Star Crab Cakes

              Back in 1984 I was asked by some celebrities that I was cooking for if I ever have eaten at Stars Restaurant in San Francisco. My reply was not yet, but after hearing about the chef in charge and his new style fusion food menu I knew it would not be long before I would be there in the flesh. Stars were noted as being the birthplace of New American Cuisine. The restaurant was an instant sensation and quickly became the top-grossing restaurant for years. Chef Jeremiah Tower and his posse of celebrity chefs like Wolfgang Puck...

Wild King Salmon Marinated w/ Ginger, Ma...

King Salmon Marinated w/ Ginger, Mango, Soya and a Peach Chutney Butter We are very fortunate to have such a supply of Atlantic salmon here in Ontario. Wild caught Sockeye or King salmon are premium when it comes to taste. You can fish for it yourself or get it fresh from the market. Every chef worth his or her salt must be able to prepare salmon with out over cooking and in several recipe forms. Smoked, poached, baked, broiled, barbequed grilled, pan fried or in a terrine it takes a lot of practice to be able to serve your guests a perfectly executed filet of this great...

Expresso Bourbon Chocolate Cake:

Expresso Bourbon Chocolate Cake; Apprenticing to become a cook/chef takes years of theory and practice. Baking is one area that I only studied when time allowed back in college. I was tutored by Conestoga’s Peter Basin an Olympic medal winning pastry chef. He taught me on how to prepare all the required items that being a resort/hotel chef would need to know. I soon learned it was very demanding and tedious work to pipe fillings into thousands of bite size sweets for a buffet or decoration extraordinaire show pieces. Making layered cakes, flavoured mousses,...

Creole Surf and Turf Gumbo w/ Hush Puppi...

  Creole Surf and Turf Gumbo w/ Hush Puppies; I have wowed a lot of people with these abilities to create some great Cajun recipes. I would fry up big batches of fresh caught seafood for shore lunches and back yard parties. Gathering the fresh ingredients for a good Seafood Gumbo is using what fits your personal tastes. I like using all kinds of available seafood and adding in some good artisan smoked sausages. I use a Wok or a steamer Pot to get all the flavours to be added and times for the proper cooking. Once the Gumbo is on it’s time to make the star of...

Slow Roasted Kahlua BBQ Beef Short Ribs

Slow Roast Kahlua BBQ Beef Short Ribs. At one time these small joints of beef bones were cheap and used mostly for making stock or roasted brown sauce. Now they have are extremely expensive and have become a prime short rib menu item. Braised or slow crock pot done they are hard to make a bad meal with. Most restaurants just chop up season and deep fry them like chicken wings or pork rib bites. thekitchenman likes to brine the small portions in bourbon, scotch or rum to break down the tissue and the sugars when BBQed low and slow for several hours. The choice is yours to...