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Valentine’s Dinner at Trader Vic’s

Trader Vic’s Atlanta did NOT disappoint!

Chef Julio runs a damn fine kitchen! HERE is their site, but it’s pretty awful, and here’s their FB and IG.

We had the Honi Honi Valentine’s menu, which was:
– Tiki Drinks (Can’t remember the names, Nick’s was passion fruit something, mine, as you can see, was ON FIRE! LOL)
– Pork Bao buns (not pictured, we scarfed them too fast)
– Chateaubriand with carmelized onions and demi glace
– Creamed spinach
– Duchess potatoes
– A fancy chocolate and raspberry dessert

Everything was seasoned to perfection (you know how I am about SEASONING) and Chef Julio is very sweet. The manager (Jesus? Maurice?) is also FABulous!


The table starter is crackers with a dolled up peanut butter. It has honey and soy sauce whipped in. The Bao Buns came with spicy fried onion bits and a thick sesame sauce. They were yummy!

Chateaubriand was cooked perfectly to temp (midrare) and served with a strong demi glace and sweet 6 hr carmelized onions. Perfectly executed and delicious. The duchess potatoes and spinach were seasoned appropriately and, again, executed perfectly. The duchess potatoes were light and fluffy (they have egg in them, then they are baked) and the spinach was creamy with a bechamel.

Our server (shoutout: Chryslin!!) was delightful and we had a great time dragging on this couple that came in immediately complaining about time (another server’s section), ordered, THEN SENT THE FOOD BACK because they were in a hurry. ASSHOLES! Look, you hipster fucks, this ain’t McD’s, yanno? God people are fucking FERAL. I’m glad we scooted out before the big rush at 7! We had fun dragging on them with the manager, too. HA!



Finally, we had the VERY fancy dessert which was a chocolate enrobed trifle of sorts. It had dense chocolate cake on the bottom, then a cream gel (think panacotta) with luxardo cherries, then chocolate mousse, all set inside a milk chocolate shell. It is topped with chocolate mousse covered in raspberry powder and cryo frozen raspberries. All the fancy pieces – even the doily – were edible! It was delightful.

Overall, this was a really nice dining experience! I HIGHLY recommend following their socials for the Luaus and other events they do over the year. The next one is a tasting dinner with Chef Julio, which I’m sure will be OUTSTANDING.

Five stars FOR SURE for Trader Vic’s!

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Cooking Rules to Break at Will

As they say, rules are made to be broken! I agree! Especially when cooking.

Of course, you need to KNOW the rules in order to break them well, but there’s a LOT more wiggle room when cooking than Food Network would lead you to believe.

Today, I watched a quick cooking video by Jacques Pépin on FB [SHOUT OUT to Nick for getting me Cooking My Way SIGNED TO ME for my birthday!!!] . It was a pasta dish. As he’s cooking he mentions that he does not like pasta cooked al dente. ::angels singing:: NEITHER DO I! [Al dente means that there is a bit of raw pasta in the center when you break a piece of it and/or it is still a little stiff.] For most uses, I like my pasta just past al dente, except for mac n cheese. I’m sorry Food Network, but mac n cheese pasta should be SOFT. Ain’t nobody wanting al dente nonsense in their mac n cheese!

Another Southern rule: too much dressing. I counter that “too much” is an OPINION. I will grant that you can “overdress” really soft lettuces and spinach – they will wilt and that is gross. But sturdy lettuces and cabbage? DROWN IT. If there ain’t a puddle at the bottom, it ain’t enough. FIGHT ME.

I also stand by my use of SALTED butter. That’s right, SALTED. I’ve used it 100% of the time as long as I’ve cooked and guess what? It makes zero difference. Even in baking. [I heard that GASP. Shut it.] The old saw is that you “can’t control” the salt if you use salted butter. That is nonsense. If you use the same butter, then it should be consistent, right? It’s been my experience that all grade A salted butter has similar salt content. French or Irish butter is a different animal. Every sweet recipe on the planet will call for a tiny amount of salt. OR you can use salted butter and call it a day. I made a recipe that called for unsalted butter and after my friend got over her heart palpitations that I used salted, she said the recipe tasted the same. MY POINT EXACTLY.

The judges on these shows clutch their pearls when a cook uses a wet measure for dry ingredients or vice versa. PUHLEASE. There is very little difference between the two. If you are baking, you should be using weight rather than volume anyway, so who cares? [I weigh my pasta flours rather than use volume, but it’s not necessary.] I saw an IRON CHEF use a wet measure for flour and no one batted an eye.

The judges also whine when they see peppers being roasted on a gas stove flame. They will insist they can “taste the gas” in the roasted peppers. Bullshit. But they’ll be fine with it if a celebrity chef does the very same thing.

Judges also ding cooks for using canned tomatoes. Again: BULLSHIT. Italians use canned tomatoes ALL THE TIME. Giada Di Laurentiis uses them pretty much exclusively on her show Everyday Italian. If I hear ONE MORE JUDGE bitch about canned tomatoes, I may have a conniption. Scott Conant is THE WORST for this. He whiiiinnneeesss about the “canned taste”. OMFG. Get over yourself. Everyone uses canned tomatoes, canned beans and dried pasta. Millions of Italians can’t be wrong. I use dried pasta for most dishes, but I do enjoy making pasta as well. They are totally different beasts and really cannot be compared. I do like fresh stuffed pastas such as ravioli or agnolotti.

Which brings me to overall bias in these Food Network cooking contests. There is a different set of judging rules for celebrity chefs over “regular” chefs and yet another for “home cooks”. I don’t mind judges being kinder to home cooks, but I DO mind when they are judging each other, and suddenly the hard and fast rules aren’t really important. I also see a lot of piling on, especially on Chopped. If one judge points out some nitpicky thing, you can be sure the others will glom on and point it out, too. The gas roasting is a favourite for this behaviour, as is the canned tomatoes. STAHP!

Cooking is as much art as science. Yes, baking is MORE science, but there is still wiggle room in some things, such as salted vs unsalted butter.

So, use that salted butter! Roast those peppers on the stove! Cook your pasta AS YOU LIKE IT! Measure with any vessel that’s handy! Drown that slaw! These are small, insignificant things that really only matter in a cooking competition – and even then, not as much as they act like it does.

Get in that kitchen and CREATE. I have failures, like any cook. Fewer than I used to, but I still have them. Even the failures are usually edible, but they have not come out as intended. Who cares? MANGIA!

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Angela’s Red Chili

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Angela's Red Chili

This is my go-to chili recipe. It's fast and easy!
Course Main Course, Soup
Cuisine American
Keyword beef, beef chili, red chili
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Servings 8 bowls
Author misangela

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground or minced beef
  • 1 small white onion, diced about 2/3 cup
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 Tbl olive oil
  • 1 Tbl flour
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 2 tsp smoked paprika or hot paprika if you like heat
  • 1 Tbl chili powder to taste
  • 1 tsp dry oregano optional
  • 1 can red enchilada sauce I like A La Orden brand
  • 1 can fire roasted diced tomatoes I use the Garlic ones
  • 1 can black beans, drained
  • 1 Tbl agave optional
  • 2 Tbl ketchup for sweetness and deep tomato flavor
  • S/P to taste

Instructions

  • In a large pot, put EVOO, onions and garlic over med high heat.
  • When onions get soft, add meat and sauté for 2-3 minutes.
  • Add flour, cumin, paprika, chili powder and oregano. Add 1 tsp salt. Stir over heat to integrate the spices with the meat and cook out the flour, about 5-6 minutes until meat is about halfway cooked.
  • Add enchilada sauce, tomatoes and beans. Stir. Bring back to simmer over med low heat, partially covered.
  • Simmer for about 10 minutes, add agave and ketchup. Continue to simmer for another 10 minutes.
  • Taste to make sure the ketchup is cooked out and check S/P. Turn off heat.
  • Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream, hot sauce, jalapenos or whatever you like!

Notes

This chili will freeze well. 
I like to make a deeply flavourful chili that people can make as spicy as they wish. I like pickled jalapenos in mine!
This is also great over tater tots or even pasta! 
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Angela’s Cabbage Pie

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Angela's Cabbage Pie

Just in time for St Patrick's day! I saw a random Irish chef on Chopped make something like this and it sounded deelish, so here's my version! It is rich and very satifying - as well as cheap to make! Éirinn go Brách!
Course Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine Irish
Keyword cabbage, Irish Cheddar, potatoes, potatoes and cheese
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Servings 6 Servings
Author misangela

Equipment

  • 1 medium casserole dish
  • 1 Large skillet
  • 1 2 qt saucepan

Ingredients

  • 1/2 head Green Cabbage, halved and sliced thinly about 4-5 cups
  • 1/2 Onion, halved and sliced thinly about 3/4 cup
  • 4 cloves Garlic, minced used several places
  • 1 small Carrot, julienned about 1/3 cup
  • 1/4 cup small diced pancetta optional, but great in this dish
  • 1 Tbl Apple cider or white wine vinegar red wine is fine too
  • 1/4 cup Fresh parsley, chopped
  • 2 Scallions, thinly sliced on bias
  • 1 pack Instant potatoes, garlic flavour, as directed A small pack (2 cups) and I use half 1/2 1/2 rather than all water. OR make your own: about 2 cups very smoothly creamed potatoes.
  • 1 cup shredded Irish Cheddar cheese Spring for the real thing! Used in 3 places.
  • 5 Tbl butter used in cabbage, bechamel and potatoes
  • 1.5 cups Half and half used in potatoes and bechamel
  • 1.5 Tbl flour for bechamel
  • Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Prep all the veg and assemble in bowls. This will save you time in the cook.
  • Preheat oven to 350ºF.
  • In a large skillet over medium heat, melt 1 Tbl butter with pancetta, cook until pancetta gets a little crisp. Add onions, 1/2 the garlic, carrots and cabbage. Gently cook until cabbage is soft. Add S/P to taste. (If this gets too dry, add just a bit of water. Don't use too much heat, the veg should not brown.)
  • When veg is soft, check S/P, and add vinegar. Put them in the casserole and set aside.
  • In a 2 qt saucepan, put the water and half n half mixture for the potatoes over med hi heat - watch to prevent boilover. Add half the remaining garlic. (Idahoan packs call for 2 cups liquid.) SEE NOTES!!
  • In same skillet, over med heat, put another 2 Tbl butter and flour to make a roux. Stir for a couple of minutes then add half the scallions and parsley and the remaining garlic. Add about 2/3 cup of half n half to make a bechamel sauce. This should be fairly tight, but not like glue, use more half and half if needed. When bechamel has cooked for 2-3 minutes, add 1/3 of the Irish cheddar to create a mornay sauce. As soon as the cheese melts, kill the heat and add back in the cabbage and stir to incorporate the sauce. Check S/P. Put this mixture back into the casserole dish.
  • Water for potatoes should be at the boil - turn off and add a Tbl of butter and potato flakes, whisk. Add 1/3 Irish cheddar and remaining parsley and scallions. Adjust liquid to make a fairly stiff creamed potato.
  • If you want to be fancy, you can use a round tip and pipe the potatoes from a pastry bag - make sure they are loose enough! (star tip will clog with the veg). Otherwise, just spread on top of the cabbage mix in the casserole dish.
  • Finally, put the remaining Irish cheddar on top of potatoes and bake in oven for about 15 minutes. Then turn on broiler and broil until you see browned potatoes and cheese.
  • Serve and enjoy!

Notes

YES I use instant potatoes here. I tend to use them for any dish where they are a topping, such as Shepherd's Pie. I use the Idahoan small bag, which makes about 2 cups. I like the lightness of the instant, and they will pipe out a pastry bag nicely. In this particular recipe, since there is parsley and scallions, a star tip will not work, but a round tip will.  You can certainly make your own creamed potatoes here if you wish. 
Do get Irish cheddar. It has a nice sharp taste! 
This recipe makes about 3-4 cups, a small casserole. It will double just fine if you'd like a bigger casserole.  The only thing I'd not double is the butter. It will get super greasy with all the cheddar, so just use enough butter to get the veg cooked, and make the bechamel (1:1 butter to flour for bechamel). The bake time will be 20-25 mins for a large casserole.
The bake time is simply to warm up all the ingredients that have been sitting while you finish the dish. The important part is to broil the top for the browned bits. You can use a torch if you'd rather. 
This is not a pretty dish, but it is SO tasty! Perfect for a rainy night! Have a nice stout with it! 
 
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Carrot Ginger Soup

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Carrot Ginger Soup

This soup can be vegan or dairy - it is delicious either way! I make it with butter and coconut cream, but substitutions are listed. It is easy to make and is a lovely silky smooth soup. I've added other spices you can add for an even more flavourful soup in the notes!
Course Soup
Cuisine American, Asian, Indian
Keyword carrot, coconut cream, ginger, vegan soup, vegetarian soup
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Author misangela

Equipment

  • stick blender or counter blender

Ingredients

  • 1 pound carrots, peeled and sliced or chunked
  • 1 med shallot, about 2 Tbl, minced sub onion
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 Tbl Butter I use salted, always
  • 2 inch ginger, microplaned Sub 2 Tbl ginger paste
  • 2 tsp ginger, powdered optional, but supports the fresh
  • 1/2 tsp dried thyme optional, but a classic with carrots
  • 1 small can coconut milk/cream (5.5oz) 1/3 large can (14oz)
  • 1 tsp brown sugar optional
  • salt to taste
  • water for cooking and adjusting thickness

Instructions

  • Put a medium saucepan over medium heat and add butter, shallot, garlic and 1/2 tsp salt. Cook 3-4 mins until shallot and garlic are soft.
  • Add carrots, ginger paste, ginger powder and thyme and cook a couple of minutes. Add water to just cover carrots. Bring to simmer.
  • Simmer with lid ajar until carrots are soft, adding water as needed to keep it at about halfway up carrots.
  • When carrots are soft, take off heat and blend with stick or counter blender until smooth. Add more water if needed.
  • Add coconut cream and blend. Add more water to achieve desired thickness. Check salt (it will need more) and add brown sugar if you feel it is needed. I did, my carrots were not particularly sweet.
  • Serve with crusty bread or naan.

Notes

To make vegan, sub oil for butter. 
This can be made with cream rather than coconut milk. 
Cilantro works well with this recipe! 
If you like Indian spices, this soup is delightful with curry or garam masala. 
If you want a more holiday flavour, add nutmeg and touch of cinnamon. 
Photo courtesy https://www.masalaherb.com/.