OK. This is the secret Mo recipe you have been waiting for.
OK. This is the secret Mo recipe you have been waiting for.
Author: Morris
Recipe type: Topping
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: all the fuckers.
Don't share this. It is a big secret. Kinda. This is the best thing to put on brats in the goddam world.
Ingredients
- 3 Yellow onions, quartered and sliced thin
- 3 Red onions, quartered and sliced thin
- 3 White onions, quartered and sliced thin
- 1 Qt. Reduced beef stock (see recipe)
- 2 T Kosher salt
- 1 T fresh ground black pepper
- ¼ cup vegetable or olive oil
Instructions
- Cut, peel and slice the onions. Heat a big-ass pan or sauce pot. Drizzle some oil in it and dump the onions in.
- Stir them for... um... ever. Juice will come out of the onions. When it evaporates, pour in a couple ounces of stock. Let it boil off.
- Repeat this for what seems like too long. The onions will turn brownish. Keep going.
- Use the stock sparingly. You will know that you are done when the onions are falling apart and sweet and mahogany brown. Season with the salt.
- When it is dark brown and sweet and salty, you have succeeded.
- Here's the secret. Cook bratwursts on a grill. Shred or slice Gruyere cheese super thin.
- Top brats with caramelized onions and Gruyere.
- You now have French Onion Euro-dogs.
Review of Chicago Dog from the Chronicle
I didn’t really want to do this one, but the food was actually very tasty for what it was. This was before I was actually under contract with the paper.
Chicago Dog: Simplicity done right
By: Steve “Mo” Fye, Guest Food Critic
Photos By: Steve “Mo” Fye, Guest Food Critic
The new downtown hot dog joint, Chicago Dog, has a limited menu and only a handful of seats, but provides authentic hot dogs at a bargain price. The menu is by no means exciting, but quality ingredients and good recipes elevate it above many other Albuquerque hot dog purveyors.
The New York New York dog is simple and tasty, topped with spicy mustard and sauerkraut. Chicago Dog uses Vienna products exclusively for their dogs. The Chicago Dog is served authentically, with mustard, onions, a pickle spear and tomatoes and topped with celery salt.
The restaurant also offers other regional wiener favorites, such as the Dallas Dog, topped with Texas chili and cheese, and the Albuquerque Style with New Mexico green chile and cheese. Also available are the Polish Sausage or the German Bratwurst.
Not on the menu, but often available as a special, is the Italian Beef, a classic Chicago sandwich of wet-roasted beef on a bun dipped in the broth and served au jus.
The restaurant also offers salads — something not often found at a hot dog place. The Spinach Salad, House Salad and Cucumber- Tomato are on the menu, but there is often a daily special salad available. The Potato Salad was acceptable, but it was disappointing to learn that it came in a tub from a food distributor.
Chicago Dog is perfect for a meal after classes or a bite before a movie or hitting the pubs downtown. The restaurant is located at 219 Central Ave. NW, 87102, next to New York Pizza Department, and is open Mon – Thu: 10:00 am-9:00 p.m. Fri – Sat: 10:00 a.m.-11:00 p.m.
Review of Asian Grill I did for the CNM Chronicle
Asian Grill serves up a tapestry of flavors
This is one I asked to do. We found this little place when we were done shopping at 99 Banh. Great food. Amazing customer service.
By: Steve “Mo” Fye, Copy Chief | Photos By: Steve “Mo” Fye, Staff
Asian Grill is a great place to go when the urge for Asian food hits, but no one can decide which style to eat. The menu is extensive, with offerings from regions spanning most of Central and Southeast Asia, and is sure to include something to excite even the most jaded palate.
The restaurant is tucked away in the southwest corner of Albuquerque’s “International Zone,” sharing a parking lot with the Pan- Asian supermarket, 99 Banh. The restaurant still sports the fixtures of the Souper Salad that formerly held the spot, but there are touches of Asian influence in the décor.
On our first visit, we were greeted by the owner, Thai Nang, who is known to his many regulars as “Mr. Thai.” Thai graduated from CNM (T-VI at the time) in 1993 with a double degree in laser technology and instrumentation control. He worked in the tech industry for some time before following his passion and opening Asian Grill.
Before we could be seated, some regulars nearby insisted we try the Wonton Soup, which they declared to be the best in New Mexico.
Singapore Chow Fun Noodles, Mongolian Beef, Malaysian Chicken, Grilled Chicken Bun are just some of the options availble at Asian Grill.
The Wonton Soup was indeed exceptional. The crystal-clear broth was smooth and rich; the soup included al-dente vegetables, which is uncommon. The savory broth was the star of the soup, but the wontons were tender without being soggy and worth the ride on their own.
The eggrolls were delicious and crispy, but not greasy. The Malay Street Grilled Chicken was succulent and smoky and topped with crushed peanuts. It’s a twist on Kuala Lumpur street food, served with rice and beautifully presented instead of eaten from a skewer while walking down the street.
The Singapore Chicken Chow Fun was a stir-fried noodle dish including tender chicken and vegetables in a Thai-influenced curry sauce. Every ingredient was independently delicious, but the balance of textures, aromas and colors made this dish much greater than the sum of its parts. It was savory but not spicy – at least until the addition of Thai’s house-made pickled onion and pepper relish, found on every table, along with several other Asian condiments. The relish adds a slightly sweet and very spicy boost to anything on the menu.
The Mongolian Beef was also a finely presented traditional dish. White and green onions were stir-fried with paper-thin beef in a spicy and slightly sweet sauce. The sauce had a giant flavor with sweet and savory intricacies that changed subtly depending on the makeup of each bite of food. The menu also includes several varieties of Bun, a Vietnamese rice vermicelli dish which is served warm, with cold shredded veggies and hot grilled meats on top.
To fill out the menu, Thai offers Pho, the Vietnamese chicken or beef-based soup laced with rice noodles, bean sprouts and a variety of meats or seafood. There is also a selection of Vegan and Vegetarian offerings. Each menu item is beautifully presented, and there is a sauce to accompany nearly every one. The variety of sauces, from delicate, to bold really makes the meal here.
Thai will likely suggest the Colego tea. This hot tea is scented with jasmine and is purported to cleanse the blood of lipids and help with high blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Whether it works or not, it is delicious and complements a meal nicely.
The Asian Grill is usually packed for lunch, filled with folks from the hospitals across the street, as well as from Kirtland AFB and Sandia Labs. Dinner is more leisurely, and offers a chance to chat with Thai, who is a bundle of energy and hospitality.
Weekday lunch specials are $7.50 and come with fried or steamed rice. Expect to take home much of the meal, as the portions are huge. Dinner entrees are even larger and are only a few bucks more.
Asian Grill is located at 5303 Gibson SE, 87108 and operate10:30 a.m. – 8 p.m. Mon – Fri, Noon to 7 p.m. Sunday and are closed Saturdays. For more information call 505-265-4702 or visit Asiangrillabq.com.
My Biscuit Recipe adapted from Gisslen
My Biscuit Recipe adapted from Gisslen
Author: Gisslen/Mo
Recipe type: quickbread biscuits
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 2-1/2 pounds, about 24 3 inch biscuits
These are perfect to go with gravy. I'll post that elsewhere. This recipe works for me at a mile of elevation. If you are at a different elevation, you may want to adjust it. I will post some suggestions to help later. I really recommend egg washing these. That gives them a beautiful golden brown top. But be sure not to drip the egg wash down the sides because that can seal the layers and they won't puff properly. This recipe is for half the amount of the Gisslen recipe and will feed 6 people easily.
Ingredients
- All purpose flour 1#, 4 oz. (Because pastry flour is hard to find)
- Salt ½ oz.
- Sugar 1 oz.
- Baking powder 1 oz. (you will need more at lower altitudes)
- Shortening and/or butter 8 oz.
- Milk 13 oz.
- 1 egg beaten with ¼ cup milk or water for washing the tops
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F.
- Sift the flour, salt, sugar and baking powder into a metal or glass bowl.
- Cut the fat into cubes about ¼ inch. Toss in the flour, then using your fingers, crumble the fat into the flour.
- Add the milk slowly and mix by hand into a sticky mass.
- Mold into a flattish square and turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll out into a long rectangle and fold in half. Turn 90 degrees, roll out into a rectangle again and fold again. Repeat this 4 times. You can do this more for more layers, but working the dough will make each layer tough. Roll out to about ½ inch thick and use a round cutter. DO NOT use a glass like your grandma did. This seals the edges and will prevent the biscuits puffing up. You can also make square or triangular biscuits. This will prevent scraps, which become tough as you re-roll them.
- Place the cut biscuits on a dry sheet pan about ½ inch apart. Brush with the egg wash, being careful not to get it on the sides. Bake for 15-20 minutes until puffed and cooked through.
Biscuits from Gisslen.
Simple Biscuits
Folks are scared of biscuits for some reason. They are actually very easy to make. You can have these ready to go into the oven in minutes. I got this from my baking textbook, Professional Baking, 5th edition, by Wayne Gisslen. Go buy it. You can get a used copy for $15-40 from Amazon.
I’ll post the original here, and my adaptation separately.
Biscuits I
Biscuits!
Author: Gisslen
Recipe type: Simple quickbread biscuits
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 3 to 4 dozen biscuits depending on size
Folks are scared of biscuits for some reason. They are really simple. You can have them ready to go into the oven in just a few minutes. I got this recipe from my baking textbook, Professional Baking, 5th Ed. by Wayne Gisslen. You can pick up a used copy on Amazon.com for $15-40. It's a great book. I'll post the original and then my adaptation.
Ingredients
- Bread flour 1#, 4 oz.
- Pastry flour 1#, 4 oz.
- Salt ¾ oz.
- Sugar 2 oz.
- Baking Powder 2.5 oz.
- Shortening and/or butter 14 oz.
- Milk 14 oz.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F. Sift together the first 5 ingredients into a large glass or metal bowl. If you don't have an actual sifter, use a colander. It'll work.
- Cut the fat into small cubes and toss in the flour. Using a bowl scraper or a plastic spatula, chop up the fat until is in particles smaller than a pea.
- Slowly add the milk and stir until it forms a sticky mass.
- Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead briefly. Roll out into a long rectangle. Fold in half. Turn 90 degrees and roll out again. Repeat this 4 to six times. Roll out to about half an inch thick and cut out biscuits with a round cutter or just cut into squares. Put the biscuits on a dry baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes. If you want a pretty brown top, you can brush with egg wash (1 egg beaten with an equal amount of water or milk)
I told you there would be punk rock here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0TkWeTaHQs
Here’s a link to Naked Raygun’s “Treason” from Understand?
Naked Raygun is one of my favorite bands. I love Jeff Pezzatti’s “whoa” style of singing. Stay tuned, I will likely post a drunken rant about “Whoa Punk” is the finest music in the whole damn world. I do that.
Info:
Badinjan Muhassa
Badinjan Muhassa
This is one of my favorite medieval middle eastern recipes. I make it every time I do a middle eastern feast for the
SCA, and sometimes just because my friends (looking at you, Cham!) love it.
I do a slightly altered version from the recipe below, which I flat out stole from Stefan’s Florilegium http://www.florilegium.org/ Go and check it out if you are at all interested in historical food, arts and sciences or just plain cool stuff.
- 4 # Eggplant (2 large)
- 1 # Walnut pieces (they are cheaper and we’ll just puree them anyway)
- 1/4 cup cider vinegar
- 1 T. kosher salt (for nut dough)
- 1 T. ground caraway seed
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 350F. Pierce eggplant about a dozen times with a fork. Roast the eggplants until they become soft, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, grind the walnuts with the vinegar and salt to form a “dough” in a food processor. If you don’t own one, buy one. I’ll wait…
Form the nut dough into flat patties and cook over medium heat until they brown. Press down with spatula after the first turn. Once the patties are brown on both sides, you can break them up and complete the cooking process. Put aside to cool.
Remove the eggplant from the oven and place in a covered bowl or in a plastic bag. This will loosen the skin. Once they are cool enough to handle, peel them. Use a paring knife to lift the skin and it should come off in strips. Cut the eggplant in rounds about half an inch thick. Put the eggplant in a colander and rinse them under cool running water. Squeeze the bitter liquor out of each slice and let drain. Chop eggplant roughly and put in a food processor, you know, that cool brand new one you just bought. Pulse a few times and add the cooked nut dough, salt and pepper, caraway and the olive oil. Puree until it is smooth. This is not a very attractive dish, but it tastes amazing. Taste and adjust seasonings to taste. I like a bit more vinegar and salt than some folks, but use your judgement. This is now your dish. Own it.
Serve with pitas or corn chips. A nice presentation is to drizzle good olive oil on it and top it with whole caraway seeds and minced fresh parsley. I also like to sprinkle a little Sriracha Salt for color and zing.
Badinjan Muhassa
Ibn al-Mahdi’s cookbook in 10th c. collection, Charles Perry tr.
Cook eggplants until soft by baking, boiling or grilling over the fire, leaving them whole. When they are cool, remove the loose skin, drain the bitter liquor and chop the flesh fine. It should be coarser than a true purée. Grind walnuts fine and make into a dough with vinegar and salt. Form into a patty and fry on both sides until the taste of raw walnut is gone; the vinegar is to delay scorching of the nuts. Mix the cooked walnuts into the chopped eggplant and season to taste with vinegar and ground caraway seed, salt and pepper. Serve with a topping of chopped raw or fried onion.
3/4 lb eggplant
1 c walnuts
2 T vinegar (for nut dough)
1/2 t salt (for nut dough)
1/8 t each pepper and salt
1 t caraway seed
1 1/2 T vinegar (at the end)
1/4 c chopped raw onion
Simmer the eggplant 20 to 30 minutes in salted water (1/2 t salt in a pint of water). Let it cool. Peel it. Slice it and let the slices sit on a colander or a cloth for an hour or so, to let out the bitter juice.
Grind the walnuts, add vinegar and salt to make a dough. Make patties about 1/2″ thick and put them on a frying pan at medium to medium high heat, without oil. In about half a minute, when the bottom side has browned a little, turn the patty over and use your pancake turner to squash it down to about 1/4″ (the cooked side is less likely to stick to your implement than the uncooked side). Continue cooking, turning whenever the patty seems about to scorch. When you are done, the surface of the patty will be crisp, brown to black-and since it is thin, the patty is mostly surface. If the patties start giving up lots of walnut oil (it is obvious-they will quickly be swimming in the stuff) the pan is too hot; throw them out, turn down the heat and make some more.
Chop up the eggplant, mix in the nut patties (they will break up in the process), add pepper, salt, caraway (ground in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle), and vinegar. Top with onion. Eat by itself or on bread.
Welcome!
It’s been a long road to get here. Not a difficult one, just long. I want to thank Kenneth Hargis and Corie Weaver for doing all the work involved in getting this blog designed and up. Thanks to my mom, Linda Shapiro, for pushing me to do this in the first place. Thanks to all my friends who kept bugging me about it. And thanks to my honey, Jennifer Ford for tasting everything I cook, even if she hates every ingredient in the damn dish. (And for not complaining about the punk blaring 24-7)
Check out my pics. I just posted some of the cake decoration I have been doing in my baking class.
Thanks for coming and reading!
Mo