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.

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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."

How to make perfect sushi rice

How to Make Perfect Sushi Rice
By: Chef Cristian Feher

Sushi, like most Japanese things, is made using exact skill and precision. But don't let this scare you from making your own sushi. In this recipe I will outline the exact steps to take in order to achieve proper sushi rice. For this recipe I will be using a rice cooker. I suggest that you purchase one of these handy kitchen appliances if you don't already have one. They can be purchased for a minimal price. Mine cost about $12 and can cook 6 cups of rice at a time.

It is important before you begin that you start out with the correct type of rice. You must use short grain Sushi rice or Calrose rice. Other types of rice will not work as well, and some won't work at all.

You can also make your life easier by purchasing "Seasoned" rice wine vinegar. Seasoned rice wine vinegar has the salt and the sugar already mixed into it.


Yield: With this recipe you should be able to get about 3-4 sushi maki rolls out of one cup of rice.

Ingredients:
- 1 Cup of Sushi Rice
- 1 Cup of Water (plus 10% more water)
- 5 squirts of Seasoned Rice Vinegar (or 2 parts rice vinegar, 2 parts sugar and 1 part salt)

Equipment:
- Rice Cooker
- Wooden or Plastic Spatula
- Large bowl (for rinsing the rice)
- Large baking sheet or serving tray (for cooling off the rice)
- (optional) an electric fan for cooling off the rice

Step 1:
Put the rice into the bowl and rinse it under the sink using cold water. You want to rub and stir the rice with your hands so that a lot of starch comes out of it. Rinse it about 4 times until the water runs almost clear. Drain.

Step 2:
Put the rice into the rice cooker, add the water, put the lid on, and set the cooker to cook the rice.

Step 3:
As soon as the rice is ready, scoop it out of the rice cooker with the wooden spatula and spread it gently onto the
tray for cooling. It is important that when you're working with the rice you be very gentle with it and careful not to smush the rice into a ball of gluten. Pour the seasoned rice vinegar and over the rice and gently fold the rice with the spatula so that all the grains of rice have come in contact with the vinegar. At the same time, your other goal is to cool down the rice as fast as possible. I like to turn on a table top fan and let it cool the rice off as I fold the mixture. But you can take a magazine or paper plate and fan with your hand as you fold the rice instead. You do not have to fold the rice during the whole cooling period, but you may want to turn it over every few minutes to let the heat escape.

Step 4:
Once the rice has cooled to room temperature it can be used to make sushi, or you can seal it into a plastic bag and put it in the fridge for later use. It will keep for 2 days max. But ideally, you would want to use it that same day. You want to end up with glossy, shiny rice (due to the vinegar mixture) with grains that are still in one piece (you don't want a white mushy pile of rice).

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!