Chef Samuel

03/14/2018

A week or so ago I returned from a trip to Vietnam. The food was phenomenal, fresh, organic, clean and healthy. It was also very affordable. An amazing meal like this, including drinks for 3, was just over $100. More to come.

02/14/2018

Chocolate Dipped Strawberries have to be one of my all time favorite sweets. If you can find some good strawberries this time of year they are perfect for a easy, do-at-home, Valentine’s Day dessert. A nice recipe and how too can be found here:

These Chocolate Covered Strawberries are a perfect romantic dessert for Valentine’s Day, or at the end of any dinner for two! They’re also a simple treat to prepare in advance and serve at parties.

01/24/2018

Once upon a time, oranges were a delicacy, expensive and hard to get. Oranges are now available throughout the year in most parts of the world. It is now peak season for this popular citrus fruit. It is possible to make several different types of dishes using oranges beyond eating or juicing them. One of my favorite involves roast chicken.
Remove the outer most layer of peel (or zest) from the orange, combine with minced garlic, chopped fresh rosemary and thyme, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Rub the mixture under the skin of a whole chicken as evenly as possible. Then segment the rest of the orange, stuff it into the empty cavity of the bird along with whole garlic cloves and sprigs of rosemary and thyme. Roast the chicken at 400 degrees Fairinheight for about and hour or until done. The result will be a moist, aromatic chicken dinner.
There are many other savory uses of oranges such as the French classic Duck a l'orange and the dish that made Panda Express famous Orange Chicken.
Of course there are many sweet applications of oranges as well, perhaps most traditionally, oranges have been preserved as marmalade.
If you find yourself with a large number of oranges this year and wonder how to use them, think outside the juice glass.

01/10/2018

With cold and flu season in full swing, it is important to take precautions to avoid falling ill. Drink lots of fluid, get plenty of rest and keep your hands clean are the basics. There are a number of foods that may increase your body’s natural ability to prevent sickness. In addition to fresh fruits such as apples and oranges, spices like ginger and turmeric have been shown to boost immune systems, decrease inflammation, and act as antioxidants. They can be easily added to herbal teas for flavor and health.

11/08/2017

I’m back from an amazing trip to Japan and the South Pacific. So Much great food was eaten during the trip. Looking back on the whole adventure, I am left with how much I do not know about Japanese cuisine, the good news is that I will go back and learn and eat more. The single best thing I ate was in Kyoto. A burnt miso ramen...

08/03/2017

Just spent a week in one of my favorite places, Maui, Hawaii. I love the islands for numerous reasons but, the fresh fish available is most definitely a big one. I ate fish at almost every meal. My favorite Hawaiian fish is Ono, also known as Wahoo. Ono, in the Hawaiian language means delicious and it is. Firm and meaty similar to Swordfish in texture, it has a very light and delicate flavor. I had it grilled, served over hand made pasta, with an eggplant tomato chutney and a balsamic vinegar reduction.

07/20/2017

The problem, in my view, with most barbecue is the overly sweet, tomato ketchup based sauces. They are almost pure sugar and cover up the natural flavor of the meat. My style of BBQ includes this brisket served with a fresh herb sauce. The meat dry rubbed and slow cooked on a grill, no smoke this time, is naturally fatty and flavorful. The vinegar in the sauce cuts the fat while the fresh herbs compliment the savory meat.

06/16/2017

Game 5 feast! Brisket with fresh herb sauce. Roasted new potatoes. Grilled corn-on-the-cob and grilled leeks.

06/08/2017

06/08/2017

My latest for the Bareket family! Naomi Bareket

06/01/2017

The family I am cooking for wants meals for a few days and they request that the food be Kosher. With this in mind, one of the dishes I will be preparing is Hungarian Goulash.
This stew is magical in its simplicity in both procedure and ingredients. Start with onions, more than you think are needed, 6 or more, sliced. In a dutch oven, begin to melt the onions with olive oil and salt. As the onions soften and begin to turn golden yellow, add about a tablespoon of paprika, stir it completely in and continue to cook the onions down. Add beef, stew meat works best, 3 table spoons of paprika, and some water. Stir to incorporate it all then cover and simmer for about an hour. Stir the stew, add more water if necessary and potatoes, cover and simmer for another hour. Check the doneness of the meat and potatoes, stir and serve.
The magic of this dish is the way the onions and paprika combine to create very deep and complex flavors. The onions disappear into the sauce that coats the meat and potatoes and produces a rich, hearty and satisfying meal.