The Great Chef

The hight temperatures of the last days surely reminded us of the Summer still to come. Along with ice-cream, beach play-days, barbecues, or lobster by the sea, Summer also represents to me a time when very few things besides fresh salads, yogurts, and fruit can meet my desire for eating. The warmer it gets, the less hungry I get. Therefore, all new, nutritiously fresh ideas are more than welcome. This recipe for mackerel ceviche, by Chef Jean Georges Vongerichten, is this Summer's favorite. A ceviche is a dish characteristic from coastal Central and South America and it consists of raw fish marinated in citrus juices and spices. This process tenderizes the fish up to a point where it looks cooked; and it is actually partially cooked, thanks to the chemical reactions occurring between the acids and the proteins. Roughly all fish and shellfish can be used to make a ceviche so substitute as you wish. The only thing you should make sure is that the fish is absolutely fresh. For 4 serv...

How many times did you find yourself wishing for longer days, slow passing weeks, lingering months and years...? I bet you did it many times. Look outside. It is Fall again! From my window, this grey, rainy afternoon brightens up beautifully by the contrast of a tree already painted in orange and red. That is what make it worth it. Time is the command in chief of our lives and even though I have learned to look at it in a positive way, which actually lead me to accomplish more, there are moments, still, when I scream out loud "Stop! How am I suppose to do all these things while you, Mr. Time, are becoming shorter and passing at the speed of light?!". That is the life I have been living for the last couple of months - a running against Mr. Time. Please, do not read this as a complaint. I am happy! It is good, so good, to be back to school and into a system that, actually, values you as a thinker. The only thing I miss is to be the ruler of my time instead of letting it rule me...

Today's recipe is ideal for a light meal and can be prepared in an amazing 15 minutes, from start to finish! If that wasn't enough, it is super healthy as well. The technique used is, basically, an alternative way to steam whatever ingredients are suitable to be steamed (mostly vegetables and fish) and it consists of wrapping the ingredients and few drops of water, stock or wine in parchment paper and put it in a pre-heated oven. In less than nothing you get a super tender, flavorful and healthy meal. For this recipe I used sole, a white, flaky fish. Flaky fishes are not suitable to grill because they are so fragile that they will break into thousand pieces when you try to turn them on the grill. Your options, therefore, are to fry it or to steam it. For grilling you can choose salmon, tuna, salted cod, or sardines. For 4 servings: Start by heating the oven to 450ºF. Cut four 15-inches-square pieces of parchment paper (or large enough to wrap the fillets like you would do with ...

Halibut is one of the finest fishes you can have. Its meat is white and flaky and its flavor is delicate. This recipe by Chef Jean Georges Vongerichten elevates even more halibut's qualities by combining it with a blast of freshness - capers, tomatoes and wine. To serve 4: Start by preheating the oven to 500ºF. Smear 1.5 tablespoons of butter in a shallow baking pan that will hold the fish without crowding. Sprinkle the butter with 1 tablespoon of minced shallots. Season 4 halibut steaks, on both sides, with salt and cayenne pepper and lay it in the baking pan, over the shallots. Peel, seed, and dice 1 lb of tomatoes and distribute them around the fish along with 2 tablespoons of capers. Pour in 1.5 cups of dry white wine and bring to the boil on top of the stove. Then, transfer to the oven and cook for 5 minutes, basting once with the cooking liquid. Turn the fish and cook for another 5 minutes. Garnish with fresh copped parsley and serve at once with braised vegetables such as as...

Skate is a cartilaginous fish that possesses one of the most flaky, white, sweet meats one can encounter in a fish. Along with monkfish, it is one of the "new sensation" ingredients among chefs, these days, and even though some species are now in danger due to non-sustainable fishing, skate is still inexpensive to buy. The versatility of this fish allows it to be cooked in many different ways but today I have a super simple, easy and fast recipe - fried skate wing. Take one wing per person, dry them with paper towels, and season with salt and pepper. Place a skillet with 2 tablespoons of canola oil over moderate high heat. Put some flour into a plate and coat the fish well, shaking the excess of flour. When the oil is hot, gently put the fish in the skillet and allow it to cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until golden brown. Turn the fish and cook for 1 or 2 minutes more. Take the skate wings to a plate covered with a paper towel, allow them to rest for a minute and transfer to a ser...

Do you know the feeling of trying to organize the freezer and start finding containers with unknown content? If that never happen to you it is probably because you are not as compulsive as me regarding food waisting. My fridge and freezer tend to turn into a "leftovers refugee camp" more often than desirable. And if that might mean that my creativity has to be active, it also means that sometimes I ran out of space to store everything else. At that point, I land on planet earth and eat what is eatable, discard what I should not have saved in the first place and, finally, can have my freezer/fridge organized the way I like. Yesterday was one of those "land on Earth" days. I open the freezer to figure out what I was going to cook for dinner and I started to notice a significant number of containers, some with their content identified, other completely anonymous. My eyes landed on one, next to a package of whiting fillets, that said "scallops stock".  I had m...