Ceviche is NOT Poached, Jeff
So last night on Top Chef, blonde, self-assured and debonaire Jeff once again overthought his elimination dish, this time with a ceviche that cooked in water rather than citrus then had the audacity to criticize his opponent’s cooked version of ceviche.
Hear all about it on the Top Chef Podcast.
More about Pittsburgh, Carne Adovada and Chimayo chiles
A lot of folks ask where I get chimayo chiles. Well, I get mine from Pendery’s in Dallas. They’ve got a great shop in Ft. Worth. If you never been and love the chile, you’ll spend a good half a day there. They claim to be the inventor of chile powder, or blend, as they call it.
Chimayo comes from a little town just outside of Santa Fe that grows this specific chile and also happens to have this fantastic restaurant, Rancho de Chimayo, that seems to have come right out of one of my favorite TV shows, Northern Exposure.
If you want to know more about Pittsburgh-style sandwiches and their chief purveyor, check out the Web site for Primanti Brothers Deli
And for the record, I double the spice amounts for my personal stock. They make a pretty mean carne adovada themselves.
Pasta, Vodka, Chorizo and Top Chef
So, at long last the Top Chef podcast returns. Meantime, here’s a recipe for Wednesday night’s Top Chef feast: Pasta with Vodka Sauce and Spanish Chorizo…
Pasta with vodka sauce and chorizo
1 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 sm. onion, sliced
3 clove garlic, minced
1 (28 oz.) can crushed Italian plum tomatoes,
1 c. whipping cream
1/4 cup vodka
1 teaspoon. dried crushed red pepper
1 lb. pasta, I used a fusilli lunghi
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Minced fresh chives
1/4 pound Spanish chorizo, sliced thin
1-2 serrano chiles
Salt and pepper
Fresh basil, julienned
Melt butter with oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Sauté onions and garlic until translucent. Add tomatoes and simmer 15-20 minutes. Add cream, vodka and red pepper and boil until thickened to sauce consistency, about 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Lower heat until pasta is ready.
Cook pasta in large pot of boiling water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Drain well. Transfer to a large bowl.
While the pasta is cooking, fry the chorizo and peppers 3-4 minutes and set aside.
Pour sauce over pasta and toss well. Sprinkle with Parmesan and basil. Serve chorizo with individual servings.
Krimson and Kreme?
As if bypassing Texas to get a shot at another Mythical National Title wasn’t enough, Sooner fans are now due a free doughnut.
Krispy Kreme kustomers dressed in Sooner apparel today will receive a free red and white sprinkled doughnut. Those customers who correctly spell “BCS” will also receive a free cup of coffee.
Football shaped doughnuts will also come down Krispy Kreme konveyor belts today.
Abraham’s brings its breakfast, burgers back to Western Avenue
After a buyout from Chesapeake and a short stint downtown, Abraham Essaili is proving Thomas Wolfe wrong: You can go home again.
Abraham’s Western Cafe has reopened. Folks in Crowne Heights and Douglas Park regain a neighborhood diner that served the area for two decades before Aubrey McClendon and his natural gas money made Essaili an offer he couldn’t refuse.
Because the old location long ago fell under Chesapeake’s mighty wrecking ball, the new Abraham’s is located just a couple doors up the road at 4716 N Western in a location that previously was a savings and loan. So, yes, there is a drive through, but no it is not in use. Abraham has not quite worked out an onion burger that would fit into a pneumatic tube.
But that’s the only bad news. The new location has a counter, breakfast service and onion burgers that rival any in the state, including those in El Reno. Abraham’s is open 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
