Author: Robert Andrews

Hot Apple Cider Cocktail

  • 2 TBL butter plus 2 TBL sugar – cook to start caramelization
  • Add 4 C apple cider (not juice) and heat to near boiling
  • Pour into caraffe
  • In heatproof glasses, add 2 TBL each
    • allspice liqueur, amaretto and calvados
  • Put 1 tab of butter into each glass
  • Add the hot cider, and stir with your straw before drinking

Pancake Tacos

Make a large, fairly thin pancake – almost like a crepe

SAVORY:  Add cheese, sausage, scrambled eggs, tomatoes, green onion, avocado, and hot sauce

FRUITY:  Spread with almond or peanut butter or cream cheese, then the fruit. 
Kiwi, strawberries, blueberries – toss with pancake syrup
Mini dark chocolate chips or brown sugar
OPT:  Toasted coconut
Top with yogurt

 

 

 

 

Marzetti Copy Cat

Recipe for Mayonnaise from Scratch

Copycat Marzetti-Style Slaw Dressing

A sweet, tangy, creamy dressing that tastes remarkably close to the bottled original — makes enough to dress one 14-oz bag of coleslaw mix.

8 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 cups mayonnaise
  • 0.3 cups granulated sugar
  • 3 tablespoons white or cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoons yellow or Dijon mustard
  • 0.5 teaspoons celery seed
  • 0.3 teaspoons onion powder
  • 0.3 teaspoons salt
  • 0.1 teaspoons black pepper
  • 1 tablespoons milk or buttermilk, to thin (optional)
  • 1 bag of coleslaw mix (14 oz)

Steps

    1. Dissolve the sugar: In a bowl, whisk together the 1 cups mayonnaise, 0.3 cups granulated sugar, 3 tablespoons white or cider vinegar, and 1 tablespoons yellow or Dijon mustard until the sugar is fully dissolved — this takes a minute or two of steady whisking.
    2. Add the seasonings: Whisk in the 0.5 teaspoons celery seed, 0.3 teaspoons onion powder, 0.3 teaspoons salt, and 0.1 teaspoons black pepper.
    3. Adjust consistency: If the dressing seems too thick, thin it with 1 tablespoons milk or buttermilk, to thin (optional) a little at a time until it’s pourable.
    4. Chill to let flavors meld: Cover and refrigerate the dressing for at least 120 minutes before using — this is the step that really brings it in line with the bottled version.
    5. Dress the slaw: Toss with the 1 bag of coleslaw mix (14 oz) just before serving. Add it gradually — the cabbage releases liquid as it sits, so it’ll look wetter after a few minutes than when you first mixed it.

Notes

Taste before serving — the sweet/tangy balance is where people tweak this most. Less sugar (some cut it to half) makes it less sweet; a bit more vinegar or a splash of lemon juice brightens it if it tastes flat. Regular mayo gives the closest texture; light mayo works but comes out slightly thinner. Keeps about a week refrigerated (store dressing and slaw separately — don’t dress the whole bag if you won’t eat it all right away).

That’s the classic copycat formula — mayo base, sugar, vinegar, and a touch of mustard, with celery seed doing most of the work getting the flavor right. A few notes on getting it close:

  • Celery seed is the make-or-break ingredient — it’s what people most often say nails the actual Marzetti flavor when they compare side-by-side with the jar.
  • Chilling matters more than it seems like it should — the flavor melds and rounds out noticeably after an hour or two versus using it right away.
  • Sweetness is the main variable people adjust — some find the classic ratio a little sweet and cut the sugar back by a third to half.

If you’ve had the Southern Style version (the cooked/boiled one with egg, sold in jars in the dressing aisle rather than the refrigerated section) and that’s the one you’re after instead, let me know — it’s a different recipe entirely.

Fondue – COLLECTION INDEX

Tips:

  • For cheese fondue use a cast iron pot rather than an electric pot.
  • Rub sides and bottom with a clove of garlic before anything
  • Then, add liquid ingredients
    • ALTON BROWN’S INGREDIENTS
      • 1 C Sauvignon Blanc
      • 2 TBL Fruit Brandy (or Kirsch or Hard Apple Cider)
      • 1 TBL Lemon Juice
        • Heat to 135º
      • 1/2 tsp Horseradish (added at the very end)
    • Grate Cheeses
      • 7 oz Emmenthaler
      • 6 oz Gruyere
      • 3 oz Gouda
      • 11 gm (about 1.5 TBL) cornstarch
      • 1/4 tsp White pepper
      • 1/4 tsp citric acid
    • When liquid has it 135º start adding cheeses a bit at a time
      • Keep heating, but keep heat below 155º
      • Finish with a whisk
    • Serve with cubes of meat, bread, blanched veggies
    • Use Leftover as a cheese spread on a grilled cheese sandwich

 

Grandpa’s Hollandaise

Grandpa’s Hollandaise

There are a lot of Hollandaise recipes here. You can use the links below my recipe to explore, but here is the one that I use most of the time.  For a double boiler, I put 1 C water in a stock pot, and then use a large mixing bowl set on top.  Whisk continually.

  • 3 egg yolks – Save the whites for another day
  • 1 tsp corn starch
  • 1 TBL lemon juice
  • 1 TBL low fat butter milk
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard or 1/2 tsp dry mustard
  • 1/2 tsp sugar – Karo or Confectioner sugar is better
  • 2015-12-20 08.47.391 bay leaf
  • 1 dash Tabasco
  • Dash PLUS of Worchestershire
  • Optional:  scant onion powder or minced onion
  • Optional:  scant garlic powder or 1 ground clove
  • Optional:  scant white pepper
  • Optional:  scant turmuric
  • Optional:  a sprinkle of chives
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 4 TBL – separate tabs very cold butter
  • 1 ice cube – crushed
  • cayenne for topping after plating

This goes quickly so prepare your English Muffin, ham, spinach, artichokes, asparagus… whatever… prior to starting your Hollandaise.

  1. Bring your water to a boil and reduce to a low simmer
  2. Mix everything into the large mixing bowl except for the butter, ice and cayenne
  3. Put bowl on top of your pan with already simmering water
  4. Add ice and butter immediately to the mixture
  5. Whisk nearly continually until it starts to thicken
  6. DO NOT heat too quickly or it will “break” and there is no recovery.  If it turns shiny it means the fats are beginning to separate.  If it is not too late, try whisking in 1 tablespoon of water.
  7. If you heat it too hot, the eggs will clump.  If there are lumps in your mixture, push it through a strainer using a spatula.
  8. Pour into a glass bowl in pan of very hot water, and cover. Once made, this will store for up to 30 minutes.

2015-12-20 08.47.33Special Steps
1. Saute spinach lightly in 1 TBL olive oil -OR-
1. Heat slices of ham in fry pan
2. Place spinach or ham topping over toasted and buttered English muffin
3. Place poached or lightly fried egg on top of topping
4. Spoon hollandaise over top
5. Garnish with parsley, cinnamon, chives, paprika or any other topping
Serve with Tabasco on the side.

Chicken Cobb Salad

Jose Lopez
Buckwalds AZ Grill Cook

  • Season chicken breast
  • Place in skillet with EVOO on medium high heat
  • Don’t move – let it caramelize
  • Cut romaine lengthwise, then into pieces
  • Put lettuce into mixing bowl
  • Caeser Dressing – toss and plate
  • Top lettuce with
    • Cucumber medallions
    • Cherry tomatoes
    • artichoke hearts
    • Black olives
    • Crumbled bacon
    • Hard boiled egg – quartered
    • Avocado – cut in shell – use spoon to remove
    • Optional:  Crumbled bleu cheese
  • Heat chicken to internal temperature of 165º
  • Slice into strips and plate
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Alpine Fondue

Simple Fondue

  • 3 oz Emmenthaler – grated
  • 2 oz gruyere – grated
  • 1 oz gouda – grated
  • 2 tsp cornstarch
  • scant white pepper

Use any 40% semi-firm cheese.  Other choices include asiago, young gouda, taleggio, fontina, gruyere, Emmenthaler, or Comté.  Good melting cheeses will have high moisture, high protein, low age (max 150 days) and low fat

Making Cheese

  • Enzyme is added to dairy to curdle
  • Curd is cut and whey removed
  • Put into presses which compress and remove more whey
  • Loose cheese is cut into blocks – put into round molds
  • Cheese is pressed into rounds
  • Turned out and placed on aging racks
  • Gruyere is aged months to years and is produced here in the US
  • Older cheeses are generally harder
  • Scrub and add salt and bacteria during aging process

Step by Step

  • Cast iron fondue pot or double boiler
  • Rub with garlic, add wine, brandy and lemon
  • 1 C white sauvignon blanc – high acid
    • 2 TBL fruit brandy
    • 1 TBL fresh lemon juice
    • 12 tsp  prepared horseradish
    • 1/2 cloves garlic
  • Bring heat to 135º
  • At 135º add cheeses – melt between handfulls
  • Heat until 150º
  • Important
    • #1 high acid
    • #2 corn starch
  • Final addition
  • Whisk until smooth
  • Add horseradish to smooth sauce
  • Dipping choices
    • bread
    • chilled veggies – broccoli, cauliflower
    • cooked sausage – kielbasa, bratwurst

Subtle Cheese

For putting cheese on something like lobster, where you don’t want the cheese to overpower the meat, try some of these suggestions:

  1. Havarti
  2. Brie
  3. Gouda
  4. Goat
  5. Marscapone
  6. Aged White Cheddar
  7. Munster
  8. * Gruyere
  9. Parmesan
  10. Fontina
  11. * Pimento Cheese
  12. * Chevre
  13. * Tagelio
  14. * Lightly smoked white cheddar

 

Salmon Salad

Cosmin Barbu
Executive Chef

  • Fresh salmon filet
  • Baby spinach
  • Avocado – high in potassium and fiber
  • Feta cheese
  • Red onion
  • Pecans
  • Blueberries
  • Honey Cheese Vinaigrette
  1. Plate baby spinach – washed and destemmed
  2. Slice onion slivers as thinly as possible
  3. Top spinach with onion
  4. Put salmon over medium heat with just a bit of olive oil
  5. A bit of Mrs Dash for seasoning
  6. Cook about 3 minutes per side
  7. Halve an avocado and score while inside the skin
  8. Use a spoon to turn it out over top of the spinach
  9. Top with crumbled feta cheese to taste (optional sharp parm, goat, etc)
  10. Add pecans and blueberries
  11. Prepare vinaigrette
    • 2 tsp Apple cider vinegar
    • 2 tsp honey
    • chia seed
    • salt or Mrs Dash
    • 1/4 C EVOO whisking to emulsify
  12. Flip salmon – cook another 3 minutes
  13. Add dressing to a serving container
  14. Plate salmon on top of spinach leaf salad
  15. Drizzle dressing just before serving
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Sirloin Steak – Untested

  1. Steaks in order of preference…. for this recipe that is
    1. One TOP Sirloin Steak – about 1.5 inches
    2. Top Butt Steak
    3. Center Cut Sirloin
    4. Hip Sirloin Steak
  2. Cooking Fast ?avoid, tri tip, ball tip, butt (unless top butt)
  3. Season with salt and let rest 30 minutes on the counter
  4. Heat up cast iron skillet on high heat
  5. Lube with grapeseed oil just to coat
  6. 1 TBL salt in bottom of pan
  7. Put steak on for two minutes
  8. Twist 90 degrees and cook another two minutes
  9. Cook 30 seconds per edge
  10. Wrap into metal to sit 3 minutes
  11. Return to pan @ about 700º for 3 minutes
  12. Flip and cook another 3 minutes
  13. Flip again and cook 2 minutes
  14. Flip last time and cook 2 minutes
  15. Return to the foil for five minutes
  16. Slice on the bias

White BBQ Sauce

When serving brisket or pulled pork, consider shaking things up with this White BBQ Sauce.

  1. 1 C Miracle Whip
  2. 1 tsp Franks Red Hot
  3. 1 tsp prepared horseradish
  4. 1/2 tsp salt
  5. 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  6. 1/2 tsp onion powder
  7. 3 TBL rice vinegar or white wine vinegar

Drunken Cucumber Noodles

  1. Spiralize a Kirby cucumber
  2. Sautee 1/2 C onion and 1/2 C red bell pepper
  3. After then are nearly done add 2 cloves minced garlic
    and 1/2 LB ground chicken or turkey
  4. Cook till all is browned
  5. Slice and devein one jalapeno
  6. Combine liquids to create Drunken Sauce
    • 2 TBL soy sauce
    • 1/2 tsp corn starch
    • 2 TBL Hoisin
    • 1 TBL fish sauce
    • 1 TBL sweet chili sauce
    • 1.5 tsp sesame oil
  7. Add sauce to pan with meat
  8. Add halved cherry tomatoes and scallions
  9. Toss finished pan contents with fresh cucumbers
  10. Optional:  Add 2 leaves chiffonade Romained lettuce
  11. Finish with lime, fresh basil and jalapenos

Cajun Lime Chicken Salad

David Fernandez
Buckwald’s Cook

  • 6 oz Chicken breast – seasoned with Cajun spices
  • Mixed Greans
  • Cucumber – cut on diagonal
  • Tomato
  • Half a lime
  • Avocado – Halved, removed and sliced
  • Dressing:  EVOO, garlic, seasoning, honey – whisk together
  • Thinly sliced red onion for garnish
  • Cilantro for garnish
  • Kernel corn for the topping
  1. Season chicken breast on both sides
  2. Put in skillet on high heat
  3. Prepare other ingredients while the chicken blackens
  4. Plate your lettuce
  5. Dress and toss with your dressing
  6. Compose your salad with cucumber slices, tomatoes, avocado, and squeeze fresh lime over top.
  7. Top with a whole chicken breast – or slice into strips
  8. Garnish with thinly sliced red onions and kernel corn
  9. Finally, top with a cilantro sprig
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Hot Sour Soup

  • For the main mushroom, use Dried Chinese black fungus
  • Dried wood ear, black, cloud, straw or shiitake mushrooms (or one bunch fresh enoki mushrooms)
  • If you must, you can use sliced button or baby bella mushrooms
  • Lily buds
  • Can of bamboo shoots
  • Rice vinegar
  • Ginger
  • Chili garlic sauce
  • White pepper (do not substitute black pepper)
  • Firm Tofu (pressed)
  1. Make a slurry with
    • 1 TBL cornstarch (extra for a thicker soup)
    • 1 egg yolks, and
    • 1/4 C cold stock
  2. Bring 2 C of broth to a boil with
    • 1 TBL shaved ginger,
    • 1 tsp soy sauce,
    • 1 TBL green onions, and
    • mushrooms to taste.
  3. Add scant white pepper to taste
  4. Whisk that cornstarch slurry into the hot broth.
  5. Next drizzle in the beaten eggs while gently stirring the soup so they break into ribbons.  You DO NOT want to break the ribbons into pieces.  Note:  I prefer to start the water swirling like you would when making poached eggs, and then just drizzle the whites into the soup without stirring for 20 seconds.
  6. Finally, add the tofu, green onions and toasted sesame oil.

BONUS: The mushrooms and lily buds will keep for quite some time in the pantry. You can have hot and sour soup whenever the craving hits!

This soup is really best eaten as soon as it is made and does not freeze well. If you have leftovers, reheat them gently on the stovetop over low heat.

 

Cow Cake

 

Optional “bottom” ingredients

  • Pitted dates and oats . Blended
  • Speculoos cookies or ginger snaps
  • frozen bananas

Press into plastic lined loaf pan

Black cow cake
•   Choc cake mix and root beer

White cow cake
•   Vanilla cake mix and sprite

Bake according to directions

 

Cheesy Egg Waffles

  1. Beat three eggs
  2. Mix with 1/2 C shredded cheese
  3. Add 1 TBL Bisquick
  4. Pour into a waffle maker and let cook 3 to 3 1/2 minutes

NOTES: 

  • Because of the Bisquick, these will puff up a bit, so don’t overcrowd your waffle iron, or you will wind up with a mess.
  • I like mine served with a side of salsa

 

Shrimp Louis Salad

John Ramos Bell
Plaza Bistro Cook

Hosted by Chef Cosmin Barbu

Ingredients

  • Shrimp 6-8 pieces of 32-40 sized shrimp (or whatever is available)
  • Romaine lettuce
  • Roma tomato
  • Avocado
  • Celery
  • Hard boiled egg
  • 1000 Island dressing (or other favorite)

Step by Step

  • Rough chop the romaine – Large squares
  • Save the avocado and egg for last
  • Slice or dice the tomato – based on what you like
    Half in the salad, half set aside to use as garnish
  • Slice or dice the celery – on the bias makes it pretty
  • Turn on your burner to medium heat and drizzle EVOO
  • Add 6-8 pieces of shrimp to the skillet
  • Add the dressing – 1000 Island Dressing by default
    • Make your own:  2 TBL mayo, 1 TBL ketchup and 1 tBL pickle relish
  • Toss the dressing with your lettuce and put onto the plate
  • Fan the avocado slices on one side of the plate
  • Quarter your egg and display on the other side
  • Add shrimp centered as much as possible
  • Fill any blank space with the diced tomato pieces
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Healthy Cheese-It’s :: Copy Cat

In a food processor put

  • 1 C Rice Chex
  • 1 C Corn Chex
  • 1/2 C Wheat Chex
  • 2 C AP flour
  • 1 C Pecorino
  • 1 C Parmesano-Reg
    • Process until finely ground
  • 1 stick cold butter
    • Process to a coarse meal
  • While processor is running
    • Stream in 1/4 C olive oil
    • Stream in cream until it starts to come together
  • Roll out on parchment about 1/4 inch thick
  • Using pizza cutter cut into squares
    or if you are feeling frisky, diamonds
  • Bake at 400º for 10 minutes
  • Allow to cool before bagging for later munching
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