Some artists were moved to write a song, others were motivated to write a poem.  I’m a chef so I decided to create a recipe.  Do you have confidence in me?  I can’t hear you?

Yes we can!

Since Thanksgiving is right around the corner I decided to come up with a pie recipe.  It had to be different, and  it had to represent the diversity of Obama’s upbringing.  Quite a challenge but I think it could be done, what do you think?

Yes we can!

No self respecting african american would leave sweet potato pie off the thanksgiving dessert table, so I decided to start with that.  I decided to use allspice to represent all of the people coming together for a common cause (o.k. that’s a stretch).  I also decided to use light brown sugar to resemble our president-elect’s light brown skin (o.k. this is getting bad).  Do you have faith I can still salvage this pie?

Yes we can!

So, that wasn’t enough, I needed something to represent change.  I have done a pumpkin pie in the past, and used a pecan pie topping.  What if we substituted macadamia nuts for the pecans, and added some pineapple to pay tribute to his time in Hawaii and his late grandmother?  Not any old pie crust, but a true Chicago style deep dish!  And even a splash of rum (optional) for the sulking republicans- a true bipartisan pie!  I think this might work, are you with me?

Yes we can!

This pie can unify the country.  Just think how thoughtful it would be of conservative Joe to bring the Obama pie to his Liberal In-laws.  Or even better this could be the most outrageous and dysfunctional Thanksgiving ever if you bring the Obama Pie to your right wing In-laws!  I think this just might be the best Thanksgiving ever, screw the financial meltdown for a day.  So tell me, do you think your going to change the world this Thanksgiving?

Yes we can!

Obama Thanksgiving Pie

1 deep dish pie crust

3 eggs divided

1 cup sweet potato puree

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon gr. cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon allspice

2/3 cup karo light syrup

2/3 cup sugar

2 Tablespoons melted butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup macadamia nuts

1/4 cup pineapple tidbits, drained

Preheat oven to 350. *If using a frozen pie crust, do not thaw; preheat a baking sheet in the oven and place the pie on the cookie sheet to bake.

In small bowl, combine one egg, sweet potato puree, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice. Spread in pie crust.

In medium bowl, beat remaining two eggs, slightly. Stir in corn syrup and 2/3 cup sugar, the butter, rum (optional), and vanilla; stir until well blended. Stir in macadamia nuts and pineapple. Carefully spoon over pumpkin mixture.

Bake 50 to 60 minutes or until filling is set around edge. Cool pie completely on wire rack.

Here is my attempt to do a step by step recipe with pictures. I created this dish for a private client today. Its tasty, healthy, and different. The raisins and almonds add a healthy sweetness and crunch. The photography really sucks because I was working and had quite a few other things going on at the same time.

Chicken Curry in a Hurry

Serves 4

4 Chicken Breast halves- boneless, skinless

1 medium onion, sliced

1/4 cup golden raisins

1/3 cup sliced almonds

1 Tbsp. canola or olive oil

1 Tbsp. currry powder

1/2 cup chicken broth (or 1/4 cup water and a chicken bouillon cube)

1/4 cup sour cream (I use low fat)

1. Season chicken with salt and pepper (optional) and put in a saute pan over medium heat with the oil, onions, raisins, and almonds.

2. Saute the chicken until it starts to brown and add the curry powder. Saute for a few more minutes.

3. Add the chicken stock, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

4. Take off the heat and add the sour cream.

5. Enjoy. I serve with steamed brown rice.

Woke up at 7:30 and made my usual double latte. Jenna had breakfast ready for the crew. I wrote the lunch menu as I drank my coffee (picture included), and checked my email. I finished baking the health bread that Jenna started, and began on some smoked salmon blini’s for their arrival. They arrived early, we went out to greet the guests, then back to the galley to get ready for lunch. Jenna cooked crew lunch, and the guest had their lunch under way to St. Tropez. We pulled in to the dock and the guests walked around town. I took a break before dinner. Jenna had crew dinner ready, and helped with appetizers, bruschetta and crudite with pesto dip. For dinner they had a choice of the mussels that I posted a few months back (just search for mussels) or mixed greens with spiced pecans, brie cheese (Jenna torched the top with a blow torch), apples, and balsamic vinaigrette. Entree choices were Sauteed Turbot with shitake mushroom, tomato, and leek broth, or Herb crusted Lamb Chops with Provencal sauce. Both came with rosemary roasted potatoes, and baby vegetables. Dessert was a choice of Chocolate Cloud cake or berries and whipped cream. That pushed us up to 11:30 and in a hurry to get to bed to get ready for day 2! Chocolate cloud cake is very good, and very easy. It is a favorite of our Claire, our chief stewardess, and pretty much anyone who likes chocolate. It is a flourless chocolate cake.

Chocolate Cloud Cake

Serves 8-12

Cake:

8 ounces good quality semisweet

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, cut in pieces

6 large eggs- 2 whole, 4 seperated

1 cup sugar

Whipped Cream Topping:

1 1/2 cups heavy cream, chilled

3 Tbsp. powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Cake:

preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom of an 8 inch springform pan with wax paper. Melt the chocolate and butter in a bowl set over hot water. In a bowl, whisk the 2 whole eggs, and 4 yolks with 1/2 cup of the sugar. Whisk in the chocolate mixture. Beat the egg whites in an electric mixer until foamy, than add sugar and whisk to stiff peaks. Fold in to chocolate mixture, and pour in to springform pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes until puffed, and cracked (don’t over bake) Let cool (the center will fall), whip the cream with sugar, and vanilla to stiff peaks, and fill the center. Top with shaved chocolate if you wish (i do).

We have not had satellite t.v. for most of the season, but the football gods must have been looking out because it was fixed Sunday morning. The boys surely had bed sores, as they made it a sports day. Everything from ultimate wrestling, rugby, sports bloopers, classic tennis matches, European golf, and many, many others. They even bought a bottle of Dom Perignon Rose for us to celebrate the event. It was fun to watch some good ol’ American football. There was a proper British analyst that they would go to during the commercials, it was just too funny, you felt like getting him a cup of tea or something. I was the food service director for a community hospital in California many years ago. We would have a dietitian (Carolyn) come from San Diego every couple of weeks to review the charts and consult with patients. She became my proctor as I had to take courses to become certified by the state, so I could write in patients charts, and write their menu’s. We also became very good friends, she would bring me different microbrews when she came to visit. We stayed in touch over the years, and it turned out my first yachting job was in San Diego, she took me to the zoo, and all of that, and I was able to cook her and her husband, and their friends, a real nice dinner to thank her for all that she has done. Turns out her dad was a legendary boat builder, and her husband is very respected yacht designer. She is going to be at the Monaco boat show next week, right when we start charter. We have been doing this for years over here, I have yet to see her. There could be a half day window when we drop our guests off, I sure hope it works out, especially since I am starting my new website, and she taught me so much of what I know about special diets. I have been doing some serious home cooking for the crew since I have returned from vacation. I just roasted off a chicken for part of dinner tonight, the French chickens have so much more flavor. Ask chef’s what they like to eat for dinner when not working, and this comes up quite a bit. I guess because it’s comfort food, real simple, and when done correctly, sooo good! You will also get a different recipe or method if you ask. This one’s simple, not turning the bird three times, sitting it on a beer can, trussing it, or placing it on a special rack. The pictures are of my walk in to old town this afternoon.

Roasted Chicken with Lemon and Rosemary

serves 4-6

1 large roasting chicken (6lbs. or so)

salt and pepper

2 lemons, cut in half

1 small bunch rosemary

Rinse chicken, and pat dry, season with salt and pepper, and stuff the cavity with lemons and rosemary. Roast in a roasting pan at 425 degrees for 1 1/2 hours or until thickest part of breast registers 170 degrees. If it starts smoking, add 1/4 cup water to the pan. Skim the fat out of the pan and tilt the chicken to let the juices out of it’s cavity. Remove the chicken from the pan and let rest 10 minutes before carving. Scrape the brown bits with the pan juices, and strain, serve with the chicken.

We’re on the tip of the heel of the boot of Italy, which really means that I don’t have a clue. It’s been a weird last couple of days since we left Croatia, lots of traveling, and lots more to come, as we leave for Sicily at 3 a.m. I am posting a recipe for Banana Cake mainly because I only have one copy, and I have almost lost it countless times. It was given to Corli from another yacht chef, and she received it from someone else, so it has taken on the name ‘The Traveling Banana Cake’. It is a great way to use old bananas, and always gets a request for the recipe. The picture is of Croatia.

Traveling Banana Cake

One Cake

4 oz. butter

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 cup flour

1 egg

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

2 mashed banans, very ripe

6 Tbsp. milk

Cream the butter and sugar in a mixer and add banana’s. Add egg, and then dry ingredients, then the milk. Pour batter in a buttered 9 inch pan and bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Cool on a rack, and frost with this icing:

3 packages cream cheese, softened

1 vanilla bean, scraped

1 cup powder sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Mix together in a mixer.

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Just when I thought we were done with Turkey, we headed back to Bodrum the other day, and now we are in Mykonos. We are working our way up to Corfu (our last stop in Greece), then Croatia. Half of our guest are going out for dinner, and the other half want Nicoise Salad (and Jenna’s doing most of that, so I have a rare break to actually post). A Nicoise Salad with Seared Tuna is my idea of a great dinner! I would post a recipe for it, but I doubt many of you are going to make the homemade vinaigrette, boil the eggs, and Potatoes, blanch the green beans etc. The French vinaigrette really is good, maybe I will post that at some point. I have cooked for many celebrities, but we have a heart surgeon and bestselling diet book author on the boat for the week (that’s a first), so it’s fun for me, since I too will soon be helping people live healthy lives. I will be posting enough healthy recipes here, so I better get some of the sinful treats out of the way while I can. Like I said before, it’s all about moderation. I’m not a big chocolate chip cookie fan, but these are addicting! The key is to chop the best bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate you can find in to big chunks, don’t use the chips! I promise it’s worth it.

Bittersweet Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Serves a bunch
1 stick butter
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 eggs, room temp.
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
1 1/4 lb. chopped chocolate
Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Cream butter with sugar with a paddle until fluffy, add vanilla, and eggs, one at a time. Mix in the dry ingredients until just combined. Fold in the chocolate and pecans. Drop big tablespoons of dough on to a greased cookie sheet, and bake for 15 minutes.

I had a great lunch at a seafood restaurant that was right up my alley. No tourists, just locals, a bunch of cats, great food, and good wine! The photo’s are of the restaurant and one of the cats (a blatant attempt to make Celeste smile). Here’s a great recipe for grilled Salmon.

Grilled Salmon

Serves 4

4 salmon fillets

1/4 cup diced red onion

1 Tbsp. minced garlic

1 cup white wine

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 Tbsp. Olive Oil

Season the Salmon with salt and pepper and rub with a little oil, grill over medium heat until cooked through. Bring the remaining ingredients to a boil and reduce until thickened. Brush sauce over the cooked Salmon.

The hardest part of being over here is not being able to be close to friends or family if needed. Celeste’s dad, Clarence, was not in good health (very similar to my dad), but still it is a shock when these things happen. His passing is in large part to lifestyle choices, particularly dietary. He enjoyed fast food too much, and Celeste does not have too many memories of healthy food around the dinner table. He really was a true southern gentlemen, the last time I saw him, Celeste had just opened her practice and she was giving us a demonstration of how she did the barefoot therapy. I have never seen him so proud, he was so excited to get his free massage! He saw my excitement in being in the south and wanting authentic cuisine, and brought me to a gas station that served up some great bbq, and even took me to another state for the sake of good food, he lived by his principles and will be missed by many people. As far as things over here, the picture is of Symi, Greece where we were this afternoon, we then dropped off a guest in Bodrum and are currently heading to Mykonos. This recipe is another one from Corli. It is my ideal breakfast, toasted with honey. If you get nothing else from this blog of mine, enjoy this recipe. This is the easiest bread recipe you will ever make (might even be fun for the kids to make it). It makes three loaves, but this is that perfect present to give someone wrapped nice, and it freezes beautifully. I took the picture of the bread just the way I like it, when Jenna would have waiting for me when I got up (I wonder why she doesn’t do that anymore?)

Corli’s Health Bread

The recipe calls for a kg. of flour, which is 2.2 lb. sorry, I have not figured this out in cups. I know, some of the best recipes I post make you work for it, I do promise it’s worth it though.

Three loaves

1 kg. (2.2 lb.) whole wheat flour

2 Tbsp. salt

3 cups sunflower seeds

2 cups pumpkin seeds

2 cups raisins

3/4 cup white sesame seeds

3/4 cup black sesame seeds

1 cup flax seeds

2 cups chopped pecans

2 packets yeast

Mix all of the above together in a large bowl

3 oz. honey

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar

6 cups water

Combine all ingredients above with the water and mix with the dry ingredients. Scoop in to three bread tins sprayed with nonstick spray. Let the bread rest in a warm place, covered for an hour or so. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

Let me just say that Jenna is a great chef (she trained in Italy) and I was giving her crap with that photo. I think she gave the link to this site to her parents, so I need to clear that up. We are in Kas (funny squiggle thing on, under, around the s?) I am sure I will tell you we were actually somewhere else when I post tomorrow. Looks like we are heading to Rhodes, so it turns out we are mixing some of Greece in to this trip. The guests have pretty much had all of their meals on the boat, I would like to say it’s the great cooking, but the truth is that it is was 107 degrees here yesterday (and that’s not a dry heat!), so it makes the usual outdoor restaurant experience a little less appetizing. I should have the free diet out in a few days. In the meanwhile here is a recipe for coleslaw. We have a guest from Arkansas, so I did a “Southern” theme for dinner last night.

Coleslaw

Serves a bunch

1 bag shredded cabbage

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup sweet chili sauce

1/4 cup white vinegar

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp. celery salt

Mix together and refrigerate for an hour or so.

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We arrived in Gocek yesterday and it is the most stunning of the places we have visited. I am amazed at how lush some of the areas have been. I woke up one morning and thought I was back in the Pacific Northwest. I am trying to get up early so I can post regularly, we will see how it goes. I made this dip as part of our appetizers the other day, simple and delicious.

Artichoke Dip

Serves a bunch

1 package cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup chopped artichoke hearts

1/2 tsp. chopped garlic

1/2 cup shredded parmesan

1/2 cup mayonnaise

Mix together and serve with fresh vegetables and crackers.  This can also be heated in the microwave for a few minutes for a hot dip.

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We had a great trip down and the Captain even gave us the weekend off (I told you it’s the sweet spot). We are in Kusadasi, Turkey and will be here for the rest of the week. I rented a scooter, which I haven’t done in years and am buzzing around town. The boat arranged for us to go on a tour of Ephesus today and it was fantastic! It is the best preserved ancient city in the Mediterranean. I am watching the dvd Rome right now, so I really got in to it. I love these historical type of tours, thanks for the great tour Beste! We had a real nice lunch with lots of mezze at an outdoor restaurant and I bought a Turkish Rug (I’m beat from haggling the price down). I really wanted to fly up to Istanbul, but not enough time, maybe next time? I am going to take advantage of our day off tomorrow as well, eat lots, shop lots, and sleep lots. Here is the recipe for the apple dessert that I did for our last guests. I did not get feedback if it was enjoyed, but the crew tore up the leftovers in record time. It really begs to have a big scoop of Vanilla Ice cream on top. I finally got a picture of Debi and Put it up on the June 18th post next to the “Italian Chicks”. Thanks Debi, I love it!

Apple Dessert

Serves 6

5 apples, (cored, peeled, and chopped)

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

3 Tbsp. flour

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

pinch salt

4 Tbsp. butter, cubed

Topping

1/2 cup flour

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

5 Tbsp. butter

Mix apples with ingredients and top with butter. Place in 8 inch baking dish. Make topping and place on top of apples. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Serve warm.

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So what does one do on their birthday on charter? Well, it’s just another day, Our charter guests still expect to eat. They did have dinner off the boat though, so I was able to chill a bit. We are in Lipari and the boys ran me in to town in the tender. From what I could gather it was more of a vacation spot for Italians, not an English speaking tourist in sight (just how I like it). I bought myself a birthday present in town. This shop had recovered tiles from a 1930′s era local hotel. I bought one to put next to my tile from Portofino, and of course a magnet. The crew surprised me with a hard drive and gave me a real nice card everyone signed. Not a bad birthday at all. We are about to lose our connection, so I will post a recipe tomorrow.

I woke up and we are in Siracusa, another long run while we were sleeping, and calm! The landscape is changing, I will post a picture later. This is our final destination, so we will be here for a few days. I think this is where they filmed part of the Godfather? It’s my story and I’m sticking to it. In that spirit, here’s a recipe for braised horse head (just kidding). Instead, how about the birthday cake I requested from Jenna in my honor. Your going to have to work for this one again. What can I say, South Africans have a different metric system, again it is well worth the effort, Corli used to make one similar to this.

Sticky Toffee Pudding

serves 8

75g. butter

150g. sugar

2 eggs, well beaten

175g. self-raising flour

175 g. dates, chopped

175 ml boiling water

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 tsp. instant coffee or espresso powder

3/4 tsp. baking soda

175 g. brown sugar

110 g. butter

6 Tbsp. heavy cream

25 g. pecans, chopped

Place dates, water, vanilla, coffee, and baking soda in bowl. Cream butter and sugar until pale and light, gradually add egg. Fold in flour, then date mixture. Pour in a greased 13×9 dish and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until it is cooked through and toothpick or knife comes out clean when inserted in the middle. Add the remaining ingredients together in a sauce pan, melt together, and pour over the cake.

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I tried to post yesterday but the stars weren’t aligned, neither was our internet satellite connection. We have been doing a lot of cruising. We made it down to Positano today, one of my favorite cities. It is probably one of the most stunning from the yachts view. When I left the boat a few years ago in Naples, I drove down with a few crew members along the Amalfi coast and spent a day here. I have a painting of this city over my dining room table at home. We served Corli’s cheesecake for dessert last night and it was their favorite dessert of the trip (thanks Corli) I will give you a hint to her recipe: when she say’s digestive, she means digestive biscuits. We served good ol’ caesar salad for a starter. We make a basket out of parmesan cheese and fill it with whole leaves of Romaine. Choice of Halibut with Puttanesca sauce or Osso Buco, both with Polenta and braised vegetables. If my brother could have me cook one dinner for him, it would be Osso Buco, it is pretty darn good. Oh yeah, before I give you this recipe, I guess you have figured out we have a new look to the site. Thanks Erica!! I can not wait to see what my new website, mydietchef.com is going to ultimately look like (she is also designing that). I love working with talented people. If you need some graphic design stuff done just drop me a line and I will put you in line (behind Celeste) with her info. I am hoping to post a better picture tomorrow.

Osso Buco

Serves 4

4 Veal Shanks

1/4 cup vegetable oil

flour

salt and pepper

1 small onion, chopped

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

2 cups white wine

2 cups chicken broth

1 tomato chopped

a few sprigs of thyme (optional)

season the veal shanks with salt and pepper and dredge in flour. Saute in oil over medium heat until nicely browned on both sides. Place shanks in a 13×9 pan or brazier. Saute vegetables in the same oil you used for shanks until soft and add to shanks. Add wine and chicken broth until it reaches about 2/3 up the side of the shanks. Add tomato and thyme and cover with foil or lid. Cook in a 300 degree oven for 4 hours or until it is really falling off the bone. You can make this a day ahead, skim fat off and reheat.

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My last two sous chef’s on this boat have been South African, I am not sure if there is any sort of meaning there? I had emailed my first sous chef, Corli while I was in Charlotte and just heard back from her the other day. She has since had a baby and just found out she is expecting another. She had some amazing recipes that I stupidly did not copy before I left the boat. I could not imagine doing a charter season without her cheesecake recipe, and she sent it to me in her email. She had quite a few other knockout recipes I will also share as the season moves along. We are still in Portofino and the waves are rockin’! I served a warm brownie with homemade vanilla bean ice cream and chocolate fudge sauce for lunch dessert today. They liked it so much they requested it again for dinner. It’s funny what people really get in to, it was really nothing more than a gussied up version of the “chocolate thunder from down under” (extra points if you know what that is). I might post the recipe at some point. Here is Corli’s famous Cheesecake, just how she sent it to me. I am going to make you work for this great recipe. You must also add some sugar to the crust base. If you are struggling, of course you can email me, and I might help you. Thanks for some amazing food and great memories Corli!

Corli’s Cheesecake

The cheesecake will not be set when you pull from oven. Don’t be scared, just pull it out anyway.
Cheese cake is digestive + melted butter

3x packs 250g philly cheese

1x pack 250g mascapone

500ml cream (last)

2x vanilla pods and vanilla essence

3 eggs

sugar to taste – I think about 2 1/2 cups

lemon juice to taste – about 4 tbls

mix cheeses at room temp. add eggs one by one then some of the sugar and vanilla, last the cream and lemon plus more sugar to taste – cream mixture must be runny – 55min in oven (350 degrees)- must still not be set and set in fridge overnight.

The first day of a charter is always the toughest. It doesn’t matter how many people or what their schedule is, it’s always a long day. We got off to a good start and they seem real happy. I was writing in a post a few days ago how chic Monte Carlo was, well now were in St. Tropez. We are going to head down the Italian coast and Corsica (maybe Sardinia) and ultimately, Sicily. I just found out we might be spending some time in Croatia on our last charter, that would be so cool. Dinner menu tonight: first course- county fair mussels or local greens with roasted figs, Manchego cheese, apples, Pomegranates, balsamic vinaigrette entrees- Lamb Chops with Homemade Mint Sauce or Sauteed French Sea Bass with Roasted Tomato and Olive Buerre Blanc, both came with Roasted Baby Vegetables and Supposed to be Roasted Split Baby Potatoes but they requested Linguine with Parmesan and Olive oil. Flourless Chocolate Cake for dessert. Here the recipe for Count Fair Mussels, which I would enter for a blue ribbon if there was a county fair that had a Mussel category??

County Fair Mussels

Seves 4

4lb. Mussels, cleaned

1 cup white wine

1/2 cup chopped tomatoes

1 Tbsp. chopped garlic

3 green onions sliced

1 bunch basil

1/2 cup parmesan, preferably reggiano

salt and pepper to taste

bread to sop up the sauce, preferably baguette

Steam Mussels in wine, tomato, basil, garlic, and onion in a large pot with a lid until mussels open. Scope mussels out of pot with slotted spoon to a bowl and cover. Add cream to liquid left in pot and cook down on high heat until it starts to thicken. Whisk in Parmesan and salt and pepper to taste. Add mussels back to sauce and mix well. Scoop in Bowls and enjoy.

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When I first started in the yachting industry I spent the winter in a small Mexican Village. Finding a place to check your email was a chore. Even when I left this boat last, we were just getting email available. Oh how times have changed. We have wi-fi on the boat now and everyone has a laptop. It’s funny to see all of the computers open at the same time. We even have a huge printer now that prints newspapers on demand! That’s not to say it is perfect, we are without signal quite a bit, but really is amazing how far technology has come in the last few years and how much of our lives revolve around these changes. We got our provision order today, I wish I would have taken a picture of all the food we just put on this boat. Since our walk in refrigerator and freezer are on the tank deck level, we chain the food all the way down two stories of stairs, quite a production. It took a little over four hours to put away and some of the new crew members were awestruck at the site of all the food. We are ready to start our charter tomorrow, I will probably be posting a bit less but this group has quite a few dining reservations booked, so we will see. I will be cooking these grilled cheese sandwiches all season long as part of our lunch buffet, they are always a hit.

Grilled Cheese Sandwich

All of these cheese come in a reduced fat option.

serves 4

1 loaf french bread, sliced

1/3 cup cream cheese

1/3 cup Boursin Cheese

1/3 cup Parmesan, preferably reggiano

1 tomato, sliced

butter

Mix cheeses together (it’s easier if they are room temperature) and spread evenly on eight pieces of bread. Layer a couple slices of tomato and butter the outside. Pan fry sandwich like a regular grilled cheese, on medium-low until golden brown on both sides.

I got an email this afternoon from a friend and customer of the restaurant that I sold. She has been following along and sent me a recipe. It made me wonder how many people are actually following me on my journey this summer? It doesn’t really matter since I am doing this for myself as much as anything else, but it makes you wonder. I am trying to figure out how you can comment on my posts if you want to. In the meanwhile go ahead and email me at jeff@cheftraveler.com

Erica is working on a new look to this site but we can’t figure out how to make it work, keep your eyes peeled. Mostly an administrative day today, food orders etc., nothing much to report. I watched the movie apocalypto last night, I am fascinated with the meso-american era anyway so I was mesmerized. If your looking for a good summer read you’ve got to check out the novel Aztec by Gary Jennings, one of my favorites. So without further ado I present my first guest chef, Debi Moore’s recipe for zucchini cooked with a Picco de Gallo type of sauce (right up my alley) that would be at home for all of the healthy eaters looking for great tasting food. Thanks Debi. Buen Provecho! p.s. I am waiting on a picture of Debi, in the meanwhile, our home (for the next day or so)

Salsa de Casa Lupita

1 cup half-ripe roma tomatoes diced

1/2 cup sweet onion diced

2 jalapeno peppers finely minced

handful of minced fresh cilantro

juice of two limes

salt to taste

I cut two large fresh zucchinis into 1 inch (roughly) cubes and sautéed in a frying pan with a bit of non-stick spray. When the squash was about halfway done, I threw in about a cup of the salsa and finished cooking. I tossed some freshly grated parmesan cheese over the top and served on a bed of penne. My very picky son ate 2 helpings.

I just had a great lunch with my mom and brother. I had flautas with pico de gallo and washed it down with Horchata, tasted great but not a good combination for the old stomach. I was planning on working out, now I have to stall for time. My roommate has a tea kettle that does not whistle so she made a post-it note with a picture of a tea kettle on it and stuck it next to the door so she wouldn’t leave the house with the burner on. Somehow I got it stuck to the back of me and went to the gym the other day, people were probably wondering what kind of statement I was making or what a dork I was. Just got word that I will be meeting the yacht Saturday morning in Nice, lots to do before I leave. Broke the new restaurant streak a few nights ago (takeout at Providence Sundries), it was a good run! One of my first cooking jobs in High School was at a white table cloth restaurant in an old cabin known for their pan fried chicken. That’s all that I did, pan fry chicken. While I am still here in the south, why not fried chicken.

Fried Chicken

Serves 4

1 Chicken, cut up or buy them pre-cut

1 quart buttermilk

salt & pepper

2 Tbsp. Garlic Powder

2 cups flour

vegetable oil

Let the chicken pieces soak in the buttermilk in the fridge for a few hours or overnight. Take out chicken and place on a plate or platter and season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Dredge in flour and fry in a skillet over medium heat (oil should come half way up the chicken) turning once, until golden brown and cooked through- approx. 25 minutes

Well, the restaurant sold last week. I am very happy for the new owners, I am sure they will do great. You don’t realize how you touch people’s lives and they touched yours until you say goodbye, customers were real sweet and it was sad that I will not be seeing them much anymore. I had some service done on my car today and walked up the street to get my haircut while I was waiting. It was a Mexican hair salon and they spoke no English. I pointed to haircut picture number 14 from the wall and received one of the better haircuts I have gotten in awhile. It was only ten bucks so I gave her a five for tip and her face lit up. I strolled over to the record shop and got a couple used cd’s (pink floyd and otis redding), then had a great taco at a taqueria and hung out at the Indian grocery. That is what I call a great afternoon! Had sushi at Rusans last night and an awesome Indian buffet dinner the other night at Namaste with my family. Here is a recipe for Hummus that has absolutely nothing to do with this post.

Hummus

serves 4

1 small can chickpeas (garbanzo beans)

1 Tbsp. tahini

1 tsp. minced garlic

juice from a lemon

2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

Puree ingredients in food processor and thin with water if needed. Use as a spread and dip.

I flew out of Connecticut a day early because the yacht had to leave because of tropical storm Barry. I tried to drive from Ft. Lauderdale to Charlotte in one day but got burnt out in Savannah and spent the night. Pouring down rain the rest of the drive on Saturday. So good to be home chillin’ with Celeste and the cats. Ate at a cool Mexican restaurant for dinner last night and had a great lunch at k&w cafeteria. It is such a great place to eat on a Sunday after everyone has gotten out of church and wearing their Sunday finest. The line was out the door and it took us half an hour just to get to the buffet line. They don’t have any thing like this in Seattle so I alway get such a kick out of it. I am trying to eat healthy but wound up eating Salmon, Mac&Cheese, Turnip Greens, Fresh Fruit, Sweet Tea, and Coconut Custard Pie. Celeste had to roll me out of the joint. We are eating something light for dinner, I am not cooking much while I am here, and it is our goal to eat somewhere new each meal, should be fun. Here is a recipe for Crab Cakes that always gets rave reviews.

Crab Cakes

Serves a bunch depending on how big you form them

1 can pasteurized crab meat

1/2 loaf soft white sandwich bread (like wonder bread)

4 Tbsp. chopped parsley

1 egg

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

5 dashes Tabasco sauce

2 Tbsp. Dijon Mustard

Tear bread and turn in to fine crumbs using a food processor, mix in 3 Tbsp. of the parsley. Mix crab with remaining ingredients, 1 Tbsp. parsley, and 2/3 cup of the bread crumbs. Form in to patties (large for entrée, small for appetizer) and coat with bread crumbs. Sauté crab cakes over medium heat in vegetable oil (should come 1/2 way up the sides of the crab cakes) until golden brown on both sides, drain on paper towels and serve with tartar sauce or cocktail sauce.

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