Buffalo Chicken Wings with my flair-Julius, 20NOV2007

I decided to make Buffalo Chicken Wings
with my flair.

Why Buffalo you might ask? Well, the original
Buffalo wings were invented in Buffalo New York, I suppose.

Think of Buffalo Wings and it stirs memory
of Beer Pubs, bars filled with smoke, or as a side dish
at Pizza Parlors, expensive and can't seem to have
enough.

My kids love to eat them as a pulutan (finger food)
while playing their favorite video games ,
watching their favorite cartoons on a cold rainy day.
They smother the chicken with Blue Cheese dressing,
and while eating it get the Buffalo Wing Sauce and dressing
all over their face and shirt. Kids, will always be kids, he, he.

Here's my version of Buffalo Chicken Wings, with a touch
of Asian spice using Sambal Oelek, a Malaysian Chili paste.
I also put in Sesame Oil for fragrance and sesame seeds.

I was inspired from a Food Network
Show, Chef Bobby Flay's Showdown with Drew Cerza, a
famous cook of Buffalo New York. Both have their own versions
of what a spicy Chicken Wings should be, and I somewhat combined both
their rendition of this famous finger food into the recipe below.
Click here for Drew Cerza's Bourbon Street Buffalo Wings recipe and
here for chef Bobby Flay's Hot wings for Blue Cheese-Yogurt Sauce.

Here's my version of Buffalo Wings with Blue Cheese sauce:

Ingredients:

1 pack chicken wings about 3 pounds, wing tip removed and split at the joint

Sauce ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1 onion chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup honey
14 ounces Sambal Oelek chili paste
12 ounces dark barbecue sauce
Frying oil such as Peanut Oil
cilantro (wansuy) leaves, for garnish
Celery sticks or Jicama sticks

5 ounces Blue Cheese
A bottle of Ranch Dressing

Sauce preparation:

1. In a sauce pan, melt butter.
2. Saute the garlic, followed by the onions.
3. Add the vinegar, brown sugar, and whisk in sambal oelek paste, just enough to melt the sugar.
4. Add a dash of Sesame oil, and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
5. Remove mixed sauce from heat and transfer to a bowl.

Chicken preparation:

1. Put Oil into a frying pan and heat to 375 degrees Fahrenheit on the thermometer.

2. Prepare the chicken wings by removing the wing tip
and split at the joint using a butcher's knife.

3. Place the chicken in a bowl and season the wings with salt and pepper.

4. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, chili powder, salt, and pepper.

5. Coat the chicken wings by putting the wings into the dry four mixure
a peice at a time.

6. Deep fry the coated chicken wings into the hot pan of oil,
a batch at a time, about 6 to 8 minutes each batch.

7. Put the cooked chicken wings on a plate covered with paper towel to drain the grease.

8. Coat the cooked chicken wings with the sauce by putting it into the bowl of Chcken Wings sauce
prepared earlier.

9. Transfer to a serving plate.


Blue Cheese dipping sauce and Celery/Jicama sticks:

1. Put the Ranch dressing into a serving sauce bowl.

2. Use a shredder to garnish the Blue cheese into the dipping sauce.

3. Chop the cilantro leaves and garnish the Blue Cheese dipping sauce.

4. Put the Blue Cheese dipping sauce bowl beside the chicken wings.

5. Neatly arrange the Celery or Jicama sticks at a corner of the Serving plate.

Secrets to a juicy and tasty Steak

I cooked New York Steak today. Everyone who ate it complemented it and asked why it it so juicy and tender.

According to Food Up Blog, a New York steak is cut from the short loin area next to the tenderloin. They continue on to say that this is another great steak—good beefy flavor, and tender meat.

My cut up New York steak with Mushroom Sauce gravy and freshly chopped mushrooms.



Yet part of the trick to a juicy and tender steak is the method of how you cook it.

I learned how to cook and cut steak from a recent Cooking class I took.
I don't claim to be an expert on this topic. I just wanted to share what I learned in the class. The Instructor is a chef so I guess the teacher knew what what he was talking about based from experience and knowledge.

First technique I learned is that it is best marinate a Steak for two days prior to cooking it. A Steak Marinate recipe is provided below. My teacher told us that this technique is old school, a practice done before the 1950's. Modern Restaurants and Steak houses these days do not prepare Steak meats this way anymore. I have yet to find out why the trend changed.

Second Technique I learned is, leave the steak alone for a good five to ten minutes as soon as you take it out of the oven. The steak continues to cook even when taken out of the oven. This 'rest' period allows the juices to distribute throughout the steak resulting in a juicy steak. Cut it sooner and juices will ooze out of the steak resulting in a dry steak.

Third technique I learned in cooking Steak is that, the way you cut the steak will determine whether the steak is tender or tough to chew. YOU ALWAYS CUT THE STEAK PERPENDICULAR TO THE GRAIN OF THE MEAT. You can cut it such the the blade of the knife is perpendicular to the chopping board or at an angle about 45 degrees incline.

Try experiimenting one time if you can tell the difference. Cut the Steak parallel to the grain and perpendicular to the grain of the meat. You will notice that the meat cut perpendicular to the grain will be more tender.

Here's a London Broil Steak Recipe you can try at home.

London Broil Steak or flank steak

Marinade:
3/4 cup Salad Oil
3/4 cup Soy Sauce
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup yellow mustard
2 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon pepper
2 teaspoon chopped garlic

1. Make marinade and put in a resealable plastic bag.

2.Put the steak in the resealable bag. Squeeze out air and seal. Put the bag in a bowl and refrigerate for 24 hours up to two days.

3. Occasionally invert the bag to distribute the marinade.

4. Pre-heat an oven at Broiler setting. Keep the oven's door open ajar so that the temperature is maintained. A closed oven door will trigger the oven's thermostat which temporarily shuts off the oven. adjust the oven grate at the higest level

5. Broil the Steak in oven for 3 to 4 minutes each side. Put the steak at the highest level to get the maximum heat. Less time for Rare Steak.

6. After cooking let the steak stand for a good 5 minutes or more to let the juices redistribute.

7. Slice meat across the grain of the meat, in thin slices and serve.


-Julius

An invitation to Kristen's Birthday

Lalaine, kuya Raul, Joanne and kids, Aguirre kids,


I'd like to invite you to

a simple fourth Birthday celebration of

my daughter


Kristen Chanelle


on


Saturday, November 3rd, 2007, 1:00 P.M.
at our residence


San Diego California

92***

Thank you.


Julius

Another Halloween night for the goblins ...

A halloween night for the goblins

'Tis the night when the kids wore their Halloween costumes and roamed the neighborhood asking for Halloween treats.

Justin, Trevor, and Kristen, our neighbors Joshua, Ayson, and Melvyn joined together to roam the neighborhood and celebrate a happy Halloween night.

Candies of all sorts, play doughs, and yes marshmallow eyes my favorite, just a kid's delight.

Click here to view more pictures:




-Julius