I'm coming after you.  Watch your back.

Braised Goat Shoulder with a Potato Croquette

What we have here is goat shoulder meat that was braised.  I deeply roasted the goat meat in my braiser under the low setting of my broiler.  It took about a half an hour of time to develop a good amount of caramelization.

I set the meat aside and in the same pan I started roasting the garlic (on the stovetop with slow-medium heat) with some curry powder, cumin, cayenne, cinnamon and red pepper flakes.  I did this in order to toast the spices and roast the garlic.  Doing this gave off a very pleasant Indian-esque aroma.  Definitely somewhere past Tora Bora.  Or maybe 52nd Street.

It created a perfect environment for my mirepoix (a mixture of onion, carrot and celery), which I added next. I slowly sweated out the mirepoix for about ten minutes or so using medium-high heat.  I added a can of tomato paste and continued to sweat and caramelize the vegetable, periodically deglazing with some white wine.  I also added a small amount of flour at this point and continued to toasted and caramelize the mixture.

After about 45 minutes of this flavor foreplay, I added the goat meat back into the braiser and covered everything with water (swimming, not scuba diving).  I brought this to a boil, put the lid back on the braiser and put it in the oven for three hours at 325 degrees.  This isn't an exact time.  You could do a longer braise at a lower temperature if you have the time.  You could start the braise and then watch Dances with Wolves!

I served my braised goat meat with a potato croquette I had made of some leftover potatoes, two eggs, some Parmesan cheese, scallions, salt and pepper.  This could really go with any starch though.  You could make some pasta with this or maybe even serve it with a baguette.  I served mine with a little raw radish and celery leaf.  It added some bite and freshness in a very slow cooked dish.  It's kind of like a french style braise with some Middle Eastern/Indian flair with the lamb and spices.

Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay

Crab Remoulade and Frisee Salad with White Truffle Dressing and an Old Bay Tuile.

Lamb Shank Braised in Red Wine with Parmesan Parsnip Puree

Saffron Confused Risotto

Tunafish sandwich

tomato sauce

Some Italian/Indian fusion...even though fusion is corny.

Toemater

Meat and stuff

The other side of Arthur Avenue

mediocre salad

This salad is a composite of random things I had in the refrigerator. Organic mixed greens. Strawberries (sliced). Chicken scraps (sauteed with salt and pepper in a little canola oil).

The vinaigrette is made from reduced orange juice I had leftover that I didn't feel like drinking. I mixed it with a small amount of honey and mustard (to emulsify), along with a little walnut oil. Read a little about about emulsions. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emulsification

Remember to season your salad with a little salt and/or pepper. After all, the word salad does come from the Latin word salata, which means "salted".

Oxtail

Check the gloss.

Juevos Gringos

Juevos rancheros: white onion, fire roasted tomato, jalapeno, salt, pepper and a little cilantro broken in pieces (over a fried egg)...you saw it right, there's some nan indian bread thrown in there. I think this dish could have turned out better with some cheese component.

One Fine Day

These are traditional Vietnamese spring rolls. Inside a spring roll wrap includes fresh daikon, carrot, English cucumber and red bell peppers all cut to julienne both with a knife and Japanese mandolin. The roll also contains vermicelli noodles that have been infused with sweet chili sauce, soy sauce and sesame oil. It can be served with a little sweet chili sauce.

One Sunday in Queens

Beef Hind Shank

Brasied in homemade dark chicken stock. With some bell pepper confit. Generic salad.

Hors d'Ouvres

Some stuff I made on Easter...

Potato crisps with creamy spicy sauce and some beef loin...

The potato crisps were prepared by thinly slicing a russet potato and frying in canola oil at 325 degrees. My came out slightly too dark in the photograph, I think. I sprinkled a little bit of salt on them right after they came out of the oil so the salt would adhere to the crisp.

The creamy spicey sauce is basically a homemade mayonnaise made with canola oil, eggs, lemon juice, salt and pepper blended with red chili sauce. This creates a creamy mayonnaise sauce with a nice spiciness.

I sauteed the beef loin using a medium skillet with some canola oil. I cooked it rare. Just a little salt and pepper to season...that's it.

Vegan Chocolate Cheesecake

Budget Vegan Coconut Cream Pie