Recipe': Che's Deviled Pollock and Pasta

I really wish I could show you a picture of this dish. But, I am afraid that my wife's latest experiment in the kitchen was so good that we had eaten half of it before I realized it was a perfect meal for presenting here. Cherilyn had lamented that she was not much of a cook, but time and time again over the past couple of months, she has excelled at putting together inexpensive, easy to make, and healthy dinners. It's been quite a change for me to have someone who makes dinner for me after I get home from my day-job. But, it has been so worth it. Last night she asked me, "what do you want for dinner tomorrow." My response... "whatever you want to make." She was inspired by the deviled eggs that I had taught her how to make a couple of years ago when she was still in The Philippines. She had then made a huge plate of them for family and friends that were quickly gobbled up. Inspired by the tangy combination of mustard and paprika, she added a few logical additions and made this fish... Masarap! Unfortunately, you will have to be left with the simple visage of a fresh pollock (above) until you craft this recipe' yourself. But, I promise you, you will enjoy every bite of it.

Ingredients:

Fish:

2 Fillets Pollock or other Whitefish

½ Tsp. Paprika

½ Tsp. Garlic Powder

1 Tsp. Curry Powder

1 Tsp. Lemon Juice

1 Tbsp. Spicy Brown Mustard

1 Tbsp. Honey

Pasta:

2 Cups Thin Spaghetti

1 Tbsp. Butter

½ Tbsp. Basil

½ Tbsp. Crushed Red Pepper

1 Tbsp. Olive Oil

1 Tbsp. Parmesan

Pinch (or two) of Salt

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425°. Place fresh Pollock in a greased baking pan. Mix curry powder, spicy mustard, honey, and lemon juice in a measuring cup, thoroughly. Pour Devil Sauce onto fish. Sprinkle paprika and garlic powder liberally over the fish. Place in oven and bake for 25 minutes. Meanwhile, bring thin spaghetti to a boil in large pot until “al dente”. Drain spaghetti and return to pot. Add butter and olive oil, then stir until butter is melted. Add crushed red pepper and basil and mix well. Sprinkle with parmesan and salt. Serves 1 to 2.

Recipe': Che's Veggie-Mex Casserole

Che's Veggie-Mex Casserole

My wife- Cherilyn- finally got here from The Philippines back in June. After a year of going through Immigration processes, she finally stepped off the plane into Standiford Field Airport in Louisville, KY, back on June 20th. As you can imagine, I was ecstatic. Needless to say, her being here is part of the reason why I haven't posted anything in the past 3 months. We have been busy getting her everything she needs to acclimate to life here in the U.S., as well as getting to know each other again after a year apart.

And in the past 2 months we have slowly gone from me doing all the cooking, to cooking together, to her cooking most of the weekday meals, and me doing the weekends. But even with a lot of the meals she has been cooking, I usually give her quick snapshots of instructions on what to cook and how. Cherilyn is not afraid to tell anybody that one of the reasons she married me was because of my cooking. Her mother was worried for a long time that her lack of culinary skill would never get her a husband, so Cherilyn knew that in addition to finding a blue-eyed man, he had to be a good cook, too. Lucky me! But her mother need not worry, because Cherilyn has done an excellent job keeping my belly full of wonderful food. And for nearly every recipe I give her, she adds her own twist to it in the end that makes it even better. Luckily, Cherilyn has embraced the idea of experimentation in the kitchen, which is the foundation of the "Lupicurean" way.

So, it was no surprise to me that when I told her last night, "tomorrow for dinner, make whatever you want, be creative, have fun with it", she put together a wonderful vegetarian casserole that is pocketbook friendly, easy to make, and absolutely delicious. And that is what I present to my readers today, a wonderful "poor-man's casserole", if you will: Che's Veggie-Mex Casserole.

Ingredients:

• 1 Cup Egg Noodles
• 1 Cup Macaroni
• 1 Small Can Tomato Sauce
• ½ Small Can Black Olives
• 1-2 Cups Broccoli Crowns
• 4 Fresh Mushrooms, Sliced
• ½ Cup Wolf’s Veggie Gruel
• ½  Tbs. Garlic Powder
• ½ Tbs. Oregano
• ½ Tbs. Basil
• 1 Tbs. Mayo
• 1 Tsp. Fresh Ground Pepper
• 1 Tsp. Salt
• ½ - 1 Cup Mexican Style Shredded Cheese

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°

Bring the egg noodles and macaroni to a boil in a pot until cooked al dente. Drain noodles, then pour into a large bowl. Add tomato sauce, olives, broccoli, mushrooms, veggie gruel, spices and mayo to the pasta. Stir all ingredients thoroughly until well mixed. Pour mix into a greased, glass baking pan. Layer the cheese over the top of the casserole.  Bake 25-30 minutes. Serves 2-3.

"Bon Appetit!" 

Episode 14: Fiesta Scallops

Wow, it's been a long Spring. Well, actually, a short Spring. Winter outwore its welcome here in Kentucky. The last time I posted an episode of the Lupine Epicurean companion Web-show, was January. I have spent most of the Winter and Spring with my focus solely on the immigration process to get my wife here from The Philippines. And with the exception of the few reviews I managed to get out, I have been slow it producing Lupicurean Content. But, I have more film in the can. And now I finally have Episode 14 for all of you to enjoy. And as well, the recipe is below. Please remember, I am always open to comments, suggestions and questions. Be sure and check out the show on YouTube. Subscribe, so you don't miss a single episode. And I hope you enjoy this wonderful seafood treat I call Fiesta Scallops.

Ingredients:

5 Scallops, Large

½ Cup Flour

1 T Lime Juice

2 T Butter, Unsalted

1 T Mint Flakes

1 T Cilantro

½ T Freshly Ground Pepper

2 Cups Pasta, Penne or Spaghetti

3 T Olive Oil

1 T Basil

½ Cup Goat Cheese

Instructions:

Premix the cilantro, mint, pepper and flour in a small bowl. Prepare a baking pan with canola spray. Preheat oven to 425*. In a small bowl coat the scallops with lime juice.  Thoroughly roll the scallops in the flour & spice mix. Place scallops in baking pan. Soften butter in microwave so that is liquid & clumpy. Drizzle liquid butter over the scallops. Pour the rest of butter into bottom of pan. Place scallops in oven and bake for 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, boil the penne pasta to al dente in a medium pot; drain. Add olive oil and basil to pasta; mix thoroughly. Just before serving scallops, add goat cheese to pasta and mix thoroughly.

Serves 1-2

Restaurant Review: Big Four Burgers & Beer (Jeffersonville, IN)

My friend Matt Coddington is a successful Mobile IT Specialist. He’s also been a successful Musician, and currently has a band called Dogville for which he is guitarist and lead vocalist. And it was because of a performance they gave this last Saturday, that my dining buddy Ken and I found ourselves at the Big Four Burgers & Beer restaurant in Jeffersonville, Indiana, just across the Ohio River from Louisville. I had not heard of Big Four Burgers, and with good reason: they just opened four months ago. But, a good night of dining and music seemed like the perfect opportunity to review an up and coming new joint near The Ville.

Big Four Burgers & Beer might conjure up the stereotypical images of a sports bar & grill, or maybe a pub-style hangout, but this place has a refreshing environs. While you certainly can catch a game on one of several televisions around the restaurant, and they do boast a selection of micro-brews, Big Four Burgers is also very family friendly. The emphasis- at least from my vantage point- seems to be a “friends & family” hangout time approach. And I gathered from the info we gleaned from our server- Tiffany- that the entire staff of Big Four has a lot of input into the running of the place from the menu to the entertainment. Located in an old 3-story building just one block from the Northern Shore of the Ohio River, it’s downtown/oldtown digs in Jeffersonville are downright homey. So, definitely a sense of community here.

And let me gush about our server for a moment. Tiffany was an awesome server. She was helpful, insightful, attentive, and just all together a great professional. We learned that she has been a professional server for 9 years, so she knows a thing or two about how to manage customers and food. We could not have asked for a better server.

Now on to the food. As you might guess from the name of this local brand, they specialize in Burgers. And not just any burgers, but the gourmet kind of burger. I was, in fact, very eager to try these well-portioned monsters just from taking a gander at their official website the day before. And let me add a quick technical note here as a by-day computer guru: the website is exceptionally well designed and laid out for learning everything these is to learn about the food at Big Four.

Ken pulled one of the many delightful tricks he likes to play sometimes by asking Tiffany to choose his dinner for him. He had two choices in mind and told Tiffany to surprise him. Now, one might think that is pretty crazy to do, but Ken’s actually a pretty smart fellow for this, because it gives him an opportunity to taste something that the staff take particular pride in. A good way to learn their favorites. What she brought him was one of the biggest Philly Steak & Cheese Hoagies I have ever seen. Succulent beef strips, tangy peppers, and gorgeous cheese on a hearty Hoagie. Accompanied by some Parmesan Steak Fries, Ken’s meal kept going beyond when Ken was done.

As for me, I had my heart set on a Bacon Encrusted Bleu Burger. A beautiful, thick Angus and sirloin burger cooked perfect to medium- with a thin line of pink- topped with thick smoked bacon, pungent bleu cheese pimento spread, tangy red onions and spicy bread & butter pickle slices, this burger was a real treat for my mouth. I am sure this monstrosity was a good 1/3 pound burger, and I did in fact devour it all. From the first to the last bite, it was delicious and filling. At the suggestion of my wife, I sided my burger with some fantastic onion rings. And quite honestly, they were the best onion rings I have ever had. The texture of the batter, the cooking time, all perfect, the way it is supposed to be.

Which brings up another great thing about Big Four Burgers; from the onion ring batter to the micro-brews to the dipping sauce, most of the concoctions are whipped up on site. You are not going to get something that has been processed, frozen and delivered like you do in some National restaurant chains. In fact, we had the opportunity to try out a brand new spicy cocktail sauce that Tiffany and the chef had imagined with our appetizer of calamari.

But then, comes my one and only criticism. There are some things you don’t mess with. And everybody has a different opinion on this. For me, that one thing is Chili Cheese Fries. That was my appetizer selection. And let me say up front, they were very tasty. However, I tend to expect Chili Cheese Fries to be a certain way, and taste a certain way. The Big Four Chili Cheese Fries just were not cheesy enough for me, and the chili was lacking in sauciness. And it did not come with Ranch dressing. Tiffany was more than happy to supply me a side of Ranch; Thank You , Tiffany! But, the positive side to this criticism is that if you have any particular notions about food, throw them out the window when you go. Big Four is daring enough to try some new things, and for most, you will find the new a very thrilling culinary experience.

As I am apt to say on occasion in these reviews. “all in all” it was a great dinner, a great experience, and Ken and I highly recommend that if you are in or near the Louisville or Southern Indiana area, take the time to get over to Big Four Burgers and give them a try. I have no doubt this restaurant will be a success in teasing the taste-buds of the locals and visitors alike. In fact, if you are going to be here come Derby Day in about a month, it will be a perfect opportunity to give them a try.

As a bonus, quick review of Dogville. Matt sang his heart out in the first set. We were unable to stick around for the second set. But the thing I like about Dogville is that they play my music. Matt is of my generation for the most part, and he and I share a LOT of the same tastes in music. They are great musicians who kept the atmosphere light-hearted and fun, while turning out some great covers. The acoustics in the stage room are not perfect, but it is designed for more of an intimate interaction. And Matt proved to me once and for all that nobody can do a Tom Petty cover without doing a Tom Petty impersonation. It just can’t be done. The only way those songs work is when you try to sing like Tom Petty. I do the same thing when I play my guitar and attempt to sing. Great job, Dogville! Hope to see you guys again real soon.

If you want to learn more about Big Four Burgers & Beer, browse the menu, or get directions, then check out their official website here: http://www.bigfourjeff.com/

If you want to learn more about the Louisville Local Band “Dogville” as well as the technical prowess of Matt Coddington check them out here: https://www.youtube.com/user/MultiMatt

And without further adieu, for it was a long review this time around…..

Wolf’s Rating: * * * *                     Ken’s Rating: * * * *

Restaurant Review: Funmi's Cafe (Louisville)

Meat Platter II at Funmi's Cafe

As I have said times before, some of the best places to east can be little “holes-in-the-wall”, small front-shops. This is especially true when seeking out Ethnic Cuisine. Funmi’s Café in Louisville, is just such a place. Squeezed between the strip mall buildings on Bardstown Rd. at Gardiner Ln. Funmi’s Café is a small and quaint bistro serving up Nigerian cuisine. My dining buddy, Ken, brought our attention to this place because of a Groupon he had acquired. So, this past Saturday, we headed over for an early dinner worthy of a review.

First off, know that with the store-front diners like this, ambience and environment is not going to be the drawing power. This was an expectation we had, and you should have as well. The layout is simple and Spartan. We showed up just as they were opening for dinner. Note also, that often small diners and restaurants like this will have limited lunch and dinner hours. I suspect that as the popularity of this place increases, and thus the funds are available, Funmi’s Café will outgrow those limited hours.

We were greeted heartily and with speed, and every question we asked was answered well as to the fare available. Let me take pause here to note that Nigerian food, and many other African cuisines are lush in rich sauces and stews. Whether it is beef, chicken, goat or fish, there are a variety of methods that include deep-tasting spices and veggie-laden stews. Many of Funmi’s selections are Vegan as well.

Ken and I decided to start with an appetizer; something called a Sambusa that reminded me visually, of Indian Samosa’s. Triangular cut pastries filled with ground chicken that had been cooked in onions, green peppers, garlic and a rub of spices including cumin. Pan fried, the Sambusa’s arrive crispy on the outside, and chewy on the inside. Absolutely delicious!

For our main course, we decided to try a couple of Funmi’s sampler platters so that we could get a wide-range of flavors. Ken opted for the “Meat Platter 1” which included Asun beef, Peri-Peri Chicken Cubes, Ewa, and Aloco served with Asaro. That’s a mouthful, figuratively and literally. Peri-Peri is a hearty chili pepper marinade. Ewa are stewed African beans. While Aloco is a dish from Ivory Coast of sweet fried plaintains stewed in tomatoes, onions and chili pepper. And finally, Asaro is porridge of plaintains, onion, potatoes and collard greens. Needless to say, Ken’s plate was full, and he found himself struggling to finish it all.

As for me, I opted for something a little simpler, “Meat Platter 2”. Asun is a stewed dish as well, with meat simmered in a thick, lush house sauce. Accompanied by a generous serving of Aloco plaintains and stew atop my Asun Beef and Asun Chicken, I also delighted in the smooth, yet bitter flavors of a strong helping of collard greens. Some of the best collard greens I have ever eaten, by the way. And to round out the platter, a large scoop of Jollof Rice, spiced to perfection. And this is the joy of Nigerian and African cuisine: the medley of flavors that you can experience in just one dish is incredible. Spicy, sweet, bitter, saucy; even flavors mixed that you might not ever have thought would go together quite so well. It is also important to note that you can request your meal with no spicy heat, medium, or downright “spicy.” Ken went with Medium spiciness and reported that his sinuses were clear for the week. Being the brave one I am with spiciness, and always looking for a new “kick”, I told them to bring on the spicy. And I was not disappointed. I won’t say that my “mouth was on fire”, but it was a respectable amount of spicy heat. 

Unfortunately, neither of us had any room for dessert. I had originally intended to try either their Nigerian “Puff-Puff” donuts, or the Plaintain Delight (aka Nigerian Banana Split), but there just wasn’t enough room. I’ll save that for another day, for we will no doubt be returning to Funmi’s Café in the near future to try even more of their 4-Page menu.

As for the price, at first glance it might seem that the price is a little bit higher than you might expect for a café of this type. However, the quality of the food, and the generous portions make the prices more than worth your visit. While each of our platters were about $14-15 each, there are plenty of other options a little cheaper, and even some specialty items a little more pricey. Median range of the entrées did not exceed the average price you see in most restaurants.

Obviously, all in all, it was a tremendously delicious experience full of flavor and we both highly recommend Funmi’s Café if you are in, or will be near the Louisville, Kentucky area. If you want to learn more about Funmi’s, browse their menu, and get directions, just check out their official website here: 

http://www.funmiscafe.com/

Definitely worth your tastebuds and money.

Wolf’s Rating: * * * * *              Ken’s Rating: * * * * *

Recipe: Filipino Labanos Salad

One of the many dishes that I tried while in The Philippines last year was something called Ensaladang Labanos; literally Radish Salad. It is often referred to as just "Labanos Salad." If you are a fan of vinegary snacks, this one is definitely a winner. In The Philippines they make it with white radish. But I have modified it with Red Radish since it is more common here, and I always have them in my refrigerator. The great thing about Labanos is that it is quick to make, great for a snack or a side, and it is really healthy. The key to Labanos is that the lime juice does most of the work. Lime juice and it's Filipino cousin Calamansi juice will change the chemical composition of food almost like cooking. There are, in fact, some sushi recipe's from South America that depend heavily upon the unique property of lime in "cooking" raw fish. As for Labanos, you could almost call it a Filipino version of Kimchi, without the fermentation. Hope you all enjoy this recipe and give it a try.

Ingredients:

3-4 Large Red Radish, or ½ Medium-sized White Radish

½ Yellow Onion

2-3 T Lime Juice, or Calamansi

½ T Ground Black Pepper

2-3 T Vinegar

Pinch of Sugar

Instructions:

Chop onion. Thinly slice the radish(es). Combine onion and radish in a bowl. Squeeze lime juice over the mixture. Pour vinegar into the mixture. Grind the pepper over all. Add pinch of sugar. Stir ingredients vigorously. Chill and give lime juice at least 2-3 hours to infuse the onions and radish. Serve as a side or snack. Serves 1-2.

Optional:

For a dash of extra Asian flavor, also add a teaspoon of Ginger and a dash of Soy Sauce.

Restaurant Review: Panda Express

Recently, I was cruising down Hurstbourne Lane in Louisville- running my typical weekend errands- when I saw this new place near the I-64 Exchange. I had never heard of Panda Express before. I assumed it was a typical Chinese Fast Food carryout. But it had the look of something more. More polished. More aesthetic. Once I got home, I pulled up their website to find out about them. Turns out, Panda Express has been around for a while. Not sure when we first got them here in Louisville, but the company has over 1400 locations in North America. It did, in fact, look like an Asian version of “fast food”. But, I was intrigued by the use of the word “gourmet” throughout their promotional website. While I am usually not one to review fast food places, this seemed like a good candidate for the exception. Especially considering how much I love Chinese food. So, the following weekend I “hollered” at my buddy Ken to go check this place.

First off, let’s talk about the environment at Panda Express. It definitely has that Fast Food vibe when you walk in; just a little more upscale. Everything is crisp and clean. There isn’t a whole lot of seating. I got the impression that this is a place that does get a lot of “carry-out” business. Unlike some fast food places, though, you can actually see your food right up front. And you can see it being cooked. The ordering counter is a hot bar with a wide range of selections right there for you to see and smell. Beyond the counter you can see the cooks tiring away at the enormous woks they use to prepare a variety of traditional fare.

The set-up is pretty simple. You’ve got about 10 different entrees from which to choose. You can go with a 1, 2, or 3- Entrée Plate with one side choice between Fried Rice, Steamed Rice or Lo Mein. They also have a nice selection of appetizers as well: pot-stickers, spring rolls, egg rolls. Their entrée’s range from the basic- Orange Chicken, Beef Broccoli- to what they call “Premium”- Beijing Beef, Firecracker Chicken- which are often regional favorites. At first, I was want to think the cost was a little pricey, until I remembered that the last few times I have been to my favorite burger joint, I have had to pay close to $10 to get what was once only about $7. All things considered, the pricing is fair for what you get.

Ken and I dug right in with the hopes that we had found a new place where we could eat quick dinners in the future when on the go. Ken decided to try the Shanghai Angus Steak entrée with mushrooms and crisp asparagus, and the Beijing Beef. His side was fried rice. Ken’s report: food was tasty and fresh, pricing was adequate, and he was full when we were done.

As for me, I was eager to try the Firecracker Chicken, which was a return to the menu, as well as the Beijing Beef. Now, let me take an aside here to note that one of my pet peeves with too many Chinese restaurants here in America, is that they often dumb down the flavor, and the spiciness to appease “American Taste”. I like my food spicy. So, when I see a sign, or a menu that says “General Tzo’s Spicy Chicken” or “Mongolian Chicken”, then I tend to be disappointed when there is no adequate “kick.” As you can imagine, I was ecstatic about the fact that both the Beijing Beef and the Firecracker Chicken- which are billed as spicy- were in fact quite spicy. At least, much more than I expected. With juicy chicken, sweet peppers, tangy onions and a nice hot black bean sauce, the Firecracker Chicken was a refreshing alternative to usual fast food fare. And the Beijing Beef with its onions, peppers, and starchy sweet and spicy sauce was equally delightful to my taste buds. The fried rice that accompanied my meal was light and fluffy with just the right amount of veggies and egg. And the appetizer veggie spring rolls were tasty as well. My only complaint was that the inside of the veggie rolls were a little too mushy. I am not a big fan of “mushy.” We were also happily surprised to receive free drinks due to the wait. Quite honestly, it did not seem like much of a wait to me. But the place was packed when we got there about 5:00 on a Saturday afternoon. This attention to customer happiness and encouraging loyalty was a pleasant surprise.

I could end my review with that. But… a week later, I decided to follow-up and see if it was just as good in the middle of a weekday. And I wanted to try those veggie spring rolls again to see if there was any difference. I returned to Panda Express on a Monday, with a coupon I had received the previous week for a free entrée. I was so impressed with the Beijing Beef that I had it again, and coupled it with some Kung Pao Chicken (another spicy dish). Despite a bold, blatantly visible sign about allergens, my server at the hot bar reminded me that the dish had peanuts, and that it was indeed spicy. Appreciative of her care, I told her to pile it on. The Kung Pao Chicken did not disappoint. With its peppers and tender zucchini, and seasoned with honest to god Szechuan peppers, it was quite spicy, and again, a treat of flavor for my mouth. I was also glad to discover that the veggie spring rolls, were darn near perfect; crispy throughout, no mushy.

Panda Express is a fresh and refreshing alternative to the regular fast food places. Both of my visits were less than $10 for fresh, delicious, and mostly healthy quick meals. There is no doubt that whenever I am on that side of town, and I need a meal on the go… Panda Express will be my choice.

If you want to find a Panda Express in your city, and peruse their menu, click on over to their official website… http://www.pandaexpress.com/

Ken’s Rating: * * *

Wolf’s Rating: * * * *