Pedro's latest batch of champagne

Pedro's latest batch of champagne is a keeper! We opened one bottle tonight to make sure the in-bottle fermentation was going smoothly (the true champagne-style fermentation process happens in the bottle with an extra dose of yeast and sugar, and creates a very fine and special carbonation)... The picture below is proof of how delicious the process is coming along. Empty glass and nearly empty bottle!

Roasted Rapini ::: Bacon, Cherry Tomatoes, Garlic

This cruciferous green is slightly bitter and nicely balanced by the acidity of cherry tomatoes and the smokiness of bacon.

I made mine by blanching the rapini. In a separate cast iron skillet I began roasting 3 slices of bacon and a couple handfuls of halved cherry tomatoes. I added a couple cloves of crushed garlic to this mixture as it cooked through in the oven.

Once the tomatoes started to caramelize, I added the blanched rapini to soak in the fragrant bacon, tomato and garlic sauce/oil. Once heated through I removed the cast iron skillet from the oven and let it sit until ready to plate the rapini. I added just a pinch of salt and pepper just before serving, but the bacon largely takes care of the salt you need for the dish.

Check out your local red meat counter to see if you can buy bacon by the slice. My mom shared this tip with me and it's a great way to cook with fresh bacon, without having to freeze or waste extra slices.

A very yummy vegetable side!

Truffle Fries

There is a reason these fries are so popular right now. At gourmet restaurants, as upscale bar food - this snack is simply addictive. I've tried making them a few different ways, first baking the truffle oil into the oven fries and then on a second occasion by spraying crispy oven fries with the truffle oil after they were baked. The second method seems to offer a more potent truffle flavor but more than anything it's about the quality of oil you use to bring out the strongest truffle flavor.

Pedro bought a ~$10 bottle of white truffle infused olive oil from Costco that does the trick, although honestly could be a little stronger in my opinion. Here's how I recommend preparing:

Start by cutting 1/2 inch oven fries with a knife or better yet a fries press. Place the fries on a greased  cookie sheet (I use a silpat baking sheet liner but you could also use parchment paper). Lightly coat the fries with olive oil and bake at 400 degrees until light brown and crispy.

In a large bowl, toss the fries with salt and pepper, just a little powdered garlic, shredded Parmesan cheese, minced parsley and a heavy spray of truffle oil.

Enjoy as a snack or delicious side with red meat. Careful, you might get addicted!

Plantains 2 Ways ::: Sweet

Just when you thought this blog would only cover one way to prepare plantains, there's more!

Once plantains are ripened (they will get soft and dark brown in color - the ripening process can take days or weeks once you buy the green plantain), remove the peel as you would a banana.

Slice the plantain diagonally in about .5 inch sections. Drop these pieces into fry-temperature vegetable oil in a cast iron pan until the brown and caramelized on each size. The caramelized plantains have a really nice sweet flavor that goes great with a drizzle of sweetened condensed milk or butter pecan ice cream (pictures below). 

Pedro and I served this dessert to celebrate Mother's Day with my mama in Morgantown 2014.

Plantains 2 Ways ::: Savory

I love plantains. While they resemble a large banana, watch out as it's an entirely different food to prepare. In fact, plantains must always be cooked before consuming. 

Before fully ripening, plantains can be cooked like a starchy tuber. This particular appetizer is a variation of Puerto Rico's savory plantain dish called a "toston." 

To begin, buy 3 unripened plantains (they will be greenish in color). Three plantains will make enough tostones for 4 to 5 people.

Next, cut open the tough outer shell of the plantain by making a couple cuts through the shell lengthwise and prying off the peel.

Once peeled, use a cheese grater to shred the plantains. Then take approx 3 tbsp of shredded plantain and press together in your palms in the shape of a .5 inch patty until the shredded plantains begin to release a sticky, starchy substance that will hold the toston together as you pan fry it.

Drop the patty into a cast iron pan with fry-temperature vegetable oil. Pan fry the toston until light brown (nice potato chip crunch!) on each side and remove. Season with salt (optional and in fact I prefer not to).

For the dipping sauce consider the Puerto Rican's famous mayo-ketchup. A delicious blend of (duh!) mayonnaise, ketchup and fresh crushed garlic. Add the juice from a couple key limes for the perfect pucker.

Pedro and I served this appetizer recently in Morgantown to celebrate an early Mother's Day with my mama. It's a crowd pleaser.