs—can work so well with so many foods. The Broccoli & Cauliflower Grattinata and the Crispy and Cheesey Turkey Cutlets use the same method. Of course, there’s another kitchen principle evident here: good ingredient combinations lend themselves to different preparations.

Ingredients: 1-1/2 pounds fresh green beans
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 pound cherry tomatoes (about 3 cups), preferably small “grape” tomatoes
1/2 pound fresh mozzarella
4 to 6 fresh basil leaves
1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Grana Padano
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons butter

Directions: Arrange a rack in the top half of the oven and preheat to 375. Fill a large pot with water (at least 5 quarts) and bring it to the boil. Trim both ends of the beans and remove strings (if they’re an old fashioned variety and have strings). Dump them all into the boiling water, cover the pot until the water boils again, then cook uncovered, for 10 minutes or so, until they are just cooked through—tender but still firm enough to snap. Drain the beans briefly in a colander then put them in a big kitchen bowl. Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon of salt on the hot beans and toss them so they’re all seasoned. Let the salt melt and the beans cool for a couple of minutes.
Meanwhile, rinse and dry the tomatoes; if they’re larger than an inch, slice them in halves, otherwise leave them whole. Cut the mozzarella into 1/2-inch cubes. Slice the basil leaves into thin shreds or chiffonade.

Toss the grated cheese and bread crumbs together in a small bowl. Lighlty grease the insides of the baking dish with a teaspoon or more of the butter. Sprinke 1/4 cup of the cheese-and-bread-crumb mix all over the bottom of the dish. When the beans are no longer steaming, drop the tomatoes, cubes of mozzarella, and basil shreds on top. Drizzle the olive oil over all, sprinkle on the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and toss together a few times. Sprinkle 3/4 cup of the cheesy breadcrumbs on top and toss well, so everything is coated. Turn the vegetables, scraping up all the crumbs, into the baking dish, and spread them in an even layer. Sprinkle over the remaining 1/4 cup of crumbs; cut the rest of the butter in small pieces and scatter them all over the top. Place the dish in the oven. Bake the gratinate for 10 minutes, the rotate it back to front and bake another 10 minutes. Check to see that it is browning and bake a few minutes more, until the gratinate is dark golden and crusted. (If the crumbs still lok pale after 20 minutes in your oven, raise the temperature to 400 or 425 and bake until done.)

Serve the hot gratinate in the baking dish.

Related Tags: Lidia Matticchio Bastianch, Lidia Bastianch, Lidia's Italy, Green Bean Gratinate, Green beans, cherry tomatoes, basil, fresh mozzarella, mozzarella, casserole, bread crumbs

How to cook crab legs

Steaming:

1. Do not pre-thaw crab legs.

2. Place frozen crab legs in vegetable steamer or colander over boiling water.

3. Cover tightly and steam approximately six minutes.

4. Brush with melted butter, season and serve with cocktail sauce.


Microwave:

1. Do not pre-thaw crab.

2. Place frozen crab legs in the microwave and cover with a damp towel to prevent moisture loss.

3. Heat for five minutes on defrost setting.

4. Brush with melted butter, season and serve with cocktail sauce.


Related Tags: Red Lobster, Seafood, Seafood Restaurant, Darden, GMRI, Crab, Crab Legs, Crack Crab, Opening Crab, Cooking Crab, Drawn Butter, Butter, Lemon, Cocktail Sauce

Red Lobster Recipes: Seafood Paella

Ingredients:

6 tbsp. olive oil
1 cup minced onions
1 small sweet red bell pepper, seeded, cut into 1/2" pieces
1 small sweet green bell pepper, seeded, cut into 1/2" pieces
1 cup canned chopped tomatoes, drained
1 tbsp. minced garlic
1 tbsp. minced fresh thyme
1 lb. sea scallops
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 oz. andouille sausage, cut into 1/2" thick pieces
1/2 cup dry white wine
3 cups long-grain rice
1 tsp. saffron threads
3 cups chicken stock, hot
3 cups clam juice, hot
12 large or jumbo shrimp, cleaned and peeled, leaving tails intact
1 lb. fresh fish (grouper, scrod, haddock, halibut or swordfish), skinless, cut into 1" chunks
16 fresh mussels
1/2 lb. sugar snap peas
1 medium red pepper, cut into long 1/2" wide strips
Chopped fresh parsley to garnish
(You can substitute in other seafoods, especially things like Crawfish, Lobster and other shell fish).

Preparation:

The "Sofrito"

1. In a heavy 12" skillet, heat 3 tbsp. olive oil until hot. Add the onions and pepper, and cook, stirring for 5 minutes until they’re soft and transparent.
2. Add tomatoes, garlic and thyme. Cook, stirring for 5 more minutes, until most of the liquid in the pan evaporates and the mixture is thick.
3. Put the sofrito aside for later.
Seafood and Sausage:

1. Season the fish, shrimp and scallops with salt and pepper.
2. In a skillet, heat 3 tbsp. of olive oil over moderately high heat until hot.
3. Add the fish, shrimp and scallops, as well as the mussels, and sauté for 3-5 minutes.
4. Add the sausage and cook until light brown.
5. Transfer to a plate and deglaze pan with 1/2 cup of dry white wine.
Paella:

1. About 30 minutes before you plan to serve the paella, preheat an oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In a 14" paella pan or shallow casserole dish at least 14" in diameter, combine the sofrito, rice and saffron.
3. Pour in 3 cups of chicken stock and 2 cups of clam juice (save 1 cup for the end). Stirring constantly, bring to a boil over high heat.
4. Remove the pan from the heat immediately and season with salt and pepper.
5. Arrange the seafood on the top of the rice.
6. Set the pan on the lowest shelf in the oven and bake uncovered for 20 minutes. Do not stir the paella once it goes in the oven.
7. Sprinkle the sugar snap peas and the red pepper strips over the whole paella, and bake for 5-10 minutes more, or until all of the liquid has been absorbed by the rice and the grains are tender, but not too soft. If the rice needs to be softer, add the remaining cup of clam juice.
8. Remove from stove and let stand for five minutes before serving. Garnish with parsley.


Estimated cooking time: 30 minutes (not including prep time).
Chef's Tips:

Paella, which originated in Spain, can be made with chicken, pork, sausage or seafood.

Make sure you use the freshest seafood for this recipe. You can tell if the shrimp and scallops are fresh by making sure that they have a nice aroma that is not overpowering. Mussels and clams are fresh if their shells are closed. Once you cook them, they will open up.
This paella dish reheats well. If you make it the night before, put it in the oven at 350-400 degrees F for approximately 30-40 minutes covered (to keep the dish moist, add either more chicken stock or clam juice before putting it in the oven).
Beverage Suggestions:

Sangria is a nice accompaniment due to the sweetness of the drink. Another good pairing is wines from the Mediterranean, Italy, or Spain — either whites or reds.

I would pair this with wedges of garlic bread, and plenty of lemon/lime. Enjoy!

Related Tags: Red Lobster, Darden, GMRI, Seafood, Seafood Paella, Paella, Scallops, Andouille sausage, Shrimp, Fresh Fish, Mussels, Clam Juice, Sofrito, Sangria, Wine, Italy, Spain, Mediterranean, Recipe, Seafood Recipe, Paella Recipe

Amazon Cake (chocholate!)

Amazon Cake
From The New York Times
Adapted from Cafe Beaujolais by Margaret Fox and John S. Bear
serves 6 to 8

1 ½ cups flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa [I used Double-Dutch Dark]
1 t. baking soda
1 cup sugar
½ t. salt
5 T. corn oil [I used canola]
1 ½ t. vanilla
1 T. cider vinegar
Confectioners’ sugar.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, sugar and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the oil, vanilla and vinegar with 1 cup cold water. Whisk in the dry ingredients, blending until completely lump-free. Pour into a greased 9-inch round cake pan. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the top springs back when pressed gently. Cool before removing from the pan and dusting with confectioners’ sugar, or frosting if desired.


The above taken from a blog in my blog roll. I'm no longer sure which. It sounded really good, so I'm posting it here so I don't loose the recipe.


Related Tags: Amazon cake, Cocoa, Cafe Beaujolais, Margaret Fox, John Bear, Recipe, Cake recipe

How to Cook a Lobster

Maine Lobster

The easiest way to cook a Maine lobster is to boil for 12 minutes in salted water.

1. Add 1 tsp. salt for every quart of water.

2. Bring water to a rapid boil and plunge lobster head-first into water.

3. Return to a boil and cook for 12 to 15 minutes.

4. Remove lobster and serve with melted butter, lemon wedges, lobster crackers and lots and lots of napkins. Serve with a nice white wine, I would suggest Sauvignon Blanc, probably a Hanna.

Related Tags: Red Lobster, Seafood, Seafood Restaurant, Cook Lobster, How to Cook, Maine Lobster, Live Lobster, Lobster, Waiter, Waitress, Server, Food Service

THAI CHICKEN AND COCONUT SOUP

The Best Recipe: Soups & Stews, Cook's Illustrated Magazine

Serves 8 As A First Course

This multidimensional soup with tantalizing flavors and aromas is created with a blend of aromatics. Lemon grass imparts a rich, ethereal, lemony essence. If you can't find lemon grass, try 2 pieces of water-packed lemon grass or 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest. Fiery Thai chiles typically provide a hot and spicy component, but they are often hard to find, and Mexican hot peppers seem out of place. We found the best substitute to be a Thai red curry paste that includes Thai chiles and other aromatic ingredients favored in this soup. Avoid Indian-style curry pastes that include cumin and other spices, leftovers can be refrigerated for two days, but the coconut milk will separate. Reheat slowly, not boiling the liquid, to prevent the milk from curdling.

• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 to 2 stalks lemon grass, outer sheath removed, bottom 3 inches trimmed and minced (3 tablespoons)
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• 2 to 3 teaspoons Thai red curry paste
• 6 cups homemade chicken stock or canned low-sodium chicken broth
• 3 tablespoons fish sauce or soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 (14-ounce) cans unsweetened coconut milk
• 1 whole boneless, skinless chicken breast (about 12 ounces), cut into 1 by 1/4-inch strips
• 1 (15-ounce) can straw mushrooms, drained and rinsed
• 3 tablespoons lime juice
• Salt
• 1/2 cup loosely packed whole fresh cilantro leaves
• 3 scallions, greens only, sliced thin on an angle (optional)


1. Heat the oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the lemon grass, ginger, and garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until aromatic, 30 to 60 seconds. Add the curry paste and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds.

2. Add 1/2 cup chicken stock to the pot and stir to dissolve the curry paste. Add the remaining stock, fish sauce, and sugar and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low, partially cover, and simmer to blend flavors, about 20 minutes.

3. Stir in the coconut milk, chicken, mushrooms, and lime juice. Bring back to a simmer and cook until the stock is hot and the chicken is no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Taste for seasoning and add salt if desired. Serve immediately, garnishing each bowl with cilantro and scallions.

VARIATION
THAI SHRIMP AND COCONUT SOUP
Substitute 1/4 pound peeled and deveined medium shrimp for the chicken in step 3.

Related Tags: Chicken, Chicken soup, Thai soup, best recipe, Lemon grass, coconut milk, Shrip soup, Recipe, Cooking, Food

Red Lobster Biscuit Recipe

This will get you pretty close to what Red Lobster does. Little Old Ladies ask us waiters for this recipe all the time.

INGREDIENTS:

* 2 cups buttermilk baking mix, Bisquick
* 2/3 cup milk
* 1/2 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
* 1/4 cup butter, melted
* 1/4 tsp garlic powder

PREPARATION:
In mixing bowl, mix together baking mix, milk and cheese until a soft dough forms, then beat vigorously 30 seconds. Drop from spoon onto ungreased baking sheet and bake at 450° until golden brown, 9 to 10 minutes. Mix together butter and garlic powder. Brush over hot biscuits and serve hot. Makes 10 - 12.