Southern Style Fried Chicken

Ingredients:

•2 frying chickens, about 2 1/2 to 3 pounds each, cut into serving pieces.
•2 cups all-purpose flour.
•1 teaspoon salt.
•1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper.
•1 cup milk.
•Vegetable shortening for frying.
•1 tablespoon bacon drippings.


Preparation:

Wash chicken and pat dry.

In a heavy brown paper bag or large food storage bag, combine the flour and salt and pepper; shake to blend well. Pour the milk into a wide shallow bowl.

Heat 2 to 3 inches of shortening in a deep heavy skillet over medium heat, or electric fry pan set at 375° F. Add the bacon grease. When a drop of water spatters when it hits the hot oil, dip some of the chicken pieces into the milk then place in the bag and shake to coat evenly. Arrange the chicken pieces in the fat, making sure not to overcrowd. Fry the chicken until outside is golden brown and crisp, about 15 to 20 minutes, turning once to brown both sides. Reduce heat to 350° F and fry until cooked through golden brown, about 15 minutes longer. Turn once. Drain chicken on brown paper or paper towels, adding a little more shortening and bacon grease if necessary, setting or regulating the temperature as for the first batch.


Transfer the chicken to a large platter for serving.
Serves 8.

Butter milk Corn Bread

Ingredients:

•1 cup cornmeal.
•1/3 cup all-purpose flour.
•1/4 teaspoon baking soda.
•1 teaspoon baking powder.
•1 teaspoon salt.
•1 egg, beaten.
•1 cup buttermilk.


Preparation:

Combine dry ingredients; add beaten egg and buttermilk, mixing well. Pour into greased, heated 8-inch or 9-inch iron skillet. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Buttermilk cornbread serves: 8

The History of Culinary Arts

http://ezinearticles.com/?The-History-of-Culinary-Arts&id=326134

Chicken Adobo.

CHICKEN ADOBO





Ingredients:

1 whole chicken (cut into eighths).
1 whole garlic (chopped).
olive oil or vegetable/corn oil.
1 tsp ground black pepper.
4 whole black pepper cloves.
3 dried bay leaves.
1 cup soy sauce.
1 cup vinegar.
7-up or Sprite (optional).
1 whole lemon (cut into 4) (optional).

Remember to wash your chicken very well. I recommend using the lemon (in the ingredients) to scrub all over the chicken parts and rub some salt into it as well.

Heat oil and add all of the garlic, and cook until garlic is lightly browned. Add chicken and sauté until the chicken is beginning to tenderize.

Add ground black pepper, whole black pepper cloves, soy sauce, and vinegar, and let simmer for 25-35 minutes or until chicken is done.

Make sure to add more vinegar or soy sauce until it suits your taste (should be a bit tangy). When chicken is tender, you may add some 7-up or Sprite if you like a sweeter taste, and let simmer for 5 more minutes.

Serve over rice.

Pork Adobo.

Pork Adobo






Ingredients:

1-1/2 pounds pork, shoulder or butt cut into 1-1/2" cubes.
1/3 cup vinegar.
3 tablespoon soy sauce.
1 teaspoon salt.
1 each onion – sliced.
3 cloves garlic – minced.
1 small bay leaf.
1/4 teaspoon pepper.
1 tablespoon sugar.
1/2 cup water.
2 tablespoon cooking oil.


Instructions:
Combine all ingredients except cooking oil, in a pot and let stand for at least 30 minutes.
Simmer covered for 1 hour or until meat is tender. Drain and reserve sauce.
Heat cooking oil in skillet. Brown meat on all sides. Transfer to a serving dish.
Pour off all remaining oil from skillet. Add reserved sauce and cook for a minute or two scraping all browned bits sticking to pan. Pour sauce over meat and serve.

Curry Chicken

Curry Chicken:

Ingredients:

1 - 3 pound fryer chicken, cut into small pieces.
1 tablespoon ground black pepper.
2 teaspoons salt.
1 teaspoon ground allspice.
3 tablespoons Chief or other West Indian curry powder.
2 large onions, peeled & chopped.
3 scallions, white & green parts, chopped.
1 teaspoon Tortuga Hell-Fire Hot Pepper Sauce.
OR 1/16th teaspoon minced, seeded Scotch Bonnet pepper
1/4 cup vegetable oil (or even better, coconut oil if you can find it).
3 tablespoons curry powder.
Clove garlic, minced.
1 cup diced potato or breadfruit.
1 cup water.
1 can of coconut milk.
2 tablespoons Tortuga Gold Rum.


Directions:

Wash the chicken in water & fresh lime, Pat dry. Combine the chicken with the pepper, salt, allspice, 3 tablespoons curry powder, chopped onions, scallions & hot pepper. Use your hands to mix the meat & seasonings & rub them into the meat. Let the meat marinate for 8 hours or overnight in the refrigerator. In a large skillet or 6 quart pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the remaining curry powder & cook, stirring one minute to remove the earthy taste, then add the garlic & cook another minute. Remove chicken from marinade & scrape off seasonings - reserve. Add chicken to pan & brown all pieces. When all meat is browned, add the reserved seasonings, water, coconut milk & rum and stir again. Reduce heat to low & simmer for about 45 minutes, until chicken is almost cooked. Cook for an hour if you like it falling off the bone, in shreds. Add potatoes or breadfruit during last 15 minutes & more salt to taste if needed. Serve with white rice.

Bandeja Paisa

Hearty dish of minced or grilled steak, chorizo, fried pork belly (chicharron), red beans, rice, arepa, fried plantain, blood sausage, a small salad, and a fried egg.


The official dish of the Antioquia region of Colombia, bandeja paisa, is a bona-fide glut of carne(meat). This dish can feature minced or grilled steak, chorizo, fried pork belly (chicharron), red beans, rice, arepa, fried plantain, blood sausage, a small salad, and a fried egg.

There is a controversy in the Colombian culinary world to modernize this dish to be healthier and lighter. Traditionalists are completely against this because they feel that bandeja paisa is a part of the national heritage and culture. The recipe here is quite traditional.

Origin:

Bandeja paisa is a high calorie, high protein meal stemming from the agricultural community in the Antioquia region of Colombia. It features local ingredients, particularly, a lot of meat. The meats featured though aren't necessarily the prime cuts: cuts of rump roast, blood sausage, eggs, and pork belly are all economical meat options.

Bandeja Paisa:

Red Beans:

Ingredients:

•3 cups dried red beans (substitute canned or a different type of bean).
•Carrot, rough chopped.
•Green plantain, finely diced.
•Salt.
•Pepper.

Process:

1. Soak dried beans over night in enough water to cover the beans plus an extra inch or so.

2. Pressure cook for 20 minutes.

3. Add carrots and pressure cook for another 20 minutes.

4. Remove carrots and place in a blender and whiz smooth with some of the cooking liquid. Return liquid to pot along with plantains.

5. Pressure cook for another 20 minutes.


Tip of the day: You can tell when the beans are fully cooked when you can take one and split the skin by blowing on the seam of the bean.

Read more: http://south-american-food.suite101.com/article.cfm/bandeja_paisa#ixzz0RWFjRQNV

The Perfect White Rice.

THE PERFECT WHITE RICE.

Note: When using this recipe, use the 2 to one ratio when making the rice, meaning 2 cups of water and one cup of rice.


Ingredients:

2 cups of water.
1 cup of rice.
1 tbs of Corn oil or you can, substitute butter or margarine.
Salt to taste.


Directions:

Boil two cups of water in a rice cooking pot, with 1 tbs of corn cooking oil, you can any oil you like, but this how we make in our family, except I created my own version with butter or margarine and it is “delicious.”

Puerto Ricans call the rice cooking pot a caldero, but you can use whatever, you usually cook your rice in. After the rice comes to boil stir your rice in, then let rice come back to boil, stir it one time, then cover it and let simmer for twenty minutes. Turn the rice off and let stand for about five minutes, Take the lid off stir with serving spoon around the edges, first working from the bottom to the top then the middle, if you follow this recipe, you will have beautiful delicious white rice every single time.

Tip:

If you like “pegao” (hard crunchy rice in the bottom of the pot) then use more oil.

Serve this rice with your favorite meats or beans.

Chicken Cracklings (Chicharonnes De Pollo)

INGREDIENTS:

•1 3-1/2 pound chicken, cut in small pieces, salt, black pepper, and dried oregano to taste.
•3 garlic cloves peeled and chopped.
•1/2 cup golden rum.
•Juice of 3 lemons.
•1 cup all-purpose flour.
•2 teaspoons salt.
•2 teaspoons black pepper.
•1/4 cup corn oil



DIRECTIONS:

Sprinkle the chicken with salt, pepper, oregano, and garlic. Marinate in the rum and lemon juice for 30 minutes. Drain. In a plastic bag, combine the flour with the salt and pepper and dredge the chicken pieces, shaking off the excess. Heat the oil in a large skillet until hot but not smoking and fry the chicken pieces, a few at a time, until all sides are golden brown. Serve at once.



NOTE: You can use brandy instead of rum.

How to become a chef.

You can become a chef by attending a culinary school and/or working as an apprentice for a chef in a restaurant. Chefs often work at several restaurants getting experience under different mentors before they choose a specialty.

Education:

You can get training in school vocational programs, two year colleges or four year college programs. Chefs and cooks also may be trained in apprenticeship programs offered by professional culinary institutes, industry associations, and trade unions. Some large hotels and restaurants operate their own training programs.

People who have taken courses in commercial food preparation may be able to start in a cook or chef job without having to spend time in a lower-skilled kitchen job.

School and curriculum varies, but students usually spend most of their time learning to prepare food through practice. They learn to bake, broil, and prepare food. They also learn to use and care for kitchen equipment. There are courses in menu planning, determination of portion size, food cost control, purchasing food supplies in quantity, selection and storage of food, and how to use of leftover food to minimize waste. Restaurant sanitation and public health rules for handling food are also taught.

A head chef will direct a kitchen staff, in addition to preparing meals, or start his/her own restaurant. If a chef is able to withstand the high stress and pressure of the job, they will most likely become a head chef within 10 years.

Executive chefs will often partner with financial restaurateurs to open their own restaurants. These top chefs spend more time with patrons and investors than in the kitchen.

Job Descriptions:

Chefs and dinner cooks prepare, season, and cook food. Chefs spend time on their feet, cooking, chopping, and stirring. They need to be able to lift heavy pots and boxes of food.

The responsibilities of chefs and cooks are determined by a number of factors, including the type of restaurant in which they work.

Job Description May include:

•Create, plan and price menus.
•Prepare and cook the food according to customer's order.
•Arrange and garnish the food for serving.
•Supervise other kitchen staff.
•Maintain cleanliness in the work place.
•Supervise cleaning and dishwashing.
•Buy food supplies and cooking equipment.
•Keep records of supplies.


Executive chef - The executive chef is in charge of everything related to the kitchen, including menu creation, personnel management and business aspects. The executive chef can also be referred to as the "head chef" or "chef".

Chef de cuisine - The chef de cuisine's placement within the kitchen can vary depending on the individual restaurant's hierarchy. Generally, it is either equivalent to an executive chef position, a position overseeing numerous establishments in a group of restaurants in charge of several executive chefs or a position equivalent to a sous chef, under the command of an executive sous chef.

Sous chef - The sous chef (pronounced "soo-shef" -- French for "under chef") is the direct assistant of the executive chef. The Sous Chef often shares some duties with the executive chef, such as menu planning, costing and ordering. Larger kitchens often have more than one sous chef, with each covering a certain shift or having his or her own area of responsibility, such as the banquet sous chef, in charge of all banquets, or the executive sous chef, in charge of all other sous chefs.

Generally done by the sous chef, the expeditor serves as the liaison between the customers in the dining room and the line cooks. With the help of proper coordination and timing, they make sure that the food gets to the wait staff in a timely fashion, so that everyone sitting at a particular table is served simultaneously.

Chef de partie - A chef de partie, also known as a "station chef" or "line cook", is in charge of a particular area of production. In large kitchens, each station chef might have several cooks and/or assistants. In most kitchens however, the station chef is the only worker in that department. Line cooks are often divided into a hierarchy of their own, starting with "First Cook", then "Second Cook", and so on as needed.

Station chef titles can include:

Sauce chef or saucier - prepares sauces, stews, and hot hors d'oeuvres, and sautes foods to order. This is usually the highest position of all the stations.

Fish cook or poissonier - Prepares fish dishes (this station may be handled by the saucier in some kitchens).

Vegetable cook or entremetier - Prepares vegetables, soups, starches, and eggs. Large kitchens may divide these duties among the vegetable cook, the fry cook, and the soup cook.

Roast cook or rotisseur - Prepares roasted and braised meats and their gravies, and broils meats and other items to order. A large kitchen may have a separate broiler cook or grillardin (gree-ar-dan) to handle the broiled items. The broiler cook may also prepare deep-fried meats and fish.

The pantry chef or garde manger - is responsible for cold foods, including salads and dressings, pâtés, cold hors d'oeuvres, and buffet items.

Pastry chef or pâtissier [pa.ti.sje] - prepares pastries and desserts.

The relief cook, swing cook, or tournant - replaces other station heads.

Cooks and assistants:

In larger kitchens, each station chef would have cooks and assistants (commis) that help with the particular duties that are assigned to that area. With experience, assistants may be promoted to station cooks and then to station chefs.

Source: Wikipedia.org - document license