a really good recipe for alaska halibut

Halibut in a Chili Tomato Cream Sauce

By: Chef Cristian Feher
www.tampabaychef.com

I delivered a private cooking class to a couple of customers that had recently returned from a trip to Alaska, where they had collectively caught about four hundred pounds of fresh, Alaskan fish. I was thrilled when my tip at the end of the night involved several frozen samples of the fish they had caught: silver salmon, king salmon, ling cod, and two beautiful halibut fillets.

I prepared the halibut in this off-the-cuff-sauce with a couple of thoughts in mind. I wanted a sauce that was slightly creamy, and slightly spicy with a hint of citrus. Halibut has a delicate flavor, and while I love flavorful dishes, I didn't want to over-power it - not completely, anyways.

Recently I have been making a Thai chili butter sauce which I have found to be a beautiful base for fish and seafood. The sauce that I made for this halibut was based roughly on that Thai sauce recipe, with the exception of wine, and the addition of field tomatoes.  Part of what makes this sauce so good is mixing Asian and Western ingredients together, as in the chili garlic sauce with wine (or in this case, chicken stock and lime instead of white wine). Try it! It's quick to make, and I guarantee this will quickly become one of your favorite fish sauces.

Yield: 2 large portions of halibut

Ingredients:

• 2 large halibut fillets (about 1/2 lb each)
• 1 tbsp of Vietnamese chili garlic sauce
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp of butter
• 1/2 fresh lime, juice of
• 1 cup of chicken stock
• 1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream
• 1 cup of fresh, diced tomato
• sea salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Get all your ingredients prepared before you start cooking. This means, mincing the garlic, preparing the chicken stock, dicing tomato, etc.
2. Melt butter in a hot skillet. Add the chili garlic sauce and minced garlic. Fry for about a minute to get the aroma of the chili and garlic. Keep it moving so that it doesn't burn.
3. Add the diced tomatoes and cook for another two minutes. Make sure the skillet is nice and hot, so that the tomatoes break down and the water that comes off of them evaporates instead of pooling.
4. Add the chicken stock, squeeze half a lime of juice in the pan, and bring to a simmer. Once it's simmering, add the cream and bring to a simmer.
5. Add the halibut and cook in the simmering sauce. As the sauce reduces, the fish will cook, absorbing all that wonderful flavor!
6. Once the sauce has reduced, and the fish is cooked through (do not flip fish over), season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve over Jasmin rice or garlic mashed potatoes with your side of choice and enjoy!

NOTE: Fish is cooked through when it's opaque and you can easily flake it apart with a fork. In this recipe it only took about 10-12 minutes once it was simmering in the sauce.

How to brew a perfect cup of coffee

What you need to know about coffee
By: Chef Cristian Feher
www.tampabaychef.com

To many people, coffee is the essence of life. Whether you drink it to start your day, to beat that afternoon bout of narcolepsy, or to finish a great meal, coffee is a part of our lives. But what is coffee, and what do you need to know about coffee? What makes good and bad coffee? Here's what you need to know.

Coffee is a stimulant - actually, the caffeine inside coffee is a stimulant. "Yeah? Tell me something I don't know!" You might say.

Well, I mention it because of this fact: Most drugs work the same way (caffeine is a drug). A little bit of drug X has a stimulating effect, but a little more of that same drug X has the effect of a tranquilizer, and an even larger doze of drug X can even kill you. But we're talking about caffeine, so let's just focus on it as an upper and a downer - you're not going to die from drinking coffee.

A little coffee [caffeine] will act as an "upper". It will add itself to your endocrine system and speed you up! But, if you drink too much of it, you will get to a point where that caffeine will actually start acting as a "downer". It will make you even more tired than you were before you started drinking coffee. The amount will vary by your body size and tolerance for caffeine, but it will act this way.

So, that's the first thing you should know. Too much coffee will tranquilize you.

Equipment is important. What you brew your coffee with can be the deciding factor between a good cup, and a bad cup of coffee. You also need to know about time, temperature, and water.

You have to use a CLEAN COFFEE POT. You see, every batch of coffee you make, leaves a layer of oil in the coffee pot. If you don't properly clean out this oil with a degreaser (dish soap), your next batch of coffee will suck. The rancid oil left behind will ruin your next batch. Even a little spot of oily coffee residue can ruin your entire next batch. This is why an instant coffee machine, like a Keurig, is better than a traditional coffee pot. (I am not paid by Keurig and have no promotional relationship with them).

Use fresh coffee. Ground coffee has a limited shelf-life as soon as it's introduced to oxygen. It will only last 2 to 3 weeks before the oils start to go rancid - and that's when it's kept in a cold, dry place with a tight lid. So, either, buy small batches, or grind your own coffee. Again, K-cups (as in Keurig cups) are vacuum sealed to keep the ground coffee fresh right up until you brew it. Your local coffee shop also (probably) grinds their coffee daily.

Use filtered, bottled water. Tap water contains a cocktail of chemicals, resins, bacteria, and even metals that will affect the taste of the coffee. Only a neutral water from a bottle or filter will let your coffee shine through.

Temperature makes the difference. Coffee should be brewed between 195 and 203 degrees F. Above that, and you burn the coffee, making it bitter. Below that, you don't extract the essentials of the bean, and it turns out watery and bland. Again, a Keurig machine, and other high-end coffee makers keep this constant temperature for you while brewing. Or, you can do this yourself with a thermometer and a French-press.

Brewing time should not exceed 8 minutes - after this, you burn your coffee. Letting your coffee sit on a warming plate (as in most office coffee machines) burns the coffee and gives it a nasty taste. You should throw coffee out that is older than an hour - or make iced coffee drinks with it (as McDonalds and other fast food places do).

In keeping all these things in mind, you can now brew a perfect cup of coffee! What you put in it at this point is up to you. Milk, sugar, cream, flavoring agents - these are all good and will vary person-to-person. But the main point is that you know what makes good and bad coffee, and how much of it serves your purpose.

Foods that leave you feeling hungry

Foods that leave you feeling hungry
By: Chef Cristian Feher
www.tampabaychef.com

We all know the old adage that Chinese food will leave you feeling hungry an hour later. And although it may seem like it’s something people just say, there is actually some truth in it. But in order to understand the reasons behind this, we must first understand preservatives.

A preservative is a substance that retards food spoilage and extends its shelf life - in other words, it keeps it from going bad. If you pick up any food item and read the ingredients you will undoubtedly find many words you can’t understand like: disodium EDTA, hydrolized soy protein, tripolyphosphate, and probably the only one you would recognize, mono sodium glutamate (MSG).

While all of these complicated words sound like the verbal dribbling of a mad scientist captured by a court stenographer, they are all just different names of preservatives. And the one thing they all have in common is their specific function of killing off bacteria or inhibiting bacteria from eating the food.

At first glance we see no wrongdoing in something that kills bacteria. After all, most of us have grown up believing that bacteria are our enemy. Your mom, the bottle of Lysol, your bar of soap, television commercials, and your doctor have convinced you that bacteria must be killed, or they will most definitely kill you, right? And we can surely make food last longer on the shelf, and even make it taste better (as in the case of MSG) with the addition of preservatives. So what does this have to do with that MSG-laden take-out container of chow-mein noodles that leaves you hungry an hour later? For that, we take a quick field trip inside your intestines!

Your body gets the energy and materials to stay alive through food. It gets broken up in your mouth, and mixed with saliva to lubricate it for the ride down to your stomach, where it is sterilized and broken down further with your stomach acid. Some of the simple things, like sugar, get absorbed into your blood stream directly through your stomach lining, but what about the other, more complicated elements that your body must convert?

The conversion of certain vitamins and nutrients actually take place in your intestines. And the things that do the actual converting are bacteria! Yes, those horrible little creatures we’re so busy trying to wipe out from the face of the Earth are not only inside you, but they’re trying to help you!

Now, if you missed the point on the last paragraph, I’ll just have to give it to you - preservatives kill bacteria or keep bacteria from being able to break down food. So when you eat preservatives, your bacteria can’t break the food down into nutrients and you end up absorbing mostly sugar and fat, much of the good stuff passes you by.

Your body knows this even if you don’t. So you eat that bowl of noodles, or fast food burger, and although you know you just ate, your body knows it’s not really going to get much nutrients from the preservative-soaked meal, so an hour later it says, “Hey, buddy! I’m hungry again. This junk you just fed me was just for show. I need real food!” And hence, you find yourself craving more a short time later.

So why have people picked Chinese food as the common butt of this colloquial statement and not fast food burgers, of Subway subs? I mean, I can eat a Subway sub and be hungry 20 minutes later thanks to the preservatives in the cold cuts and the chipotle mayo. But when I eat a bag of McDonalds burgers I’m good to go (albeit lethargic) for the next five hours. Is my theory wrong?

The answer is fat. That bowl of Chinese noodles has less fat than a bag of McDonalds or Burger King, and will sit in your stomach for a lot less time. And Subway subs can also be relatively low in fat and so pass through to the intestines faster, triggering the “Feed me real food” phenomena much sooner.

A meal with preservatives and lot of fat will make you feel full longer than a meal that has preservatives and is low in fat. But they’re both not really that good for you in the sense that you’re not getting the nutrition you should. Preservatives make you hungry.

Now that you know why some foods make you feel hungry after you eat them, you may want to avoid them or just have them less often, knowing that a healthy low-preservative or preservative-free meal will not only make you feel full longer, but also fill you up with actual nutrition.

The Ideal Kitchen: How to equip your kitchen

The Ideal Kitchen: How to equip your kitchen
By: Chef Cristian Feher

One of the questions I get asked most often is, “What is my kitchen missing?”. As a personal chef I’ve cooked in over 400 different kitchens, both in the US and Canada. And I didn’t realize until recently that I’ve been sitting on a very interesting pile of data. So I have compiled this article, using what I have observed from all the kitchens, to come up with a guide that will show you how to equip your kitchen for optimal use. In writing this article I have focused on equipment, time and functionality. You can use this as your benchmark to measure how your own kitchen stacks up.

Equipment:

Knives - The chef’s knife is the piece of equipment that would get the most use in a kitchen, as a chef does 80% of his cutting with a chef’s knife. It’s best to buy your knives individually, as I’ve never seen a set of knives that I would be completely happy with. So choosing each knife individually would furnish you with a set that would be as functional as it would be comfortable. Much could be written about how to choose a knife. The length of a chef’s knife is proportional to the height of the chef. A shorter chef might use a 6 inch chef’s knife and a really tall chef might use a 12 inch knife. Most people feel comfortable with an 8 to 10 inch chef knife. A chef’s knife is never serrated. The minimalist knife set should include an 8 inch chef’s knife, a serrated bread knife, a small parring knife, a carving knife and a 6 inch serrated utility (or vegetable) knife. A steel (more accurately called a rectifier, as it does not sharpen a knife, it just keeps the edge straight after you’ve sharpened them) should be handy, and you should buy a small electric knife sharpener to keep them sharp. How often do you sharpen them? As often as is required to keep them sharp. You don’t let your knives get dull. Your knives are best kept on the counter wall stuck to a magnetic strip, but look best kept in a nice wooden knife block.

Cutting Boards - The person that invented glass cutting boards should be lined up and shot - better yet, they should be sentenced to cutting 1000 onions on a glass cutting board with a dull knife. They are noisy, they are slippery, and they dull your knives faster than anything else I know of. The same can be said about stone cutting boards. Please do yourself (and your personal chef) a favor and dispose of them quickly. Having gotten that off my chest - You should have a large wooden cutting board to do most of your chopping on, and a few different sized plastic boards to cut meats on. You want to keep juicy meats off wooden boards as they can soak up some blood and bacteria and be harder to sanitize than plastic boards. Wood and plastic are knife-friendly. Your knife doesn’t slip while you’re cutting and the blade does not dull. Keep a rubber mat, or a wet paper towel under your cutting board so that it won’t move around on the counter. You should have at least three boards - A big wooden one for most of your chopping, a medium plastic one for meats and fish, and a small plastic one so that more than one person can cook in your kitchen at the same time.

Preparation Bowls - I can always tell a person who doesn’t cook by the lack of prep bowls in their kitchen. These are probably one of the most needed items. You should have a large assortment of them ranging from 3 inch to 20 inch bowls. Metal and plastic are far easier to use than ceramic and glass, as they are lighter and will not break if you drop them. Rubber bottoms help the bowls keep in place on your counter when stirring, kneading, or mixing the contents in the bowls. The minimalist cook should go to the nearest dollar store and spend $20 on assorted plastic prep bowls.

Kitchen Towels - Yes, they’re important. You can use them to dry your hands, wipe the counter top, wipe your knives, clean the kitchen, quickly soak up a spill and you can even fold them and use them as oven mitts to handle a hot pot or baking sheet. You should have a drawer full of them. Get an absorbent cloth like cotton. Polyester and fleece tend to repel liquids rather than soak them up and the fleece towels tend to leave a trail of fibers behind. The same guy who invented glass cutting boards must have come up with these too. Avoid piling up oily rags together as they have a tendency to suddenly burst into flames - I’m serious. I’m not sure what the science behind it is, but I've seen it happen first hand.

Strainers - You should have a large and small strainer on hand. And if you can avoid mesh strainers you will save yourself some headaches when it comes to cleaning them. A simple perforated plastic or metal strainer is just fine. It’s actually more hygienic. The small one should have a long handle and the big one should stand on a base so that the food is elevated from the bottom of the sink.

Spoons Etc - The following is a list of tools that should be kept in a drawer(s), or in a counter top bucket of some sort: Wooden spoons, a rigid spatula, a soft spatula, a silicone mixing spoon, a soup ladle, 2 serving spoons, a whisk, a potato masher, short and long tongues, and bamboo skewers (I always seem to find uses for them). The plastics should be rigid (not flimsy) and the silicone spoons should be heat resistant. Metal spoons are also good unless you’re using cooking pots with non-stick coatings that can get scratched easily.

Pots and Pans - Much could be written about pots and pans, but you should have two large soup pots, a stock pot, a wok-type pan, sauce pans, non stick pans. I don’t see the point in having tiny pots. Go for big pots, you might have company over one day. The heavier the pots, the better. Look for pots with metal plates stamped on the bottom. These plates will distribute the heat more evenly and keep your food from burning to the bottom of the pot. Stainless steel is generally better than aluminum. But thick aluminum is not bad, as long as it has a metal plate stamped on the bottom. Handles should be metal or heat resistant so you can put them in the oven. The lids should also be oven proof. I once incinerated mushroom sauce in a glass pot which made the entire meal for the dinner party taste like cigarette ashes. Don’t buy glass pots unless you want to get into the cremation business. There is no sense keeping flaking or peeling pots around either. Please throw them out and get new ones. You know who you are.

Baking Surfaces - You need at least a couple of baking sheets with walls around the edges. The flat ones work for cookies, but prevent you from cooking anything that might be juicy. Rectangular ones are much more useful than round ones. Non stick doesn’t matter because you should always put a layer of tin foil on your baking sheet for easy clean up. Remember that the non-shiny side of the tin foil is the non-sticky side!

The equipment mentioned above should provide you with the basics you need to prepare really good meals. And you can build up from there.


Appliances:

Stoves and Ranges - The ugliest gas stove is still far superior than any other type of cooking stove you can buy. There is simply no other stove that can provide the heat control and quality that a gas stove can. Induction stoves are at the bottom of my list, as they are simply gimmicky - they offer very little functionality as you can only use them with certain metal pots. So we are left with electric stoves in the middle range. We have the electric coil stoves that most people have and we have the glowing element stoves too. I find the glowing element stoves to be horrible at being able to control temperature and they are hard to clean once you burn a good layer of food onto the glowing plates. If you don’t have gas, you’re better off with an electric coil stove.

Ovens - Conversely, gas ovens generally are bad at temperature control unless you buy yourself a restaurant quality gas oven. Electric ovens are best for homes. I have also found that about half of the people that own convection ovens don’t quite know what convection ovens are. Convection ovens have a little fan inside that circulates the hot air around the food, cooking it faster. Also, two ovens are better than one. So if you can afford it, I would recommend getting a standalone two-oven unit in your kitchen. Warming drawers are useless, and most people have never used theirs as anything other than extra storage for baking sheets and pots. Also, the stoves that come with those little “pizza ovens” next to the regular sized oven are a waste of money in my opinion - I don’t know about you, but if I make a pizza, it’s not just for one person and it goes into the big oven. So I’m not quite sure who had the idea for the little “pizza ovens”.

Counter Top Appliances - No kitchen should be without a food processor, blender, toaster, toaster oven, and rice cooker. A hand blender also comes in handy and stores easily in a drawer or cupboard. Your food processor and blender should have big, heavy, powerful motors. I actually go out of my way to buy vintage appliances from the 80’s because they were built with nice, powerful motors back then (1800 watts). Generally speaking, the heavier the appliance the more powerful the motor is.

The Kitchen Sink - Your kitchen sink may go overlooked, but it’s one of the most important parts of a functional kitchen. The ideal sink is large, has two basins, and is mounted on top or your counter top, not under. I have seen several expensive homes with sinks that eventually fall through down through the counter top because a lazy contractor glued the sink up into the counter, instead of properly setting it on top of the counter. The water spout should be detachable from the faucet, and you should have a powerful garbage disposal mounted under your drain to power away food. I especially like kitchens that have huge sinks made of a hard resin material that have high edges and keep most of the splash in the sink and not all over the kitchen - reminds me of those huge sinks you get in restaurant kitchens. So the lesson of the day for sinks is, the bigger the better!

Microwaves - There is very little to say about microwaves. Everyone knows that they are not that good for you, but we all use them. So you should have one.

Layout:

The layout is probably the most difficult decision that a person can make when planning their kitchen or when renovating. Luckily I have seen enough layouts to tell you that there are basically three types of kitchens; 1)The social kitchen, 2)The functional kitchen and 3) The kitchen nightmare!

The social kitchen is for people that always seem to have friends and family over. And they tend to congregate in and around the kitchen. The social kitchen is all about roominess, looks, and counter space. You want enough room for people to be able to put their drinks and food down on the counter, and stand around chatting, eating, cooking and drinking. The social kitchen often sacrifices functionality for looks. I tend to spend 30 minutes to an hour extra in social kitchens when I cook as compared to functional kitchens. The reason being that I have to spend a lot of time walking from one end of the kitchen to the other to go from garbage, to fridge, to sink, etc. Social kitchens are and should be big!

There are people that have very functional kitchens and don’t know it. I often meet people who apologize for having such small kitchens. They get embarrassed. But I always tell them that their kitchen has the advantage of speed. In a functional kitchen you should be able to stand in the middle and have everything you need (stove, oven, sink, fridge, garbage) just one step away. I can cook much faster and more efficiently in a small kitchen that is well stocked. Everything is right there! I know a Chinese restaurant in Toronto that serves 15 tables from a kitchen that’s 5 foot by 3 foot! It’s all about organization. The only drawback about a functional kitchen is that it’s usually missing the space necessary to host a group of people. But don’t sell your small kitchen short, it can be very functional with the right equipment. And remember that counter space in a functional kitchen of the utmost importance.

A nightmare kitchen to me is a place that is overly large and is missing the necessary equipment to do a good job. It has islands with multi levels and awkward angles, no garbage cans in sight, tiny sinks, and too-low fan hoods or strangely placed cupboards and fixtures that I keep banging my head into. Luckily these are few and far between.

The ideal scene would be a kitchen that is both functional and social, and the many that I have had the pleasure to cook in have been a result of good planning and constant evolution on the part of the owner to build an ideal kitchen that suits their lifestyle. I hope this article will help you find some direction in planning your existing kitchen or starting fresh with a new one.

How to make perfect holiday turkey

Chef Cristian's Guerrilla Turkey Guide
By: Chef Cristian Feher
www.tampabaychef.com

It's the night before Thanksgiving and procrastination has finally given way to panic. The invitations have been sent out, decorative cobs of corn have been hung, the extra computer chair from your office is now part of your dining room set, and the liquor cabinet has been overstocked. But like some things, this is something alcohol can't disguise - in 24 hours your family will be the jury and your mother-in-law will be the judge. There better be a succulent, juicy, perfectly roasted bird on that table, or you're facing a 12 month sentence of ridicule and "What you should've done was...". Below is a brief, to-the-point, guide of your options.

Deep-Fried Turkey:
Difficulty: Medium
Safety Factor: Probably best to do this in the emergency room parking lot so they can get you in right away.

There is nothing mysterious or difficult about this method of cooking your turkey. You go down to your local hardware store, buy a turkey fryer, fill it with a few gallons of peanut oil, bring it up to temperature and deep fry that sucker! The method is crude, but the result (if done right) will yield a perfectly scrumptious, moist bird with crispy skin. Recommended for those with a backyard and plenty of space to run if things go wrong. Not recommended for condo dwellers, drunks, or people who have kids running around.


Turkey Cooked in a Bag:
Difficulty: Easy
Safety Factor: If you can handle microwave popcorn, you should be qualified to do this.

Most people are unaware that this method of cooking is available to them. Thanks to the good people at 3M, you can now cook your turkey in a space age plastic bag. Yes, you heard me right, a plastic bag. The future is now! You can purchase a roasting bag at your local grocery store. Stick the turkey in the bag with some flavoring agents such as wine, garlic, salt and a whole lemon, seal it and stick the turkey in the oven (follow instructions on the roasting bag packaging). The bag is temperature resistant and will not melt or burn. The turkey cooks in its own juices and the skin crisps up nicely. The result is a very juicy, tender, flavorful turkey with crispy skin that your guests will gobble down with pleasure. It even forgives overcooking by sealing in the turkey's natural juices. Recommended for most people, and especially for novice turkey cookers! The only drawback to this method is that you probably won't get that picture-perfect, Martha Stewart catalogue turkey. But it will look good enough to eat.


Traditional Roast Turkey
Difficulty: Hard
Safety Factor: If you have a critical mother-in-law, and tender feelings, this probably isn't for you.

This is the old school way of roasting a turkey. You marinade it just right the night before, dress it just right the day of, surgically implant butter cubes under the skin (turkeyplasty) and roast it in your oven just right, with a carefully followed schedule of basting and praying. If you can pull this one off, my hat goes off to you. This is recommended for the seasoned cook or professional chef who make it their yearly ritual to perfect the art of turkey roasting. When done right, this yields a perfectly crispy roasted turkey with meat that is not moist - but not dry. It's just right.


Strictly Breasts:
Difficulty: Easy
Safety Factor: If you don't mind people talking about how lazy you are behind your back, then you're good to go with this one!

If you lack the time and initiative to roast a whole bird, or are just plain lazy, this method of cooking turkey will be right for you. And if you need a justification, just keep mentioning how "healthy" turkey breasts are. However, this will backfire when you're caught drowning the remains of your turkey in thick, rich, gravy. For this method, you take some boneless turkey breasts and put them in a Ziploc freezer bag accompanied by some beer, lemon juice, salt and spices. Marinade overnight. Roast in oven on a cookie sheet @375 for 30-45 minutes. This will yield moist and tender turkey breasts which you can slice and arrange on a platter. But hopefully you only invited your yoga buddies and no one will ask for dark meat.


A note on stuffing:
No matter how you choose to cook your turkey this holiday season, you will undoubtedly accompany it with stuffing. It is always best to make the stuffing separately and serve it on the side, or at the very least, stuff your turkey after it's fully cooked. Stuffing your turkey before cooking can be hazardous if (food poisoning from bacteria), and it takes the turkey longer to cook. You can also overcook the turkey and end up with a bird that rejected half the stuffing like a bad heart transplant not a pretty sight). I stuff the turkey's cavity with lemons, onion and garlic. These flavoring agents radiate their aroma throughout the turkey while it's cooking, and give the meat a little more flavor. It's a much better use of the turkey's cavity than stuffing.


Emergency Procedures:
You can't always fix a turkey, especially if you've over-cooked it and it's drier than bag of sand. But here is a brief mention of some common problems that can be fixed. If the turkey is done, but the skin still lacks that brown crisp, use a heat gun to brown the turkey skin after it comes out of the oven (you can buy it at the hardware store - it's used to strip paint off things). If your turkey is under cooked, cut it into pieces, stick the pieces on a baking sheet, pour some of the turkey liquid over the meat and roast it in the oven at 420 for a few minutes until it's done. Since you cut it into smaller pieces and slices, it will cook faster, and the liquid you put on it will keep it from drying out too much. If you are getting burnt spots on the skin before the turkey is done, you should cover the turkey with a sheet of non stick aluminum foil to retard the burning. To avoid the fourth most common problem, ALWAYS MAKE EXTRA!


It is my sincere hope that this guide will give you some sort of a game plan for turkey this holiday season. And remember that a good turkey will last an hour, but the story of the chef will last the rest of the year! Please send me your turkey tips and stories tampabaychef@gmail.com.

...I Ate What?

... I ate what?
By: Chef Cristian Feher

After watching The Land Before Time for the hundreth time, my seven year old asked me today, "Do you cook Dinosaur meat for your customers?" And while I normally would have smiled and pinched her cheeks, this question made me think for a minute. And surprisingly, the answer was "Yes!". Many of our foods have very interesting origins, and some are derived from sources you would never expect. This thought entertained me for the rest of the day and I began to do a little research - sort of tracking down a long lost family tree - on the quirky foods that we eat. Some of you may find this disturbing, but I hope that most of you will find this as interesting as I did.

Dinosaurs - A long time ago, the Earth was filled with dinosaurs. They roamed what are now our oceans, swam what are now our deserts and flew in our skies. Then a large explosion wiped them out. Fast forward a few years later (a few million to be exact). The planet's continents shifted and buried much of the dinosaur leftovers in underground pockets where they fermented for a long time and turned into a thick, flammable, black viscous carbon liquid. Then a Texan shot a hole into the ground, and "Yeehaw!" petroleum was discovered. It was taken to a factory where it was turned into a thousand different things. And many of these you actually eat. Take propylene glycol. It's a clear, colorless liquid with a semi-sweet taste. We use it as an agent to keep foods moist (like in dog food, some frozen fries, and fast food burger buns) it's also used as the main liquid which holds artificial food flavors and dyes. So any food made with artificial flavor or smell, has propylene glycol in it. It's also used as antifreeze for your car, in pharmaceuticals, and interestingly enough, it's used to stop cattle from losing weight (I will write another article on this specific topic) From petroleum we also get vitamin capsules, food preservatives, and glycerin (used in shampoo, drugs, toothpaste, and the production of citric acid in juices). And that's the short answer of how we eat dinosaurs on a daily basis.

Bacteria Poop - Most people would be appalled at the though of eating bacteria poop. You probably think of horrible things happening, like food poisoning and digestive problems. But the truth is that you eat quite a bit of bacteria poop and it's actually harmless. Take xantham gum for example. This substance is the bi-product (poop) of bacteria that like to eat corn. In goes the corn, out comes a thick, slimy substance which is then dried, turned into powder and then added to salad dressings, sauces, sodas, ice cream and many more foods. It's used to thicken foods, or keep a mixture of food uniform. I actually use this to thicken sauces for customers that demand a low carb, or gluten-free menu. It works much like corn starch, but without the calories.

Bee Saliva - You probably guessed this one. Yes it's honey. And here is why you might find it less appealing. The worker bee flies out, sucks the nectar out of flowers and flies back to the hive. He then regurgitates a mixture of flower nectar, digestive juices and saliva out into the honey combs. But it's not over yet, because the worker bee will swallow and regurgitate the honey a few more times just to make sure it's partially digested - or, in bee-terms "it's just right!".

Pig Skin and Cow Hooves - You probably guessed that I'm talking about hot dogs. But you you didn't think I'd make it that easy, did you? I'm actually talking about gelatin. Gelatin is made from the collagen that is boiled out of the animal's bones, skin and connective tissues. It's then refined, the meaty flavor is taken out, and it's turned into a crystalline powder. We then take some dinosaur-based flavoring and food colors, and make it into our favorite jiggly treat - Jello!

Ground Up Bugs - Although the average person eats a few pounds of insects every year, through produce, processed cereals and even while you sleep, I am referring to something in particular - Carmine based food coloring. Carmine or Natural Red #4 is actually made from crushed cochineal beetles. This is found in juices, ice cream, and candy. If it's red, pink or purple, chances are that it has crushed up bugs in it!

Hopefully I haven't spoiled your appetite. I find that it's always better to know, and just remember what grandma used to tell you, "What doesn't kill you, only makes you stronger." Or in the case of my grandfather, "It's all protein in the end!" Thanks grandpa.

Opposing Flavors: A Chef's Tool for Taste

Opposing Flavors: A chef's tool for taste.
By: Chef Cristian Feher
www.tampabaychef.com

There is a big difference between a good meal and fantastic meal. Yes, one most likely has a better visual presentation, but most people would agree that the most important factor is taste. A question I get very often from my customers is, “how do you get it to taste like that?”. Fortunately I am not one of those chefs that keeps a tool box full of secrets. And as can be seen from my first grade report card, I like to share with others.

I could use words like “balance”, “symmetry” and “contrast”. But I like the word “dichotomy” best. The word dichotomy is defined as: a separation into two divisions that contradict each other. Or more simply put; two things that are opposites to each other.
Without getting too philosophical here, life is made up of opposites. The sun and the moon. Black and white. Good and evil. Hot and cold. Man and woman. Our universe is made up of opposites and It wouldn't exist without them. Well, neither would good food!

One of the tools that I use in preparing meals that pay the bills, is the concept of a dichotomy – both from a visual standpoint, and a taste standpoint. If you've ever taken an art class, you know that the picture you're painting looks best when it balances. There has to be empty space to compliment the full space. You have to dampen bright colors with dark colors, and so it is with the arrangement of food on a plate. When you're preparing a dish, you're essentially painting a 3 dimensional picture. But the factor that keeps customers coming back is always the taste, and good taste is all about a properly balancing and opposing your flavors.

Picture a meal that is just salty. No other taste, just salt. How about a food that is just nothing but sweet? Not very enjoyable in my opinion. There is no dichotomy there. What a good chef will do is balance two flavors just right. When I make desserts I always balance the sugar with a bit of salt. You can't really tell the salt is there, but you just know that it's very satisfying to your taste buds! You'd be pleasantly surprised by how many recipes would be improved by opposing two flavors instead of focusing on one. Next time you make tomato sauce, for example, add half as much sugar as you add salt and you might notice a great improvement. Whether you combine salty with sweet, or sweet with sour, or spicy with sweetness, it really is an improvement over using just one flavor. So take your six main flavors: sweet, salty, sour, bitter, spicy and umami (spicy is technically a sensation and not a flavor, but we'll just add it in there) and begin to experiment with pairings to take your cooking to a deeper level. The fast food restaurants have done it for years to keep you coming back. How much sugar do you think it takes to balance an umami (the flavor of MSG which is similar to salty) meat patty?

The concept does not stop with flavors. The dichotomy also lends itself to temperature and to texture. A perfect example of these two would be a crispy, hot slice of apple pie topped with a cold, soft and smooth scoop of french vanilla iced cream. The crispy texture of the apple pie is opposed by the soft, velvety texture of the iced cream, and the temperatures of hot and cold are also opposed. By the way, most iced cream you buy at the store contains a certain amount of salt to counter the sugar.

I hope that this will help you to understand what makes your favorite foods so enjoyable, and I would be happy to know that this has made your cooking just a little bit better! I'm always like to receive emails from you. You can always email me at tampabaychef@gmail.com.

How do I know if sushi Tuna is fresh?

Red Tuna or Chocolate Tuna? How do I Know if it's Fresh?
By: Chef Cristian Feher

http://www.tampabaychef.com/

Sushi is one of my favorite foods. I love the colors, tastes and varieties. I eat it raw, cooked, dipped, sliced, with Wasabi, and even seared with black Sesame seeds! Tuna, whether it's minced and mixed with Srirachia sauce or freshly sliced on its own (as in Tuna Sashimi) is the quintessential ingredient most sought after by Sushi lovers. But how fresh is your Tuna? And, would you be able to tell just by looking at it?

Most people judge a book by its cover, and they judge Tuna just the same. When asked how they judge freshness, people will tell you (in the case of Ahi or Yellowfin Tuna) that a rich red or pink color is most desirable. But having fished for Tuna myself, I have noticed that a Tuna steak will turn brown, or “chocolate” within about an hour of cutting it. So I researched further into commercial Tuna and found out something interesting.

The Tuna industry has been keeping a little secret from us. That rich, red tuna steak you see in the market may not be what you think it is – and it may not even be fresh! It seems that the Ahi Tuna industry have turned to Chemistry to sell their products. Those beautiful, red Tuna steaks that you see at the fish store or at your local Sushi restaurant are artificially colored. The fish has been pumped with carbon monoxide to turn it and keep it red! This is similar to the practice used by the Tomato industry to turn green Tomatoes Red by pumping them with Ethylene gas. The carbon monoxide turns the normally chocolate-colored Tuna a more palatable red. You can do this experiment on your own by putting a chocolate piece of Tuna by your car's tailpipe and watching the difference in color. WARNING: Do not attempt to eat the fish if you have exposed it to your car's exhaust fumes. Your car's exhaust fumes have several other pollutants that you really do not want to eat! This is just an experiment to show you that carbon monoxide will change the color of the fish.

The practice of lacing Tuna with carbon monoxide is not legal in North America according to the FDA and its Canadian counter part. However, as most Ahi Tuna comes from the Pacific, Asian processing facilities ship the fish already treated. There are no laws in Asia which prohibit the use of carbon monoxide to treat fish.

Is it safe? I was not able to find any information on the effects of eating treated Tuna. But It's only common sense to assume that natural is better.

As for freshness, I left a piece of treated tuna outside at room temperature for 24 hours and, although it was obviously spoiled, the color remained the same! A nice deep red, turning a little pink after a while. If this piece was behind glass at the fish market, I certainly would have purchased it. It never turned chocolate. So if you can't tell the quality of Tuna by its appearance, how can you tell? Fortunately, your nose is your best weapon. You should judge Tuna by its smell, texture and taste. It should have a pleasant fishy smell, and firm flesh. And most importantly, it should taste good! And the fact that it's chocolate-colored is just a reaction that any lean protein should have when coming into contact with oxygen and then oxidizing.

There really is nothing wrong with a chocolate colored piece of natural Yellowfin Tuna – that is its actual, natural color. The only reason most places won't sell it, is because the consumer has been so used to the carbon monoxide treated tuna that they would not buy the natural stuff. So fish markets are forced to continue importing and selling the treated Tuna. I am not against a nice, red piece of fish, but when something is being sold to me I demand honesty and truth, and this is the reason I wrote this article. I have been enjoying chocolate, organic South Pacific Ahi Tuna for my Japanese dishes as of late, and I will continue to use this product and inform my clients about its origin and character. I simply prefer a more natural food over a processed food. So the next time you are shopping for Tuna, make sure to ignore the color and go for quality instead! It should come down to which piece of tuna smells, tastes and has the best texture.

Don't forget to visit my Facebook page by clicking the following link:
 http://www.tampabaychef.com/tampa.personal.chef

Making Low Carb Substitutions

Making Low Carb Substitutions
By: Chef Cristian Feher
www.tampabaychef.com

While there are many people around the world who's biggest problem is not having enough to eat, sadly, we have the opposite problem. North Americans run into the issue of being over-fed! Our food supply is bountiful, cheap, and we have too much of it. Even the poorest of our clan can get 1000 calories for less than $3. And it shows. We're fat!

I won't go into a big dissertation on how we gain weight. All I will say is that every time you eat refined carbs your body sends massive amounts of insulin into your blood stream and turns all but some of the sugar into fat. Add to this, late night eating, lack or exercise and some high fructose corn syrup to wash it down with, and you're well on your way to winning first prize at the Virginia Fair! OK, I'm lecturing again..

The good news is that you can do something about it. It just comes down to willingness and some work on your part. But you can do it. And I'll give you some tips below on how you can cut down on those pesky carbs so that hopefully you can get to feeling energetic and looking thin again!

Now, before I go and give you a list of substitutions, there are some magic rules to follow. Well, they're not actually magic at all, more like common sense (if you want to lose weight). 1. Your body needs water to move fat around. So if you want to move fat out, you gotta drink lots of water. Try 1.5 litres per day and work your way up to 2 Liters. 2. You don't need fuel when your car is parked. And you don't need to eat when you're not really using your body. So don't eat at night. Stop eating four hours before going to bed. Yes, you might be really craving a snack but you're going to have to suck it up tubby! 3. (And this one I've learned many times from experience and from my client's experiences) Diet alone fails most often. You're going to have to dust off those gym shorts from the bottom of the closet. Do at least 30 minutes of light exercise every day. Lucky for you, walking does wonders for weight loss. And it's also relaxing and lifts your spirits. Make time to go for a walk every day. Following these simple rules will enable you to get results.

Now for the low carb substitutions:

Gotta have your gravy? Sauces really liven up a boring meal. And although most thickeners are high in carbs, there is one thickener that works wonders and has a 0 net carb count. Xantham gum. Yes, it sounds like something Batman shoots at bad guys, but it's actually a common thickener used in everything from salad dressing to hydraulic coolant in factories. But don't let that scare you. It's made from friendly bacteria who like to eat corn. It's available in most health food stores and online. You can thicken up gravies, make ketchup and even cream sauces! It's similar in consistency to corn starch and you can thicken just about any liquid with it.

TIP: Xantham gum tends to clump up when in contact with liquids, so it's best to use a hand blender (or regular blender) to mix it into liquids smoothly. And better yet, it does not require heat to thicken. It will thicken a cold glass of water just as well.

But what about bread? It seems like we are surrounded by a never ending supply of bread. It's everywhere!Sandwich shops, fast food chains, the grocery store and in our kitchen. All kinds of breads, buns, rolls, crackers, wraps. So how do you go around that? Well, next time you make a burger or sandwich, try using two large portobello mushroom caps instead of a bun. Heat them in the oven or microwave until they begin to soften. You can do the same thing with two thick-cut slices of eggplant. What about wraps? Certain health food stores sell low carb tortilla wraps that yield only about 5 grams of carbs per serving. You can also wrap your cold cuts and cheese in fresh, green lettuce leaves for a fresh, leafy wrap. Try a BLT wrapped in L! And if you just had to grab a burger because "you were in a hurry", then just eat the insides and toss the bun in the trash. No excuses.

What do I drink? Don't drink anything that has sugar or high fructose corn syrup in it. It's as bad a putting a couple of sandwiches in the blender and drinking that. Sugary drinks will make you fat faster than anything else because the sugars go right into your blood stream very quickly. This includes beer, fruit juice, sodas, energy drinks and anything else that has sugar in it. So you should be drinking water, club soda (my favourite) or at the very least, diet soda. But try to drink lots of water.

Is there any happiness left? Yes there is! You don't have to give up carbs completely. In fact, carbs are good for you so long as you use them as fuel. Just don't have too many and don't eat the wrong types. Eat carbs that are high in fiber and will take your body longer to break them down. Sweet potato, steel cut oats and pearled barley should become your new best friends. Instead of pasta you will eat Tofu Shirataki noodles or Dreamfields pasta once in a while (Use Google to find out more about these options). They now sell low carb ice cream which you can have on Sundays before going for a long walk. The best time to eat carbs is at breakfast. That way you can assure that you burn them during the day. You don't need carbs for lunch or for dinner. Unless you are an athlete or a runner or a person that does very heavy physical work during the day. In which case, you are reading an article which does not apply to you.

So now that you know how to do it, here comes the hard part - you actually have to do it. The only hard part about being healthy and fit again is having the self discipline to do it. And to help you with it I will leave you with these words of wisdom. "Don't think about it. Just do it."

Bruschetta Caprese recipe

Bruschetta Caprese
Recipe by: Chef Cristian Feher
http://www.tampabaychef.com





Yield: 10-16 portions

Ingredients:
- French Baguette or any long Bread
- 1 Jar of store-bought Basil Pesto (OR, CLICK HERE FOR PESTO RECIPE)
- Fresh Basil Leaves
- 2-3 Roma Tomatoes
- 4 - 8 Bocconcini Cheese Balls
- Salt and Pepper


Instructions:

1. Prepare the following and set aside:
- Slice Tomatoes
- Slice the Mozzarella
- Slice the bread on an angle
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees

2. Spread a small amount of basil pesto onto each slice of bread and place on baking sheet.

3. Put a slice of tomato, basil leaf and cheese onto each slice of bread.

4. Roast the bruschettas in the oven for 7-10 minutes until cheese melts. Serve and enjoy!

Caprese salad recipe

Caprese Salad
Recipe by: Chef Cristian Feher
http://www.tampabaychef.com




Yield: 4 Portions

Ingredients:
- Fresh Basil Leaves
- 4 Tomatoes
- 4 Large balls of Buffalo Mozzarella Cheese, or several smaller balls of Bocconcini Cheese
- 2 Cups of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2/3 Cup of your favourite Vinegar
- 1 Tbsp of Grain or Dijon Mustard
- Salt and Pepper


Instructions:

1. Prepare the following and set aside:
- Slice Tomatoes
- Slice the Mozzarella or Bocconcini Cheese

2. To prepare a basic vinaigrette, you will put the olive oil and vinegar into a mixing bowl. You will then add the mustard and season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix the vinaigrette vigorously with a metal whisk until mixture has thickened. NOTE: You can add a few drops of cold water while whisking to make it thicker and keep the thickness longer. Set aside.

3. On each plate, arrange the cheese slices, tomato slices and basil leaves as you wish. Use your imagination and make a nice, uniform pattern!

4. Drizzle with the vinaigrette and serve!

Italian Chicken Caprese Recipe

Chicken Caprese
Recipe by: Chef Cristian Feher
http://www.tampabaychef.com



This is a very easy and satisfying Italian entree. You can try different variations by substituting the chicken with veal, or pork cutlets. My favourite way to serve Caprese Chicken is over a bed of Angel Hair Pasta with Basil Pesto and Plenty of Parmigiano Regiano cheese! But you can cut the carb content by serving it with a hearty green salad, Caesar Salad or Oven Roasted Vegetables.

Yield: 4 Portions

Ingredients:
- 4 Skinless, boneless chicken breasts
- 3 Eggs
- 4 Cups of Italian Bread Crumbs
- 2 Large Balls of Buffalo Mozzarella
- 2 Large Tomatoes
- Fresh Basil Leaves
- Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Prepare and set aside the following:
- Butterfly the chicken breasts
- Crack and beat eggs in a bowl
- Pour Italian bread Crumbs into a bowl or large plate
- Slice Tomato and Mozzarella Cheese
- Pre-Heat oven to 380 (convection oven) or 400 (regular oven)

2. Sprinkle salt and pepper onto each chicken breast. Dredge the each chicken breast through the egg mixture making sure to coat both sides. Then place the chicken breasts into the bread crumb mixture and pat it down on each side so that the crumbs stick to the breasts on both sides. Place breast onto the baking sheet.

3. Place the chicken breasts in the oven and bake for approximately 20-25 minutes. Every oven is slightly different, so keep an eye on your chicken so that it doesn't burn!

4. Take chicken breasts out of the oven and top each breast with a couple of slices of tomato, a couple of fresh basil leaves and a couple of slices of mozzarella cheese. Bake for another 7-10 minutes until cheese is melted.

5. Serve each chicken breast over your favourite pasta or side dish. Enjoy!

Cheese Fondue Recipe

Cheese Fondue Recipe
Recipe by: Chef Cristian Feher
http://www.tampabaychef.com/





Fondue is a great method of cooking. Especially if you're goal is to entertain your guests! There are several ways to make fondue, and there are many different ingredients that one could use. I will be giving you a basic recipe utilizing Colby jack cheese and dark beer. However, you can experiment with MANY different cheeses, and many different bases (wine, beer, stock, etc). It's important to note that different cheeses will give you different tastes and textures. Some may even split, ball-up, or become really stringy.

To fix a fondue that is too stringy, you can add a few squirts of lemon or lime. Although this may not fix the stringiness altogether, it may cut it down somewhat. If your cheese splits or balls up (there is liquid and cheese separately) you can sprinkle some corn starch a little at a time while mixing, until your mixture comes together again. I actually make a habit of coating the cheese in a bit of corn starch before starting the cooking process.

You can use the traditional "fondue pot" that most people get as a wedding gift, or passed down from a relative. But I make it on the stove when I feel like a quick fondue. As long as you keep the heat low, you'll be fine.

There are some Swiss traditions in "fondueing" that I would like to pass onto you: 1) Traditionally, you would use day-old, slightly stale bread (trust me, it works out great!). 2) If you drop your bread into the cheese everyone must take a drink. And 3) If you double-dip and get caught, you must buy everyone a round of drinks.

I hope you have as much fun as I've had when experimenting with all the different types of cheeses. Treat fondue as an adventure, and you will never be disappointed.

Yields: Fondue for 4-8 people

Ingredients:
- 1 - 2 Cups of White Wine or Beer of Choice
- 5 - 8 Cups of Cheese of Choice
- 1 Tbsp of Dijon Mustard
- 1 Clove of Garlic
- Cubed Bread of Choice
- (optional) Fruit or Berries
- (optional) Corn Starch
- (optional) Lime or Lemon

Instructions:

1. Prepare and set aside the following ingredients:
- Peeled and halved garlic clove
- Wine or Beer
- Cubed or Shredded Cheese
- Cube and skewer the bread, and/or fruit

2. Bring the pot to low heat on the stove top (or follow the instructions on your fondue pot). Once pot is hot, rub the inside of the pot with the halved garlic clove (this is called "seasoning" the pot). The purpose of this is to make a base of garlic particles on the bottom of the pot. This will flavour your pot and will help to keep the cheese from sticking to the bottom. Discard the clove after you're done rubbing the pot.

3. Add the liquid and bring to a low simmer. This should happen momentarily.

4. Start adding the cheese one cup at a time and stir with a wooden spoon as it melts. If the cheese splits or balls up, read the notes at the beginning of this recipe to fix it. Do not bring the cheese to a boil. Keep the temperature so that the cheese is melting, but not boiling.

5. Once all the cheese is melted you can stir in the mustard.

6. If your mixture is too thick, just add more of the liquid, and if it's too thin, you can add more cheese. Make sure to have extra of both just in case. Note that as the fondue renders down over time, the flavours will become bolder and richer!

7. Bring your guests into your kitchen and have fun dipping the bread into the cheese with the long skewers!

Five things you didn't know about food

Five Things You Didn't Know About Food
By: Chef Cristian Feher
www.tampabaychef.com

Nothing is more entertaining at a social gathering than paying close attention while someone divulges previously unknown facts about a certain subject. We've all gathered around in a circle to listen to that certain person tell us what our suit jacket has in common with the space station, and how the shoes you're wearing can help provide energy for a small town in Africa. And although I don't plan on sharing those particular tidbits with you, here are five things about food that you can enlighten your friends with at your next gathering!

Why is beef tenderloin so soft? Any butcher will tell you that the muscles that are most used turn into the toughest cuts of beef. By that same token, the muscles least used in the animal will yield the softest cut. Both, cows and bulls, have tenderloin muscles. The purpose for that muscle in a bull is to mount the cow during mating. However, the cow is female and therefore does not mount anything, so that muscle remains virtually unused by the cow, making it the softest muscle and providing you with delicious, tender steaks!

What does 'No MSG' really mean? By now most of us are aware that a preservative and flavour enhancer called MSG (Mono sodium Glutamate) is not very good for you. And many people try to avoid it by purchasing food products labeled "NO MSG". But did you know that MSG has many different names? MSG can be made many different ways and, chemically speaking, is made from hydrolyzed vegetable protein. So the next time you buy a 'No MSG' product, read the ingredients carefully, because you are most likely to find that it does contain MSG in it. It's just named something different, such as: "Hydrolyzed corn protein, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, spice, or hydrolyzed (ANYTHING) protein. And it's how those sneaky food manufacturers have been getting away with it up until now.

How can people in hot climates eat such spicy foods? It seems that the closer to the equator you go, the spicier the food gets! Take countries like India, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica and Thailand. Not only does the weather get extremely hot, but so does the food! As a tourist, you may wonder why people would do that to themselves. You can see them sniffling and sweating while they eat, and it's 100 degrees out! But the truth is that hot peppers containing substances like capsicum cause the body to sweat, which actually cools you as you eat. And many hot spices will also thin out your blood, lowering your body's core temperature.


What did people do before refrigerators? There are many other ways of preserving food. Many cultures used strong mixtures of spices to preserve meats and grains. The spice mixture we know today as "curry" was used in the past by people to preserve meats, and even to cover up the unsavoury taste and smell of slightly rancid food. Spices such as garlic, cinnamon, mustard, cloves and oregano have such high concentrations of anti-microbial (germ killers) that they have been clinically proven to kill the salmonella bacteria.

The "all natural" claim is not so fresh! Marketing companies are constantly throwing you catchy words in order to convince you that something is good for you, when in fact, it's vaguely true at most. Did you know that the marketing term "all natural" really doesn't mean anything? It certainly doesn't mean that what you're eating is good for you. Here are some things that are "all natural": Arsenic, Opium, Snake Venom, Mercury, Death Cap Mushrooms, Atropine, Tetanus, and Strychnine.

Now that you have learned some juicy morsels of moderately important information, go out there and show your friends how smart you really are!