A Chef's Notes

Pan-Seared Breast of Chicken with Spring Favas, Cherries & Fresh Morels
April 07, 2008, 12:05 AM
Spring has arrived, at least in my part of the globe as a result some of my favorite edibles are popping up, such as wild morel mushrooms, fava beans and even some cherries. This chicken dish is one of my favorite ways to highlight these little wonders.

Chef's Note: The Paradise Within
April 03, 2008, 10:55 PM
To this day one of the best pieces of fish I have ever enjoyed was at a little restaurant attached to a small supermarket on the main road about ten miles south of Kona, on the big island of Hawaii.

Recipe of the Week, Meyer Lemon Confit
March 28, 2008, 3:25 PM
Preserved lemons are a vibrant addition to any dish or sauce, not to mention that preserving foods is a good way to help with food cost and make use of some citrus that might be leftover from an event or bout of over ordering.

The Dumb Down of Cuisine
March 28, 2008, 3:20 PM
Personally I would love to see a sex reality show called "Next Top Bottom". Now that I think would be a hoot.

Verjus: Another Nectar of the Vines
March 25, 2008, 7:40 PM
As a community, we need to support our local artisans and there is no better place to start than to use a product produced by a bright young couple with the courage and strength of vision to follow their dreams.

Kedgeree, From India to Iredland
March 13, 2008, 3:15 PM
Kedgeree originated in India, was transplanted to England and from there to Ireland where it has become a popular rice dish, often served at country Inn's as a breakfast or tea alternative. Although smoked haddock is the traditional fish used with the rice, hot smoked salmon from the coast of California is a great substitution as it adds a local flair to the dish. Additionally at this time of year Meyer Lemons are still available and they serve as a wonderful substitution from the more acidic counterparts usually accompanied with Kedgeree. This recipe serves eight to ten as a light ...

Kedgeree, From India to Ireland
March 13, 2008, 3:15 PM
Kedgeree originated in India, was transplanted to England and from there to Ireland where it has become a popular rice dish, often served at country Inn's as a breakfast or tea alternative. Although smoked haddock is the traditional fish used with the rice, hot smoked salmon from the coast of California is a great substitution as it adds a local flair to the dish. Additionally at this time of year Meyer Lemons are still available and they serve as a wonderful substitution from the more acidic counterparts usually accompanied with Kedgeree. This recipe serves eight to ten as a light ...

Pan Seared Filet with Guinness
March 13, 2008, 3:10 PM
For anyone who has spent any time at all in Ireland they would not have been able to miss the preponderance of cattle wondering the back roads of the Irish countryside, often to the point where it becomes a pain to get anywhere for having to wait for the cows to cross the road, bumping your car back an forth along the way. Many years ago when I was with my wife, I neglected to tell her to close her window on the passenger side as a herd of cattle passed us on both sides of the road. When a ...

Irish Soda Bread
March 12, 2008, 5:40 PM
Because I am Irish myself I suppose I’m a bit partial to soda bread. In Ireland its sold all over the country in wonderful hand formed loaves, which are a tender combination of wheat, oats, sweet butter, a touch of sugar and buttermilk. The following recipe comes from the small town of Schull where my parents have lived for almost forty years now and when I come home it’s the first thing I eat. Soda bread is not unlike a much larger and somewhat denser biscuit. The key to this bread is not to overwork the dough so as to ...

Slow and Easy Ireland
March 12, 2008, 5:35 PM
I recently flew home to Schull, a small seaside town nestled in the far southwestern corner of County Cork in Southern Ireland. I had come to visit my parents who’ve owned a farm on a little patch of pristine coastline for thirty years. When I first visited Ireland as a young man, the Emerald Isles reputation for food left something to be desired, as it was not uncommon to actually hear your food being plopped into the deep fryer from the kitchen in the back of almost any restaurant. Aside from amazing hand made breads, dairy products, and the ubiquitous ...