A Tour of the World... With Part of My Thumb Missing!

So yes, dinner #26 was very fun and all. As Tamy mentioned we were being filmed for a very cool project.  I guess somewhere in between the lights, the camera, the focusing on the characters, the not focusing on the camera crew and producer, cutting up my veggies, is where I lost track of what I was doing and took a knife straight through the upper part of my thumb. Luckily the cut was not as bad as it sounds, and I managed to keep things together (literally) and continue on with the show!

Well, for the show we had a great menu planned and let me remind you that we have had this menu ready for two weeks. This was the dinner that was cancelled at the very last minute due to my family emergency.
The menu was the following:

Phylo stuffed with feta cheese and capers accompanied with tri-color olives and mint sauce

Lamb sausage and eggplant stuffed pasta shell with fresh tomato sauce

Lamb chops with bordelaise-style sauce and mushroom and chipotle risotto

Warm chocolate cake with melted brigadeiro (brazilian chocolate candy)

The picture speak for themselves!

Green Olives, Sun Dried Tomatos & Kalamata Olives

Stuffed phylo with feta and cappers

Lamb sausage and olives stuffed in a large pasta shell

Lamb chops with delicious reduced stock with mushroom & chipotle risotto

Warm chocolate cake stuffed with brigadeiro accompanied by chocolate and vanilla sauce

This was the photo taken seconds after cutting the finger. You can see in the background the blood... luckily no food got contaminated.

Learning from your mistakes... (the recipes)

One thing that we both have realized is that without repeating recipes, it will become very difficult to perfect any one. At the end of the day practice does make perfect, and without the continuous repetition of a specific dish, it will be lacking the set of "signature" dishes. Regardless, one thing that I am putting to practice over and over is technique and creativeness, two things that are extremely important in the kitchen. Through making mistakes you can learn more technique and creativeness than imaginable. Be grateful for the mistakes you make, they will make you a better person, in whatever it is you do in life.

And now for the recipes of the night. Overall... delicious.

Seared artichoke hearts

8 artichoke hearts

4 garlic cloves

2 tb spoons of olive oil

1 tb spoons of pepperocini (dried & flaked)

salt & pepper to taste
¼ cup of parmesan cheese

You can purchase artichoke hearts already cooked, the best ones are the ones that are in olive oil. However, you can cook them yourself by boiling the artichokes for about 30 minutes then cleaning the artichoke hearts. (you can do this a day before and then leave the hearts floating in olive oil).

Warm up a pan with the olive oil. Cut the garlic into thin slices and toast in the oil. Add the pepperocini to allow the taste to be released. Add the artichoke hearts cut in half and sear for a few minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

When serving place the cheese on top of the artichokes for added flavor.

Green Pea White Truffle Risotto

2 cups of Arborio rice

3 cups of chicken broth

½ cup of white wine
2 tb spoons of butter

1 cup of parmesan cheese
2 shallots
1 cup of green peas (steamed)

3 tb spoons of white truffle oil

¼ cup of heavy whipping cream

Chop the shallots into small pieces. Heat the butter in a pot at medium high heat. Add the shallots and get them nice and soft. Then add the rice and stir into the butter. Make sure you cover all the rice and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the wine and ½ cup of the broth and a pinch of salt. Stir continuously as the liquid is absorbed into the rice. Continue to add the broth ½ cup at a time. The risotto will become creamy as it continues to cook. Make sure to try it to make sure it is ready. Add the cream, peas and truffle oil; stir in. Add the cheese before serving and make sure it melts into the rice.

New Orleans style Poached Shrimp

12-15 large shrimp (peeled)

½ cup of butter (2 sticks)

2 tb spoons of Old Bay Seasoning (secret ingredient)

2 tb spoons of Paprika

4 cloves of garlic chopped

Melt the butter in a pan and stir in the garlic and the seasonings. Let the butter mix heat up and allow some time for the flavors to fully be released. Add the shrimp to the mix and allow about 5-7 minuts for the shrimp to be fully cooked (poached). Serve with a spoonful of the sauce on top for full flavor.

Mascarpone Chocolate Mousse with Bananas

This recipe was taken directly from the cook book of Harry Sasson, a fantastic Colombian chef.