About soup swap... What it was? What it be? Why it be? There's nothing more comforting than to sit by the fire sipping on something warm. Soup is the comfort food that translates in many different and diverse cultures and is usually made to be shared. I remember having soup that my mom made every Christmas and New Year's eve that I automatically associate it as a standard staple of those holiday meals. Whether hearty, smooth, chunky or creamy, hot or cold, it warmed the cockels of my heart. On January 24, 2010, the California Heights Farmers Market will be conducting its first soup swap which is intended to be an annual tradition. It would be a great opportunity to showcase your favorite soup recipes and sample and learn of new ones to add to your repertoire. For more information about the California Heights Farmers Market Soup Swap, please visit The Long Beach Sunday Market website.

Imagine being born in a cramped room without enough space to move forward, move backwards, or even turn around. Imagine from childhood being raised in a most strict diciplinary regiment where you are proded with electrical shocks everytime someone wants you to do anything for them. Imagine standing in your own feces day in and day out because there is not enough room to clean up after anyone. Imagine being ordered to stand up when you no longer have the strength in your legs even though you are constantly proded with an electric wand. Imagine, as a young adult, being hung by your ankles upside down to be skinned and butchered while you are still alive. This is no concentration camp. It is big business. Sadly, this is the fate that most farm animals meet who are born into corporate captivity; accounting for approximately 10 billion animals. We wouldn't want to be treated this way; we wouldn't want our pets to be treated this way; we shouldn't let anything be treated this way, even farm animals that are raised for food consumption. The fact is that this is the situation in factory farms owned by the big four of the meat packing industry. It is a process hidden from us becuase we've stopped asking the questions regarding the sources of our food. The meats that we buy now comes in nicely packged containers where the beef is bright red on top and brown when we turn them over. The cattle raised for our consumption, that were then grass fed, are now fed corn to make them bulkier faster. Corn is very disruptive to the cows stomaches so much so that they have to be constantly fed antibiotics to prevent from dying. Corn and other grains also develop highly acidic stomaches in these aminmals which creates a perfectt cultivation condition for microbial bacterias that are harmful to us. Through the constant feeding of antibitoics to these animals, the development of a antibiotic-resistant bacterias increases rendering "mircale drugs" useless. It is these practices, by the commercial meat industry, that are responsible for the E. coli 0157:H7 bacteria outbreaks. Please understand that E. coli is not bad in itself; it would be similar to saying that all humans are bad. There are bad bacterias and good bacterias, as it is in the human gene pool. E. coli 0157:H7 is one of those bad bacterias that is harmful and causes food bourne illnesses to humans. For beef, E. coli is a surface bacteria that can be erradicated through the cooking process; which is why it is perfectly okay to eat a rare steak where the outside of the meat is seared while the inside is still red. However when meat is grounded up and made into hamburger meat, the surface area becomes mixed with internal areas which is why it is never safe to eat undercooked hamburgers. Additionally, grass fed cattle are much lower in fat, especially saturated fat, than grain fed cattle, and provides more Omega-3s and vitamin E (up to 4 times more). The downside to meats from grass fed cattle is the slight off flavor and odor that most people find undesirable. This, by no means, is intended to be a dictative editorial but more so as a dissimination of information to assist in developing better understanding of how the food industry affects our lives and our health. It is a way to enlighten those who are in the dark so that we all can have insights to the decisions and paths that we choose with a clear view of where each path leads. For those who would like to learn more, I will be posting more articles related to this subject. You can also check out other websites such as The Food Revolution, The Humane Society, and Food Inc. Here's to a beautiful and healthier tomorrow!

During the past year, I've learned quite a lot more from various people about food and have shared great meals with them. The magic that food enacted this past year is that it brought us all together in such a mutually comfortable atmosphere that we soon forgot our problems and differences. Once in this atmosphere, we've reveled in the splendor of flavors and explored the taste sensations of other cultures. We've been awakened by our own eyes, noses, and taste buds to determine and solidify our own likes and dislikes, without the use of technology and without justification. All in all, we celebrated "Us"!

During the past year I've gotten involved with various passionate people that want to make a difference in the community as well as the entire world, and I have been blessed with their friendships and their enthusiasms. In my involvement with these radical thinkers, I too have sensed the increased passion within me for helping others to make this world a better place. Together, we celebrated the lives of others!

This coming year, I will turn another chapter in my life called "The Big Five Oh" and anticipate the new challenges that await me. I'm eager with anticipation and excitement for what I'm about to face but more so for where it will lead. I sense an abundance of exciting opportunities and possibilities that will only help develop my true character and better define me as the person that I truly am. I face this new chapter with traditional and radical thinking both as a learner and as a teacher; and forge on with the commitment to join in the cause to help end world hunger through education and volunteer work. This is the promise that the New Year brings and the beginning of a new chapter in my life. I eagerly welcome its arrival.

This year, I dedicated the Thanksgiving meal that I prepared to my mom. My mom is diabetic and she controls it with diet and careful food intake. I share her affliction since I too have been diagnosed as diabetic. Additionally, my Auntie Myr also suffers from this and she is taking insulin shots to control her illness. I am learning that the number of people who have diabetes is increasing throughout the world. In June 2008, there were 24 million people in the United States that were diagnosed with diabetes (that's 8 percent of the population), and another 57 million were estimated to be pre-diabetic (a condition that puts them at an increased risk for diabetes). This year, I refrained from using sugar or honey to add sweetness to the food items that I prepared. Instead, I used Splenda powder and Agave Nectar as sweetners. Apparently no one minded nor could tell the difference, and some were very surprised to know this fact. I also made use of fresh fruits and vegetables to take advantage of their fiber content. Most importantly, I was very thankful and felt reassurance that both my mom and I, and anyone else during the party who had diabetes, was able to enjoy the food without much worry of their glucose elevating to dangerous levels.

With ever increasing prices on food items, more and more people are starting to once again prepare their own meals as opposed to dining out or fast-food take-outs. Additionally, most of these 'born-again" cooks are more conscious of their health needs and would prefer using fresher ingredients. The farmers markets have brought a resurgence in the way people took control of their food purchases with regards to freshness and cost efficiency. Purchasing food items, especially produce, at farmers markets is definitely a win-win situation for both the seller and the buyer. The synergy promotes an incentive for the seller to deliver lower-cost products as more buyers make purchases, and buyers are buying more because of fresher items since the sellers are local to the area. Unlike major grocery chains, farmers market vendors are able to offer their items at a significantly reduced cost because they don't have the overhead that the major grocery stores have like electricity, shipping costs, and refrigeration. Farmers market vendors are also local to the areas which means that the travel time from the field to the market is reduced significantly; which equates to fresher produce. Our part as consumers need to be continual and increased support for our local farmers. We also need to respect their locations during times of development so that they can continue to provide us with the freshest and most cost efficient food items available. On Sunday, November 22, a new farmers market and community marketplace opens in California Heights. This market will be open from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. every Sunday at the Longfellow Elementary Playground at 3088 Olive Avenue. It is made possible through a grant from the Connected Corridor Project, and it's goal is to raise funds to support green initatives in the local schools. The market will feature fresh produce, prepared foods and a coffee cart. The market and location also includes a tot lot, chess club, art workshops, and lessons on gardening, cooking and recycling. There is also a pie baking contest for those bakers-at-heart. For more information, please visit www.longbeachsundaymarket.com Some of the vendors include:

• Gama Farms - Fall Crops - Eggs, Onions, Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes, Turnips, Rashishes, Carrots, Quince, Guava, Pomelo, Oranges, Limes, Lemons
• Has Apple Farm - Great for pies and tarts. Ask for Tangy Lady when you stop by his tables!
• Jesse & Family - An all around family farm. Asparagus, Leeks, Lettuce, Carrots, Beets, Peppers, Strawberries...and much more. Great produce, great farmer!!
• Launas Honey - Honey and Bees Wax Candles. The candles are lovely and everyone works so hard...the bees, Launa and her husband!!
• Parks Fruit - Parks farm is located in Riverside. They grow fruit year-round (apples, pears, peaches, nectarines, oranges, Jujubes, and much more).
• Peanut Dudes - Robert Sapp, Owner and Operator of Peanut Dudes.com, will be at our market every Sunday. Peanut Dudes sells GOURMET NUTS. Freshly roasted and packed. They stand behind their product to be the best in taste and quality. Robert has been in business for years. And has been there to provide a quality product for his customers. Stop by and say hello!
• Shortnin Bread - A local Artisan baking operation that produces responsibly made baked goods using the finest, local, sustainable, and organic ingredients whenever possible. Your farmers market patisserie, check them out weekly! Vegan and Sugar free items are coming soon!
• Bards Art - Through her company Bards Art, web designer Barbara Holbrook has helped Long Beach businesses and organizations get online. She comes to the Long Beach Sunday Market monthly to lead workshops on Wordpress, a free content management system for building and maintaining websites.

If you know of any farmers markets around your area, please help spread the word by posting it here so that others may benefit from the information. Happy marketing everyone!

When I think of comfort food, I always imagine something served hot in a bowl or cup with lots of liquid and flavor. Something that goes along with cuddling up near the fireplace with a cotton blanket and perhaps a good book. Yesterday morning, I placed a quartered onion, sliced carrots, sliced celery, quartered potatoes, chunks of beef, beef stock, Beringer White Zinfandel (ran out of red wine...), balsamic vinegar, flour, a sprig of thyme, a sprig of rosemary, three bay leaves, and three crushed garlic in my large crockpot and turned it on to automatic. During lunchtime, I was able to come home from work so I added asparagus and mushrooms to the stew. I got home last night and noticed that the stew had not thickened so I transferred it to a pot and added more flour, and let the stew boil. As Emeril Legassi said, flour doesn't thicken up the sauce until it comes to a boil. I adjusted the seasoning and tried it out. Needless to say, I just had to chilled out after and ended up watching James Taylor's Pull Over Concert on DVD. It was a quite comforting evening...

Okay, I know that the gap in between these blogs have started to increase again... Hey, I'm doing my best to keep up... Anyway, I got home around 11:00 that Sunday and knew that I had a lot of things to do so I didn't want to waste any time. In my head, I started organinzing the items that I was going to prepare that day and I seemed very clear that I had to start with the one that took the longest to cook, followed by the next longest, and so on. The menus that I hoped to get through were as follows:

1. Osso Buco Style Oxtail Stew with white rice
2. Roasted Tri-Tip with au jus
3. Rosemary Sea Bass with Old World Pilaf and Sauteed Sugar Snap Peas with Mandarin
4. Shrimp and Scallop Lemon Scampi

I figured this would give Didi and I ample lunch and dinner choices for the week.

I'll skip the explanation of preparing the Oxtail Stew since I've given you the recipe back on June 6th. If you want to refer to it, you can look through the archived posts. Although I used some of homemade my beef stock instead of chicken stock since that's what's still on the stove simmering. Speaking of which, it was time for the stock to come out of the heat, cooled and stored in the refrigerator for later use.

After taking care of the stock, I filled up a pot with water and added Kosher salt to boil for my pasta. For pasta, you always want the water to taste as salty as sea water so the amount of salt you add will be determined by the amount of water you have in your pot. While waiting for the water to boil, I started working on the Tri-Tip.

Although it had a large section of fat (also known as fat cap), I kept it in tact to add more flavor to the meat. The very first thing to do was to marinade the meat so I took out my Food Saver marinating container and placed this huge hunk of beef in it (Blam!!!); sprinkled some Kosher salt (to season and to open up the pores) on all sides of the beef; then prepared the marinate.

I kept the marinate fairly simple - 1 cup of beef stock, 1 cup of red wine (I used Merlot), two tablespoons of Worscherster, 2 crushed cloves of garlic, a healthy pinch of ground black pepper, and for that extra "hey, there's an interesting flavor in it that I just can't put my finger on...", 1 tablespoon of Balsamic vinegar. I poured this mixture over the beef and closed the lid. I plugged in the small hose in the opening of the lid and plugged the other end of the hose to my Food Saver machine (model V2840) to suck the air out and pressurize the container. This pressurization method helps marinate the beef quicker because it helps open the pores of the meat so that the marinate can soak through to the middle. What would normally take a couple of hours was reduced to about 30 minutes.

Okay, got the Tri-Tip marinating in the fridge... On to the Shrimp and Scallop Lemon Scampi!

I added a whole package of fetuccini in the boiling water and stirred it to prevent it from sticking to each other. I took out some frozen shrimp from the freezer and set them in cold water to thaw. I get the bags of raw frozen shrimp (you guessed it...) with shell on. Thawing frozen shrimp takes about a couple of minutes to thaw in cold water so I started cutting the vegetables (1/2 cup of julienned carrots, 1/2 cup of julienned zucchini, 1/2 cup julienned onions, 2 cloves of minced garlic, and removed the stem side tips from the snow peas) immediately. After the vegetables, I de-shelled the shrimp leaving the last section of the shell and the tail in-tact. I placed the de-shelled shrimp immediately in the refrigerator and placed the shells in a quart size freezer bag, and placed it in the freezer for future shrimp stock use.

Originally, this recipe only consisted of shrimp, vegetables, and fetuccini; however Didi bought some fresh scallops from Costco the day before so I thought it would be nice to incorporate some for this dish.

The cooking process for the Shrimp and Scallop Lemon Scampi started with heating up 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter (unsalted) in large skillet. Once heated, I added the scallops making sure not to overcrowd them. The sound of sizzle needs to be heard once you put the first scallop in the pan (this means that the pan and oils are hot enough - if you don't hear the sizzle, take the scallop out immediately and wait for the pan to heat up more). Scallops don't take long to cook and the purpose here is to sear the top and bottom quickly. When seared properly, the scallops should have a golden color on both the top and bottom with uncooked middle. I set the seared scallops aside and placed the onions and carrots in the same pan to saute (I also added a pinch of Kosher salt in the pan to sweat the vegetables).

Next I tossed in the snow peas and zucchini - toss, toss; mix, mix... Then the minced garlic - toss, toss; mix, mix... Then I added the shrimp and scallops, a 1/2 cup of lemon juice (I used the one from the bottle since I forgot to get lemons), 3 tablespoons of butter, and healthy pinches of salt and ground pepper. Once the butter melted, I added about 12 ounces of the cooked fetuccini - toss, toss; mix, mix... Adjusted my seasoning with more salt and pepper to taste and immediately removed the pan from the heat. I distributed it amongst 4 small containers with lids, chopped and sprinkled fresh Italian parsley on top, cooled and placed in the refrigerator. One menu item down.... Note to self: Next time don't forget the fresh lemons and double up on the fetuccini.

Cleaned up - then took out the tri-tip to roast. As with all good roasts, the process starts with the browning of the meat so I heated up some olive oil in my 5 quart saute pan then threw in (gently... ) the meat. After about 2 - 3 minutes on one side, I flipped the meat over and waited another 2 - 3 minutes before pouring the marinate over the meat and placing the entire thing (pan and all) in a 300 degree oven (along with the stew). I didn't worry too much about how long to keep the meat in there as long as the internal temperature measures 125 degrees. Why 125 degrees?! Well I always account for residual cooking which happens during the resting time (the time between taking the meat out of the oven and cutting into it). Letting the meat rest for 5 minutes and tented (slightly covered; not wrapped) with aluminum foil generates enough heat to continue cooking the inside of the meat up to another 10 degrees. "Oh, My God!"

So while the tri-tip was resting, I started on the grains and vegetables.

How to cook white rice the no muss - no fuss method:

1. I poured some white rice in a small sauce pan. Yes you can cook other things in this pan other than sauce!
2. I went to the sink and filled the pan with water just to cover the rice.
3. I swirled the rice and water with my right hand. Why the right hand? Because I was holding the handle of the pan with my left hand...
4. Strained the water out.
5. Repeated steps 2 through 4 one more time. Just to make sure that I got rid of as much starch as I can.
6. Leveled the rice.
7. Filled the pan with enough water so that when I touch the rice with my middle finger, the water comes up to the first joint of the finger. I don't know why this is but it always comes up with the right amount of water for white rice.
8. Added a pinch of salt to the rice and water, and swirled.
9. Placed the pan on the stove (uncovered).
10. Turned the burner on to high.
11. As soon as the water started boiling I turned the burner off.
12. Covered the pan.
13. Placed in the oven for 15 minutes at 400 degrees. Wait, I couldn't put the rice in the oven because I've got it set for 300 degrees for the Oxtail stew. I had to adjust the time to take it out.
14. After 30 minutes, I took the pan out of the oven and let it sit on top of the stove with the heat off. (Kept the lid on and took advantage of residual cooking, he he).
15. After 10 minutes, I uncovered the pan and fluffed the rice with a fork.

White rice done! Next is the Old World Pilaf... This pilaf of course has a similar process as with the golden pilaf that I prepared the night before. This is another rice mixture that I got from Whole Foods which really turned out rather well.

Both grains are done! Now for the Rosemary Sea Bass... I cut a small sprig of rosemary from my plant outside, washed it quickly, removed the leaves from the branch and chopped them (the leaves, not the branch). Then I laid the sea bass on a plate and seasoned both sides with Kosher salt and ground black pepper. I spread some olive oil onto a baking sheet and placed the sea bass on this making sure that they have plenty of room between them. Then I divided the chopped rosemary leaves between the sea bass, sprikling them on top of each. Then I placed the baking sheet in the oven along with the stew and tri-tip.

Now for the sauteed sugar snap peas and mandarin...

I heated some olive oil in my medium sized skillet and dropped in my sugar snap peas; sprikled a pinch of Kosher salt and ground black pepper; toss, toss; mix, mix... Careful, don't burn the peas! Zest the mandarin onto the peas then quickly peel and separate the mandarin; toss them into the pan; toss, toss; mix, mix... Adjust the seasoning and turn the burner off. Add some fresh thyme leaves, and "Voila!"

I took the sea bass out of the oven (perfect!), scooped some Old World Pilaf into containers, divided the Sauteed Sugar Snap Peas and Mandarin to each container, and laid a sea bass on top of the pilaf of each container. Another menu item completed and cooled...

By then, it was time to take the stew out of the oven. I set the pot on the stove and uncovered it to released the fragrance of the stew. I let the stew cook an hour longer than usual and it really made a difference to the meat. I really liked the outcome of the longer cooking time - the meat was softer and yet still held on to the bone. I adjusted the seasoning with Kosher salt and pepper, then divided it amongst 4 more of our plastic containers, along with the white rice. Three menu items done!

I finished cooking the tri-tip to 125 degrees, took it out of the oven and tented it with aluminum foil for 5 - 10 minutes on top of the stove while I cleaned up the mess that I had created. After I was done with washing the dishes in the sink and wiping down counters, I cooled the tri-tip, transferred it to a large plastic container, and placed it in the refrigerator to be sliced within the next couple of days.

I was exhausted! Yet, I was exhilirated that I completed enough meals for Didi and I to get through the week. After cleaning up the last items in the sink, it was around 7:00 p.m.

I took our two dogs out for their long awaited playtime. Ilsa, the brown one, loves to play catch with her red ball while Aria, the black one, is just a cuddler and keeps to my side as she looks up at me with her deep dark eyes. It was really a nice way to relax and end the day.

Sunday came and trashed me out again... I started off the day with Didi and I heading off to It's a Grind for our morning coffee. I had my usual caramel macchiato with soy milk and the bling (for those not in the know, that means whipped cream; a phrase coined by Didi herself and is now widely used throughout the It's a Grind chain). This is quite a development for me - the guy who used to refer to coffee as "battery acid" back in the Navy during my younger years. We drove in two separate cars intentionally so that from the coffee house, I could go directly to the farmer's market. I got to the farmers market by the Long Beach Marina around 7:00 a.m. only to find out that they don't open until 9:00 a.m. I didn't want to wait there for two hours so I headed to Trader Joes just to hang out, only to find that they don't open until 8:30 a.m. So I thought I'd take my chances that Whole Foods was open and sure enough they were. Hallelujah! I looked at all of the great produce that they had at Whole Foods but didn't pick up any knowing that I would pick up my produce at the farmers market. I headed off to the meats section and gazed at all of the meat products that they had on display. Everything looked fresh - beef provolone and asparagus rolls, lamb lollipops, marinated beef and pork meats, sausages and bangers, etc. Tempting, but I held back. Then I ventured onto the seafood department and saw for the first time in several years - whole fish; there at Whole Foods! They had Thai Snapper with not just skin on but with bones and head and everything. The eyes were as black as a starless night without any hint of clouds so I knew that they were fresh. I had to pick one up since I don't see too many stores carrying whole fish anymore. Why the obsession in finding whole fish? Well, I get to use the bones for fish stock, of course! I don't understand where all of the bones are going. I can't hardly find beef or pork sold that comes with bones anymore. Are we now engineering boneless cows and pigs? Boneless chicken breasts - where the heck did the bones go? I asked the meat processors at Costco (can't hardly call them butchers since there's no more butchering that goes on at these places) what they did with all of the bones when they package up their meats and they said that they get their meats from the factory without any bones. Even beef spare ribs are sold without rib bones anymore - that's a travesty! Well, after all of that ranting and raving, I got out of Whole Foods around 8:45 so I decided to head on back to the farmers market which was only across the street. By then, every vendor was pretty much set up and other shoppers had started to flock in. There were a few things that I particularly wanted to get but for the most part, I just enjoy seeing all of what everyone has to sell. One of my favorite vendors is the herbs people. They are located towards the middle of the market on the north side. They have all sorts of herbs like fresh thyme, fresh rosemary, fresh oregano, fresh tarragon, fresh marjoram, fresh dill, fresh cilantro, fresh parsley, fresh chives, fresh lemon grass, etc. They had an herb there called Rue which was supposed to keep flies and moths away so I bought some and placed them in our cupboards and pantry where we have any sort of food items. Another one of my favorite vendors is the guy that sells nothing but root vegetables. From various kinds of potatoes, to various kinds of carrots (oh yeah, there's various), to parsnips, to everything else edible that you could pull out from the ground. Oh, and during summer, he also sells different types of melons, some of which are not so easily found in stores. Lastly, there's an oriental lady towards the end of the market who sells all sorts of green leafy vegetables and mushrooms that she cultivates herself. From her, I picked up some baby bok choy, fresh shitaki and oyster mushrooms to cook with. After picking up a few other items from the other vendors, I made my way back home. (Still yet to be continued...)

I had a blast this weekend in preparing our meals for this week. I started off by making beef stock and chicken stock on Saturday morning, followed by rotisseried whole chicken, golden pilaf, and steamed sweet corn kernels for dinner. I don't want to get ahead of myself and spoil everything for you so I'll do the play by play commentary. It would be disappointing for me to just tell you what we had without me explaining the process. It was imperative that I started with making the beef stock because overall it would take the longest to complete. Generally beef stock simmers for 24 to 48 hours while chicken stock only takes 6 to 8 hours. Needless to say, that took out two of my 12,000 BTU burners on my stove, leaving me with two 9,500 BTU & the big mama 18,000 BTU burners. I started the beef stock by coating a large beef rib with olive oil and placing it on a baking sheet to roast of my convection oven at 350 degrees Farenheit for about 20 - 25 minutes. You can also do this on the stove by browing the meat in a saute pan, although the oven will give you a more consistently even browing. If you are trying this out, I will have to warn you that this will be the time when people will start to come to the kitchen to see what you are cooking. While the rib was browning, I started preparing my mirepoix which is a fancy term for cut up onions, carrots, and celery. This is the part of the flavor base of many soups, stocks and broths. What's that? Aren't they all the same things?! Why, no - my young padawan... soups are the finished products that is made of stocks or broths, and other ingredients. They are seasoned and ready-to-eat. Stocks and broths however are generally not seasoned (not salted), although most of the ones that you purchase from the store are pre-seasoned. The problem with using them is that you limit the control that you have in the amount of salt added to the final dish especially if you are using them in some sort of reduction sauce. Since the moisture in a reduction sauce gets evaporated, the concentration of the seasonings get intensified. For sauces, it is always best to do your final seasoning towards the end. Oh yeah, stocks and broths - they are almost similar in the cooking process except that stocks are made with bones and cartilage while broths are made with meats. The difference is the end consistency where you would see a more gelatenous liquid for cold stocks while cold broths will remain watery liquids. How's my rib doing?... Okay, just about there. Anyway, as I said, I prepared my mirepoix (one large onion quartered, one medium carrot cut into 1 inch slices, one rib of celery cut into 1 inch slices). I also prepared my herbs (1 sprig of parsley, 1 sprig of thyme, 1 bay leaf, 1 clove of garlic, and 7 peppercorns). Lastly, I prepared my tomato paste and deglazing liquid (2 ounces of sherry). Once the rib was browned (not burnt), I placed it in a 4 quart stock pot filled with cold water (very important that stocks are started with cold water) about 3/4 of the way full. I then placed my mirepoix in the same sheet pan that I roasted the meat and placed it in the oven to roast for about 5 minutes. I swirled the vegetables around the pan to dislodge as much of the brown bits (called fond) from the roasting of the meat. I then added one tablespoon of tomato paste to the vegetables and mixed it to get fully incorporated, then placed the pan back into the oven until the paste is brick red in color (again, not burnt). I deglace the pan with the sherry and scaped everything into the stock pot. Then I add enough cold water to reach about 1 inch from the rim of pot. I added the herbs, garlic, and pepper corns into the pot and turned the fire on medium to high heat. By the way, the herbs, garlic, and pepper corns can be placed inside a cheesecloth tied with a twine (called bouquet garni - see my article from June 18 regarding this). I just threw mine in directly into the pot since I'm going to end up straining the whole thing anyway and discarding the solids. Once the water started that rolling boil, I turned down the heat to simmer and this is where the magic really starts. After about a couple of minutes of simmering, white bubbly islands started to develop at the top of the stock called impurities which I proceeded to skim off. I had to do this several times since over the course of simmering, more impurities would surface. Those darn impurites! Well, the rest was all down hill since all I had to do is make sure that the stock didn't boil (just simmer), and that I refilled the pot with more water to an inch from the rim of the pot. While the beef stock was simmering, I made my chicken stock with the back of a chicken that I had in the freezer just for this occasion. Oh, and I also had a chicken neck with it. For the chicken stock, I intended it to be a white stock so I ommitted the roasting process including the tomato paste and the deglazing liquid. I just threw (actually gently placed) the bones, mirepoix and herbs in another 4 quart stock pot and filled it with cold water just to an inch from the rim of the pot. The rest of the cooking process was similar to the beef stock. Why go through all this hassle just to make stock? Well, for me it keeps me in practice and I know exactly what goes into my stock. It's also very economical and cost effective for me to make it myself since the price of beef stock at the store averages about $3.00 per 32 ounces while my cost is around $2.00 per 128 ounces. My cost for chicken stock is somewhere around $1.50 per 128 ounces. I have about 32 ounces in the refrigerator handy while I freeze the rest in smaller containers for when I need them. So now that I had my stock going, I started dinner by injecting a whole chicken with my flavor enhancer. My flavor enhancer was liquid based made from a mixture of quarter cup lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of kosher salt, 1 teaspoon of ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, and a half cup of cold water. Normally, I would truss the chicken before I inject the meat with this concoction but the one I purchased from Fresh and Easy was already tied up. I like it when grocery stores make it easy for me like this. After injecting the chicken with flavor, I placed it in the rotisserie spit, sprayed the chicken with oil and rubbed it with salt, pepper, and fresh thyme. I positioned the spit in its holder of my Ronco Rotisserie, set it for 45 minutes for a 3 pound bird, and forget it. Got the protein taken care of and on to the starch and fiber of the meal. For the accompaniment, I decided to make it simple as well but not ordinary (like rice or pasta). I decided to make use of the grains that I had purchased from Whole Foods called Golden Pilaf which was comprised of quinoi, millet, green lentils, and yellow split peas. How did I know how to make this dish?! Well the name of the product basically told me - Pilaf. While some would think that Pilaf is a type of grain or ingredients that comprise the dish, they would be wrong. Pilaf is a cooking process that I will describe for you now by telling you of how I prepared the accompanying dish for the chicken. I first started by dicing an eighth of an onion into small dice (about a quarter inch square - although you don't need to be exact, you can chop it up to little bits for all I care). In a small pot, I heated up about a tablespoon of olive oil and sweated the onions (don't burn...), then I added the grains (about a cup) to coat with the oil. I then deglazed the pot with about an ounce of sherry (you can also use any type of white wine that you like - although I'd stay away from sweet wines like Reislings or dessert wines; especially dessert wines!) After which, I dipped into some of that great chicken stock that I just made (about 1 and a half cups worth - that's okay I've got plenty!) and added my seasonings (pinches of Kosher salt and pepper). I stirred it and let it continued cooking until it started to boil. I then reduced the heat to simmer, covered the pot and let it continue to simmer for about 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, I turned off the heat (no peeking!). Hey, get your hands away from the lid! Keep it covered for at least 10 minutes before opening the lid. While I was waiting, I took out the frozen white corn that I had reserved in the freezer just for these types of occassions and place the corn kernels in a small bowl. I added about 2 teaspoons of water, a pinch of salt and a pinch of black pepper, and placed it into the microwave oven... Whah?????! Yes, that's right... I said a microwave oven - don't worry, I know what I'm doing! After all, I am a trained professional! I set the microwave oven for three minutes and pressed start just after I heard the Ronco Rotisserie binged. I let the chicken sit in the Ronco for another five minutes to settle the internal juices while I plated the grains and corn. I took out the chicken and cut the thigh and drumstick combo for my wife and I (one for each), and that's what we had for dinner Saturday night. Getting back to the stocks - Once the chicken stock had simmered for six hours, I turned off the heat and strained it onto a clean plastic bucket. I positioned the bucket in the sink filled with ice water (I plugged the sink of course) while I strained the stock. With stock, it is important that it is cooled right away so that it can properly be refrigerated. Once cooled, I covered the bucket with it's airtight lid and placed it in the refrigerator. This week I will divide it into smaller containers for freezing. ... And that was only Saturday (to be continued....)

Hi everyone. It's been a while since I've posted something new so I thought I better get back to this blog. Recently I've been concentrating on a few various projects, one of which is a series of how to videos on cooking. This segment is a sample of a video that we recorded at the Bolivar Park Community Center in Lakewood. It originated from a project that I put together, along with the assistance of some of my close friends. This is a rough edit and a pilot segment so please do give me your thoughts on this. Thanks everyone, and enjoy.

"Three basic requirements of every human being to physically survive are food, clothing, and shelter..." my mom told my sisters and I when we were kids. Now that I'm at the ripe age of twenty five... alright, forty - - - eight - - - and a half, that lesson is still with me. "If you want to keep working," she continued, "you would be better off in the restaurant business because everybody will always need to eat." Aside from not accounting for FoodTV network, economic downturns and the influx of competitive chefs out there, she wasn't half wrong... Well, I'm not writing this post to talk about my mom (for you see, mom is an honorable woman...), nor is this blog about me. It is about the awakening and the realization that my mom was giving us a lesson in basic human survival. I also don't think that it's coincidental that she described the basic needs in that order - food, clothing, shelter. In order for any living creature to survive, they need to eat. In order for us to be healthy, we need to consume 2100 Kilocalories per day (on an average). Unfortunately there are people around the world who get less than that per week and even more unfortunate ones who get less than that per month. Our bodies need calories because it converts it to energy. Without energy, our body slows down our physical and mental capacities, and if our bodies lack enough energy, we become immune tolerant to diseases even to the point of death. Sadly, the number of people in this situation is in the 963 million count, and the number continues to go up. Since 1990, the numbers are growing at an alarming rate of four million per year. Malnutrition occurs when the body constantly does not get the daily requirements of micronutrients, vitamins, and minerals. It is the largest contributor of diseases, and when children suffer from malnutrition, they are susceptible to reduced physical and mental development. Malnutrition is a delibitating condition because it depletes the person of the will to live and is associated to 5.8 million deaths (according to The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2004 July). The world has an abundance of food and yet one in seven people is suffering from hunger, and one in three children is undernourished. So, what can we do? Well, the best way to find out is to check out the World Food Program website at http://www.wfp.org/hunger to learn more, and then get involved. As for me, I am developing a three phase project starting with raising awareness. This will be my first step and contribution in making an impact for the cause to end world hunger. There is enough food to feed the entire global population of 6.7 billion people. There's no reason why anyone should go hungry.

The word Mechado is a Spanish term that refers to the pork back-fat, or mecha (wick), that was threaded through the thick pieces of cheaper and leaner cuts of beef (traditionally beef brisket) to make them more tender and moist during the cooking process. The meat is then marinated in soy sauce and vinegar or calamnsi (Filipino lime) juice, crushed garlic, black pepper and bay leaf. We're using the meat of the short ribs from a cost value standpoint, and even though the larding process seem unnecessary with this cut of meat the bacon provides another dimension of flavor to the beef. Many cooks also have skipped the browning process which is critical to the success of this dish. Browning the meat helps develop that rich meaty flavor and gives the meat the appearance of a classic dish. The meat is then braised, which is a long slow cooking process over low heat, to tenderize the meat and thicken the sauce. Traditionally, this dish would be served with white steamed rice. Here we are substituting the rice with fried polenta so as not to take away from the flavor of the mechado. For the polenta: 12 ounces chicken stock 4 ounces cornmeal salt and pepper, to taste 1 ounce olive oil For the mechado: 3 pounds beef short ribs 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 5 tablespoons soy sauce 2 strips bacon 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 ounces dry sherry 8 ounces tomato sauce 2 cups water 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 bay leaves, whole 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 4 large onions, quartered 2 large carrots, obliqued 4 large red potatoes, diced large 2 teaspoons pimiento, chopped salt and pepper, to taste fresh parsley, optional In a large bowl, mix lemon juice and soy sauce together to make a marinade. Marinade the beef and place in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. While the beef is marinading, prepare the polenta by brining the milk to a simmer over medium-low heat. Once the milk comes to a simmer, rain in the polenta while whisking to incorporate evenly with the milk. Continue whisking while seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Cover, reduce the heat to low and continue cooking the polenta until the liquid has evaporated - constantly stirring so as not to burn the polenta at the bottom of the pot. Line an 8" x 8" square pan with parchment paper and pour the polenta mixture in the square pan. Spread evenly and let cool on the counter. Once cooled, place the pan in the refrigerator to continue firming the polenta. Prepare and cut the vegetables and set aside. Cut the bacon in long strips (enough for each short rib). Remove the beef short ribs from the refrigerator, cut a slit in each lengthwise and insert a strip of bacon (don't throw out the marinade). Once all of the short ribs have been prepared, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot and brown the meat a few at a time (do not overcrowd the bottom of the pot - this will cause the meat to sweat instead of brown). As each batch of meat comes out of the pot, cut them into smaller portions (approximately 1 inch square). After all of the meat is browned and cut, deglaze the pot with dry sherry and place all of the meat back into the pot. Add the marinade, tomato sauce, water, garlic and bay leaves. Cover the pot and cook over medium heat for 45 minutes or until meat is just about tender. In a small microwave safe bowl, melt the butter. When the butter has melted, whisk in the flour to form the thickening agent and add this thickener to the sauce. At this time, also add in the onions, carrots, potatoes and pimiento. Cover and continue cooking over medium-low heat for about 30 minutes or until the vegetables are fork tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste. In a small saute pan, heat olive oil. Remove the polenta cake from the pan and cut into triangles or desired shapes. Pan fry the polenta cakes until crisp and golden color. Serve mechado in a bowl with the polenta cakes and sprinkle with chopped parsley. Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 1209 Calories; 97g Fat (73.2% calories from fat); 39g Protein; 41g Carbohydrate; 5g Dietary Fiber; 185mg Cholesterol; 1748mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1-1/2 Grain(Starch); 5 Lean Meat; 2-1/2 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 14 Fat. Copyright: April 2008

Okay, time to post some recipes. The first recipe I'm posting here in my kitchen is one that is derived from a filipino dish called Kare Kare, which is an oxtail stew with peanut sauce. With the increasing number of people allergic to nuts, I thought it would be best to separate the nuts from the dish and people can add it as they please. I've incorporated this dish with the techniques for preparing Osso buco (an Italian dish, loosely translated, 'hollow bone'). Osso buco is typically served with gremolada which is a garnish made with minced parsley, lemon zest, and garlic. I have decided to use a basil and roasted peanut pesto for the garnish of this dish to add back at least a hint of the peanut flavor. Try it out and let me know how you like it... For the oxtail stew: 3/4 cup flour 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper 4 pounds oxtails 1/4 cup olive oil 1/4 cup unsalted butter 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, chopped 1/2 cup onion, diced 1 clove garlic, minced 1/2 cup carrot, diced 3/4 cup white wine 1 cup chicken broth 1 cup tomato sauce 8 ounces string beans, cut into 3" lengths 2 cups eggplant, cut into large cubes 4 ounces baby bok choy 1. Heat oven to 300-°. In a small bowl - mix flour, salt, and pepper. Pat oxtails dry on absorbent paper towels, dredge in flour mixture and shake well to remove excess. 2. Heat oil and butter in a large pot until fragrant. Brown oxtail on all sides, a few pieces at a time. 3. When all the meat is bronwed, arrange them back in the large pot for even cooking. Add the herbs, onion, garlic, carrots and a couple of pinches of Kosher salt. Cover and cook over a very high heat for 10 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally to prevent sticking. 4. Add wine, broth, and tomato sauce and place in the oven, covered for 1 hour. After 1 hour, remove from the oven and add the remaining vegetables, cover and place back in the oven for another 1/2 hour or until oxtail is tender but not falling off of the bone. Add salt and pepper to taste. For the pesto: 2 cups fresh basil leaves 1 clove garlic 1/4 cup roasted unsalted peanuts 1/4 cup fresh parmesan cheese, grated 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 1 tablespoon grated lemon rind 1 pinch kosher salt 1 pinch fresh ground pepper 1/4 cup Extra virgin olive oil 1. Coursely chop all ingredients and mix together with the olive oil, or place all of the pesto ingredients in a food processor and pulse about three to four times. 2. After plating the stew, top with pesto to finish the dish. Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 267 Calories; 20g Fat (68.3% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 17g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 16mg Cholesterol; 656mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 1 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 4 Fat. Serve with Parmesan Risotto. Copyright: April 2008

I've often been asked about the differences between an herb, a spice and seasoning. The answer is in two parts.

1. The first part of the answer addresses the difference between an herb and a spice. An herb is the leaf or petal of a plant or flower that is either dried or used fresh. There are a variety of herbs, such as St. Johns Wort, which are used for medicinal purposes, and herbacious plants used for decorating a room. However, for our purposes here, we will concentrate on the culinary herbs like basil, oregano, thyme, etc. Spices, on the other hand, are various parts of the plant, other than the leaf or petal, that are typically dried. Some examples of spices include cinnamon (the dried bark of small evergreen trees), peppercorns (the fruit of the flowering vine of a pepper plant in the botanical family Piperaceae), and saffron (the dried stigma of the crocous flower; also known to be the most expensive spice in the world due to the way it is harvested).
2. The second part of the answer addresses the ingredient's relationship to the flavor. Herbs and spices add flavor to the dish, where as seasonings bring out or enhances the flavor of the dish. A good example of seasoning is salt. Yes salt adds salty taste to the dish but its main characteristic is that it brings out the flavor of the food that it is added to.

Is this really important? Probably not. What is important is knowing what each herb, spice, and seasoning does to the flavor of the food. There are herbs that usually go well with certain types of meats, and there are spices that are inherent of each cuisine. For example, thyme goes well with poultry, and just about any other meat product it is added to, whereas if you were cooking an Asian dish, chances are that you probably will not use rosemary. Tumeric is typically found in Indian dishes as part of a curry mix, whereas violets are typically found in French provencial cooking. Of course, these are only rules and rules are made to be broken. Overall, the best indicator of which herb, spice, or seasoning goes well for each dish is your taste.