[Stuffed veal chops....]

Here is a recipe I did for stuffed veal chops. It was part of a story I wrote about food in the original Godfather movie. The stuffing is also very good tossed with hot pasta.

Spinach and Ricotta Filling

1 10oz. package frozen, chopped spinach

1/3 cup pine nuts

1 ½ cups ricotta cheese

1 egg

¼ cup grated Asiago cheese

¼ cup chopped Italian parsley

½ tsp. dried oregano

Salt and fresh ground black pepper

Place the of frozen spinach in a colander and run under cold water. Let the spinach fully thaw. Wrap the spinach in a piece of cheesecloth and squeeze out all of the moisture. Keep the drained spinach in a small bowl until ready to make the ricotta filling.

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pine nuts to the dry skillet and toast just until the pine nuts start to brown, about 2-3 minutes.

In a large bowl add the drained spinach, toasted pine nuts, ricotta, egg, and Asiago. Stir the ricotta mixture until the ingredients are thoroughly combined.

Add the parsley and dried oregano and season the filling with salt and black pepper to taste.

Cover and refrigerate the filling until ready to use.

Veal Chops

4 1” thick veal chops

1 tablespoon olive oil

Salt and fresh ground black pepper

½ cup white wine

1 tablespoon chopped Italian parsley

2 tablespoons capers

2 tablespoons butter

Italian parsley for garnish

Using a small paring knife, cut a slit into the center of the veal chop to create a pocket. The tip of the knife should cut done to the bone. The slit should be about 3” in length.

Using a meat tenderizer or small mallet, gently beat on each flap of meat on the veal chop to flatten it. This will create two flaps of meat for encasing the filling.

Place about 3 tablespoons of the ricotta filling in the center of the pocket in the veal chop. Then use toothpicks to close the pocket.

Preheat the oven to 425F.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the veal chops with salt and pepper.

Add the veal chops to the hot skillet and sear just until the chops start to caramelize, about 2-3 minutes. Turn the veal chops over and sear the other side another 2-3 minutes.

Place the skillet with the veal chops into the oven and roast just until the chops are done and the ricotta filling is warmed through, about 15 minutes. To test for doneness, press the middle of each chop with your finger, it should be firm to the touch.

Remove the chops from the oven and place on a cookie rack to cool while you make the sauce. Place the skillet on top of the oven over medium-high heat.

Add the white wine and parsley to the hot skillet to deglaze the pan juices. Let the wine reduce by 1/3 and then add the capers and butter. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir the sauce to incorporate the butter.

Remove the toothpicks from the veal chops and place the chops on a serving platter.

Spoon the white wine sauce over the top of the chops and garnish with sprigs of Italian parsley.

[Dining in Las Vegas: Part 1]

I try to get to Las Vegas 2-3 times a year. I'm probably an oddball Las Vegas traveller-I go for the food-not the gambling. Probably the biggest shock to people on their first trip is the high prices for dining. The days of the cheap eats are long gone.

Here are some personal observations from recent trips that may help some of you who are planning a trip to Las Vegas:

-I prefer the buffets at Bellagio, Wynn, TI (formerly Treasure Island, TI is the new, supposedly more edgy name), or The Mirage for breakfast. TI and The Mirage are a bit cheaper-and a bit more trendy and modern in terms of decor and menu. At the breakfast buffet at TI they even had a "donut bar" where they made fresh mini-donuts and then had a huge selection of different frostings and garnishes. It was about $20 including tax and tip.

-Border Grille at Mandalay Bay is a nice spot for a casual lunch. Not to spendy and I like a table outside to watch the people going through the 'lazy river' part of the pool. It's the Las Vegas outpost of the "Two Hot Tamales" Mary Sue Miliken and Susan Feiniger. Good authentic mexican cuisine and really good drinks. I'd estimate you could pay around $25 for lunch with a couple of drinks and tip.

-The cafe at Spago that looks out on the forum shops at Caesar's is another nice casual lunch spot. It's not as formal as the dining room and great for people watching. Very good Blueberry Mojito's. With lunch, a couple of glasses of wine, dessert and a tip, I probably spend around $40-$50 for lunch. I know, $50 sounds very high for lunch but that isn't out of the question in Las Vegas.

-If I want a casual dinner without having to go through the whole sit-down at a table experience, I like the buffets at both Wynn or Bellagio. Dinner is up to about $30 per person. But I've had everything from fresh sardine salad and Elk tenderloin at Bellagio's buffet to 6 different flavors of sorbet at the desert bar at the buffet at Wynn.

-I love going over to the Chinatown section-for lunch and to get some snacks to keep in my hotel room. You can take the city bus, a cab or drive. It's about 10 minutes from the strip-just to the left over the freeway, going west. Check out Mapquest. There is a 99 Ranch Market that has lots of great Asian and Mexican ingredients. You'll find Chinese barbecue spots, takeout, sitdown restaurants, a few bakeries, a good place for authentic Chinese food. I like to keep a little roast pork or roast duck in the room to snack on.

-I like Craftsteak at the MGM. You'll be treated to great food products simply cooked. Don't expect a lot of fancy flourishes on the plate or overly formal service, but fresh, seasonal foods and prime meat. The ordering can be a bit confusing for some people-you'll see columns on the menu with headers that simply say "Grilled" and then list the meats-like NY Strip, Lamb Loin and Kurobata Pork. There may be a listing called "Chilled" under appetizers and then items like Florida Stone Crab Claws. Prices usually are listed as just numbers without a dollar sign-like 5-Olympia Oysters. So the menu looks pretty stark but the food is anything but-It's my favorite steakhouse right now. Expect to pay on average $40 just for the steak. Last time I was there I had the Lobster Bisque to start and it was $18.

I am going to be in Las Vegas later in the week of May 13. The highlight, I hope, is going to be a private dinner at Guy Savoy.

[Dinner! 2007]

I guess I jumped around the globe for this dish-but even with so many different ingredients-the flavors all came together really well.

I prefer buying fresh Alaskan Halibut from my local fish store rather than what I find in the supermarket. I buy a large filet and then cut it into serving portions myself. I like to cut it at home so I can control the thickness of the filet-and I like them thick. I wrapped the halibut in prosciutto then seared it in olive oil to crisp the prosciutto. I sear it about 3 minutes on each side, then pop it into a 400 oven for 9 minutes.

The side dish is tabouleh salad-with lots of additions. I used whole wheat bulgur and then made it into a sort of tabouleh/Greek salad. I added parsley, mint and cilantro as the herbs, tomatoes, cucumber and green onion as the vegetables, and then feta cheese. I wish I hadn't forgotten to add some kalamata olives-would have been another good element. I tossed it with lots of Greek olive oil and lemon juice. Very tasty and fresh.

[Dinner! 2007]

Nice to see photos from others who are cooking one of the best parts of the pig-the belly. I buy mine at a local Asian grocery store. It's always available fresh.

I've been working on testing a lot of different techniques to get the skin crispy but keep the meat moist. Gone through one suckling pig and literally the bellies of two hogs in the past three weeks. I think I've finally gotten the recipe where I want it.

I don't particularly like keeping the rind (er-skin) on the pork belly. I found that the rind got really tough, crisp and hard, hard as leather. I joked it was like peanut brittle, only harder, without the peanuts and I called it 'pig brittle.' So I cut the rind off, running the knife just under the rind like you would if you were cutting the skin off a side of salmon. I left all the fat layer between the rind and layer of meat. I scored the fat in a criss cross pattern. It was about a 3lb. piece of pork belly. I put it in a large roasting pan, skin side up. Roasted it at 475 for about 30 minutes to get it going, then reduced the heat to 300 and slow roasted it for 4 hours. I put water in the roasting pan up to the 'fat line' so the meat would braise while the fat layer was exposed to the dry heat. I turned on the broiler the last 10 minutes of cooking to crisp the skin. The skin gets crispy but stays soft when you bite into it. You feel guilty because you are basically eating pure pork fat but it is sooo good. It reminded me of the flavor of pork roasts from 30 years ago, very tasty-and fatty.

Here's a photo of the pork belly just out of the oven resting before carving.

Here's the pork belly ready to serve-a nice chunk sitting on top of mashed potatoes. You can only see a hint of the sauce in the photo. The sauce was made of reduced beef stock with some veal demi-glace added, along with some sage out of my garden and some green peppercorns.

The side dish was baby green beans. I saute them with oil and butter, then put in some chopped garlic and a few spoons of chickent stock-a recipe from Bouchon. Then I sprinkled the beans with sea salt and lemon zest before serving.

[Bouchon Las Vegas]

I prefer Bouchon in Las Vegas for breakfast. It is so peaceful so sit out on the terrace overlooking the pool and have a great breakfast. You may be bothered by the crew cleaning the pool, but I find the quiet pace and wonderful breakfast worth it. When I was last there in November I probably had 5 waiters serving just me-one senior waiter was training some new people and I guess breakfast is a slow time to break them in. The service is formal, yet not overbearing. A great experience for breakfast, and much better than paying upwards of $25 at one of the fanicer buffets.

[Where to buy Suckling Pig]

Does anyone have a good online source for buying a small suckling pig? I bought one recently and it didn't turn out so good, not so much the cooking technique but I don't think I started with a great product to begin with. So I'm looking for a different source this time. Have you had good results with a suckling pig?

[Don't Mess With Perfection]

I'd have to say my pastry/pie crust. It must be mixed by hand to get the right balance of texture-light yet buttery, a bit crispy and flaky but still holds its shape. It has to be a balance of butter and Crisco. Not generic shortening, not lard, Crisco:

Pastry Crust-(For one top and bottom pie crust)

2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

½ cup cake flour

1 tbsp. superfine granulated sugar

1 tsp. salt

1 stick unsalted butter, chilled

½ cup Crisco shortening, chilled

1/2 cup ice water

In a large bowl, combine the flour, cake flour, sugar and salt. Using a pastry cutter, blend in the butter and Crisco by hand. Cut the mixture until the pieces are the size of peas. Using a fork, blend in enough of the ice water so that the dough begins to form a ball. Using your hands, gently form the dough into one ball. Place the dough in a bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least one hour before using or rolling out for pie crust.

[Dinner! 2007]

Good morning everyone. I put these photos on another post I started last week about discussing French Bistro dishes. Hope you enjoy the photos and the explanations of each dish. Let me know if you have any questions. Enjoy.

This is a simple salad of fresh Dungeness Crab. I tossed it with olive oil, fresh lemon juice, salt, black pepper and the first crop of chives from my garden this Spring. The base is a mousse I made from fresh asparagus. Sorry, the asparagus is from Chile. Not to knock South American asparagus, it was delicious. But it just wasn't from the famous asparagus beds in Walla Walla, Washington, just a few hours from my home. You just blanch the asparagus, then process it with cream, salt, black pepper, and fresh tarragon. Then you add one envelope of gelatin granules softened in 1/2 cup hot water. Pour the asparagus puree into molds and chill for about 3 hours. The dressing was just a roasted tomato vinaigrette-whole tomatoes roasted in a slow oven for 4 hours, then peeled and seeded, and mixed with sherry vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper.

Here is a boneless leg of lamb on the rotisserie. I don't do anything to it other than a rub of olive oil and then a sprinkle of Paul Prudhomme's Meat Magic Cajun seasoning. The fire is made up of both charcoal and hickory wood. I think this was about a 5lb. leg of lamb and I roast it for about 20 minutes per pound over the open fire for a medium-rare doneness.

The meat picks up a nice hint of smoke but isn't overpowering. It looks pretty rare, which I prefer for lamb. If lamb gets too well done it gets tough and you don't get that sweet lamb meat flavor if it is tough. I just served it with baby Yukon Gold potatoes tossed in olive oil, butter and thyme. I also served broccolini tossed in olive oil, butter and garlic.

This is a Pear Tarte Tatin. I usually make the traditional Tarte Tatin with apples, but we also have wonderful pears in the Northwest so I used Bartlett Pears. Bartlett's are a firm pear with a green to yellow skin. The trick to the Tarte Tatin is to use an oven proof non-stick skillet. That way once you are done baking the Tarte it will release from the skillet very easily. Make the caramel, add the pear halves, then let it bake in the oven at 400 for about 1 hour and 15 minutes. You want the caramel to be really golden. Then the second trick is to let it cool after bringing it out of the oven and finally, let it sit uncovered in the refrigerator for overnight. I know, a long time, but letting it cool overnight allows the butter to solidify and the caramel to set up.

On day 2 you then prepare your favorite crust. I don't use puff pastry for this recipe but a pie crust dough I make with regular flour, cake flour, sugar, salt, butter and crisco. Yes, both butter and Crisco. I make the pastry by hand, using a pastry cutter that's probably 60 years old to cut the butter and Crisco into the flour mixture. You have to do it by hand to get the right texture in the finished pastry crust. If you use a food processor it breaks down the butter and Crisco into such fine particles the pastry falls apart. Drape the rolled out pastry over the top of the skillet and bake for about 20 minutes until the pastry starts to brown. Let it cool for about 20 minutes after taking it out of the oven and then invert it, releasing the Tarte from the skillet. That's what you see in the first photo, the finished Pear Tarte Tatin. I served it with homemade Lemon-Vanilla Ice Cream. I felt like screaming it was so good!

[Your Best French Bistro Dishes]

Peter-In my mind, a Bistro is a casual style restaurant that serves fresh, regional dishes keeping French technique at the forefront in terms of preparation.

Of course, my definition can be loosely interpreted, as is the term Bistro to describe many restaurants that have Bistro in their name.

If you think that a Bistro must follow strict, French tradition, you'd probably never see a Caesar Salad on the menu-it is reportedly an American invention.

However, if you walked into a restaurant called a Bistro in the Northwest, you'd probably find a Caesar Salad on the menu-maybe with Alder Smoked Salmon- next to more traditional French Bistro dishes like the Mussels in White Wine that I posted below. And I think that's o.k.

Today's restaurant world is so huge it can cater to everyone's tastes-those who will only go to a Bistro that follows only strict French tradition, or a restaurant in Seattle-thousands of miles away from Paris-that is based on the casual French Bistro in terms of technique but uses the great local products of the Northwest.

Many of the products we have in the Northwest would be found at Bistro's throughout France-fresh seafood, shellfish, hazelnuts, raspberries-simple seasonal foods freshly prepared.

Here are a few more dishes I did this last weekend that I think would fit into what we're discussing.

This is a Dungeness Crab Salad that I tossed with just a bit of olive oil, fresh lemon juice and then some chopped chives. The base is a mousse of fresh asparagus. Sorry, it is from Chile-we won't have the famous Walla Walla asparagus up here for another few weeks. It is just asparagus that is steamed, drained, then pureed in a processor with fresh cream, salt, pepper and a bit of fresh thyme. I then made a roasted tomato vinaigrette-but I don't think that was successful-it isn't anywhere near tomato season and they were watery and bland. Maybe next time I'd use canned tomatoes to make the vinaigrette. In any case, this was a delicious starter.

A very simple boneless leg of lamb that I spit roasted outside over the old Weber grill using a combination of charcoal and hickory wood. Then just boiled baby Yukon Gold Potatoes and Broccolini tossed in olive oil, butter and garlic. I could stretch this into the Bistro category because I know many Bistro menus have simple grilled meats.

I usually make Tarte Tatin with fresh apples in Fall-another classic French Bistro dish-but I also love it made with other fruits-in this case Bartlett Pears. The caramel is to die for. I use my own pastry recipe, more like a pie crust dough than the puff pastry used in most recipes.

So maybe I've stretched the French Bistro theme a bit. But I try to stay within the boundaries of French tradition just using ingredients I'm familiar with where I come from. Hope you like the photos.

[Your Best French Bistro Dishes]

Hmm. Let me think about about getting something more catchy into the title of the thread to get it going and I'll get some more photos posted this weekend. (Got to get through the dreaded 'day job' this week before I can get back into the kitchen).

[Any words of wisdom for a tv neophyte?]

Good Luck to you and what a great, great opportunity!

I've done shows on PBS, taped, but most of my experience has been on live TV like you'll be doing on Good Morning America-albeit mine has been on a much, much smaller stage-the ABC affiliates in Seattle, Portland and Spokane. I think I've done about 30 live segments.

If you get a chance, ask the producers how much time you'll have. I have found that to be a key. I usually have about a 30 second intro, then we break for commercial. Then we come back and I'm with one of the local news anchors in the 'kitchen'-the same setup as you'll have. On my segments we only have 4 minutes. Yikes.

I practice what I want to say the day before so that I get in all my key points within the time frame-sort of a dress rehearsal for timing. But don't write a script or talk as if what you are saying is scripted-it will come out unnatural to the audience. Just be yourself-don't worry about being instructive, the audience wants that. They want to relate to you first, then see what you are doing is of interest so they'll go to the Good Morning America website, and your website, to check out your products.

You are right, have a display of the finished cookes. People want to visualize what the end product will look like. Keep the set-or your work surface, in the set kitchen, as clean as possible without a lot of clutter. It looks good to you and me, but the camera picks up things as cluttered if there is too much stuff to display.

Another hint, I put everything in glass dishes-the eggs, the flour, the sugar, the butter. You'd think it would reflect off the camera, but my producers prefer all little glass dishes of the ingredients so the camera can 'look through' and see the butter.

Finally, and sorry for rambling on, constant dialog is really important. Offer tips on the background of the recipe, the ingredients, the preparation, the baking, constant dialog. Engage the anchor in helping and the dialog. Any pauses in conversation on live tv are like a death wish, the viewers have their clickers in hand and will use them after after a few seconds if they get bored with a lack of dialog.

You are so fortunate. You've obviously got a great product to offer and you have wowed the producer's to even get a cooking segment on GMA. Good Job and Good Luck.

[What the heck is a Flank Steak?]

Thanks for the chart Fat Guy!

Ive got it downloaded on my computer. I've been looking for this type of meat chart for a long, long time-photos and a corresponding chart showing what part of the steer the darn thing came from.

Infernooo-I'd avoid marinating your flank steak, or any meat, in lime juice, especially if it marinates more than about 30 minutes. Like raw seafood in a dish like ceviche, lime juice is an acid that will actually 'cook' meat or seafood. I've found that if you leave say flank steak in a lime marinade for more than 30 minutes,it will start to turn grey. Then when you slap it on a hot grill, you don't get that nice crusty black/brown char and the insides may be a bit grey, not the nice juicy redness of medium rare that is desired for flank steak. I'd recommend the spice rub, and you can even tenderize the flank steak cut using an old fashioned fork. Just jab the steak a few times with the tines of a fork. Cook it only for about 5-6 minutes per side on a very hot grill or grill pan on top of the stove, and slice across the grain. It is very good with this simple sauce-a bunch of fresh flat leaf parsley, a buch of fresh cilantro (I think you call it fresh coriander), a tablespoon of white vinegar, salt, pepper, about a 1/2 cup of olive oil. Chuck it all in a blender and puree. It's basically an Argentinian Chimichurri Sauce-ideal for rich grilled meats. Enjoy.

[Your Best French Bistro Dishes]

Hi all. One of my favorite cuisines is dishes that you would find in a French Bistro. It's a natural match for the great ingredients we have in the Pacific Northwest-seafood, wine and hazelnuts to name a few. Here are some recent dishes I did in a French Bistro theme:

Crispy Frogs Legs with a Parsley-Cilantro Sauce

Moules Marniere-Mussels in White Wine-Saffron Broth

[Dinner! 2007]

Sorry all, it took me a while, ok a week, to figure out how to post this photo for you. Hey, I cook, I'm not great with computers.

This is an example of the type of of dishes we do up here in the Northwest.

What you see is a filet of fresh Alaskan Halibut. I sear it in an old cast iron skillet on one side, then turn it over and put it in a hot oven for about 8 minutes. It's simply seasoned with Paul Prudhomme's "Seafood Magic." In fact, I use his seasoning blends for just about everything.

I served it on a bed of clam chowder-with a few twists. I added fresh extra small oysters and crawfish tails to the chowder. I'm not great with exquisitely prepared classic French sauces, so I cheat a bit and do a lot of soups as sauces.

I couldn't get the appetizer photo to load properly-but it was "Gougeres"-which are French puff pastry puffs with cheese in the batter. A great snack with wine before dinner. It's the same dough you use for eclairs and profiteroles.

I saved half the dough for the Gougeres and the other half for cream puffs. Didn't get a photo of the cream puffs. Instead of filling them with sweetened whipped cream I filled them with softened vanilla ice cream ala Thomas Keller of Bouchon and the French Laundry. I had some chocolate ganache in the freezer, so I heated that up for the chocolate sauce. A nice French Bistro menu.

[Dinner! 2007]

Sorry, but I need some help with instructions on how to post a great photo of a halibut dish I did. Although I know food and cooking, be patient with me, I'm a rookie with computers and pasting in photos. Can someone give me some "pasting in a food photo into a reply for computer dummies" info for me?

[Pepper and Salt Mills/Grinders]

I've been using the copper Turkish coffee mill for about 7 years now and it works great. You can control the texture of the grind, from fine to coarse. The copper and the shape of the mill looks kind of funky on the counter, but it's also a conversation piece. I think I bought it at Sur La Table in Seattle for about $20. I'm sure they are readily available at online kitchen stores.

[Did I do the right thing walking out?]

Katie is in fact right-you should contact Management. I'll correct my last response that said not to contact Management. If it is a small family owned joint, let the Manager know before you leave. You can hope they'll take your constructive criticism to heart. If it is a chain or owned by a larger corporation, I have found taking time to write a letter detailing your poor service experience helps. I've written letters in the tone of not asking for compensation or the ubiquitous coupon for a free dinner but in the spirit of bringing a lapse in customer service to their attention in the hope that they will correct whatever the problem is.

[Did I do the right thing walking out?]

You absolutely did the right thing to walk out. In fact, I would have left after the first 30 minute delay. And in all due respect to those who recommended you might have spoken to the Manager, I disagree. If the place doesn't have their act together-whether it be lack of kitchen help, disorganization, lack of waitstaff, poor hiring, poor training, whatever-a complaint after the fact to the Manager won't help. The Manager who allows that delay to happen in the first place is part of the problem. Never go back, tell your family, friends and business associates. Word of mouth can be the greatest recommendation or the ultimate critique in this case. Maybe then restaurants with this lack of customer service will get the message!

[All About Bourbon Whiskey]

My favorite is Maker's Mark. It almost has a sweet taste to it. It is very silky. I found some of the other Kentucky small batch bourbons have a pretty harsh taste. I think it comes from the charred barrels they age it in. Booker's is another good Kentucky bourbon to try. I drink Maker's Mark three ways-straight over ice, with ginger ale, or in a traditional old-fashioned cocktail.

[one downtown (SEA) resto, one seafood dish]

It may be too late in the winter season, but for an entree, I would go over to Tom Douglas's "Dahlia Lounge" for the duck confit with pappardelle pasta and wild mushrooms. Tom puts out some wonderful hearty meat dishes during the winter at both the "Dahlia Lounge" and his "Palace Kitchen."

[Dinner! 2007]

The Dungeness Crab bisque is great on its own as a soup or used as a sauce, like I did for Salmon. I am also using it as a pasta sauce. Just toss it with hot pasta like a linguine or spaghetti. The Dungeness crab has lots of sweet meat and is pretty big. It is very easy to crack and pick out the meat. There is lots of meat in the body of the crab. It costs about $3.99 per pound here in the Northwest for a fresh crab that is sold steamed and in the shell. But if you buy it already shelled and picked over, it is about $20 per pound and you get a little 8oz. plastic tub of crab.

[Food Movies: The Topic]

Babette's Feast to be sure, especially when they suck the heads of the poor little quail! Don't forget, on this day of the Academy Awards, that food was an integral part of one of Oscar's top pictures-The Godfather, Part One. Clemenza showing Mikey how to make spaghetti sauce, Clemenza carrying the cannoli out of the car, Veal chops in the restaurant, The Godfather stuffing his cheeks with tomatoes, many more memorable scenes of food, some followed by violence.

[Dinner! 2007]

Wonderful idea-I am constantly searching for ideas from other cooks and I really enjoy hearing about how many great cooks out there are creating great dinners.

Friday night-Roast King Salmon on Dungeness Crab Bisque. I topped the Salmon with a simple diced Cucumber Salad with dill. I'm from the Northwest and Salmon and Dungeness Crab are two of our top ingredients. Rich but delicious. I had a Sauvignon Blanc with it, but would have preferred a bolder wine like a Chardonnay. I'll take photos next time.