Noting Beats Cheesecake Cupcakes!

Here is a fun recipe that I like to make around the holidays when there are lots of children around. (children are a good excuse anyway!)



INGREDIENTS
16 vanilla wafer cookies
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line muffin
pans with cupcake papers.
Place one wafer cookie in the bottom of each cupcake
paper. In a medium bowl, cream together cream cheese and
sugar. Beat in eggs and vanilla until smooth. Pour over
wafers in cupcake papers.
Bake in preheated oven 15 minutes, until golden and set.
Remove from oven and let set until cool, refrigerate for 1 hour before serving

These are fantastic and go over really well. Get creative by trying different toppings like shaved chocolate, maraschino cherries or a slice of banana!

ENJOY!
Chef Brian Ankner

Keep a towel in your pocket!

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Keep a towel in your pocket!

Many times around the house while I am making the family meal I find it handy to keep a towel tucked into my back pocket so I can always have access to it easily.

Tuck the corner in the pocket with the majority of the towel hanging out to give you a quick hand wipe, especially when prepping veggies. The dryer your hands, the less likely you will be to slippage.

The #1 reason Chefs go to the hospital is not burns, it's cuts.

Why do we get cut more than getting burned? One would think that in a numbers game, the numbers being we handle hot many times more than we handle knives, we would get burned more than getting cut.

Simple really, we always use a dry towel (hot pads) to handle hot. Sure, sometimes we get the occasional oven burn on the arm or grease splatter from the friers but it's the cuts that bring us to a screeching halt.

There are 2 basic reasons for getting cut, lack of concentration and slipping. There is no solution to lack of concentration other than PAY ATTENTION!

There is however a solution to slippage. Keep your hands and direct contact surfaces DRY. A wet handle on a knife or cutting board is a recipe for disaster. Wet hands are the start for a slippery situation.

Keeping a towel on the counter or just nearby is not good enough, you need to keep the towel on you so you can access it at all times, not just when convenient. If you don't have pockets, tuck it in the front of your pants top so it resembles a short apron. Tuck the short edge in the top of your pants and let it hang down. Easy to get to and long enough so you can lift it up high enough to dry the knife or veggies without being a bother. Second advantage to this method is it will keep your pants free from splash stains!

However you want to display your towel is up to you, just as long as you use one faithfully. A dry surface and dry hands will prevent the majority of all cuts.

10 years in the commercial kitchens and zero stitches because I always practice dry handling procedures. I didn't say no cuts, the occasional nick happens. Like the saying goes, those that play with fire will get burned, so to will the knife handler get a few little cuts or nicks, it's inevitable.

I said no stitches, which in my field is an accomplishment! I have personally seen some major cuts that took many stitches and many months to heal. The worst cuts were those from lack of concentration. The majority were from "the slip".

So keep a towel in your pocket or tucked into the top of your pants and it can prevent an accident, not only that but during the backyard BBQ it will make you look like you know what you are doing! Hey, everything helps, right?

Keep those fingers tucked!
Chef Brian

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Maryland Style Crab Cakes -by Chef Brian

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There are very few private recipes that I will let go public
but it's time that everyone needs to have this one. I have
traveled the country trying crab cakes that were supposed
to
be fantastic by the critics, but none have ever come close
to this one.

This is a very simple recipe, as some of the best are, and
can be made in a short amount of time. The dressing gains
flavor over time, 3-5 days, and will keep well if
refrigerated.

Blue crab lump meat is quite pricy and you can get away
with
just claw meat for this recipe if your budget demands.

I have reduced the recipe to a manageable size, originally
it was for 100, 4 oz. cakes! The restaurant would go
through
a couple hundred cakes a day. They were the most popular
item on the menu. You will find out why when you try them.

Crab cake dressing
2 eggs
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoons cayenne pepper
1 cups finely ground onion, drained very well

Use food processor to grind onion, let drain in colander for
at least 20 minutes, do not press.
Mix above items together with large wire whip until smooth.

Crab cakes
1 pound blue crab claw meat
1 pound blue crab lump meat
4 ounces cracker crumbs made from saltines
1 1/4 cups dressing, you can add the balance of the dressing
prepared above if a moister cake is desired.

Gently mix crab meat, cracker crumbs and dressing together
by hand just enough to fully moisten.

Weigh out 4 ounce portions and hand form into round cakes
about 3/4 to 1 inch thick. Wrap in wax paper, 6" squares
will do, and refrigerate for 2 hours before cooking.

Sauté using clarified butter till golden brown on both
sides. (to clarify butter, heat till almost boiling, let
set
till it separates. Use the clear portion on top)

Can be served by themselves or as a compliment to a light
flavored fish such as grouper, scamp or tilapia.

Yield: approx. 12-13 cakes.

The last time I checked, blue crab claw meat was $12-$14 a
pound and blue crab body lump meat was $18-$20 a pound.
And you always wondered why the crab cakes at the
restaurant seemed so small and over priced!

By making these at home the costs will be about $3 each and
like I said earlier, these are going to be better than 99%
of the restaurants that serve them unless you live on the
Chesapeake Bay! Enjoy! ~ Chef Brian ~

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Mongolian Hot Pot- More Uses For Your Fondue PotCooking article
Brought to you by ~~Chef Brian~~

Why not use the fondue pot for something else! Mongolian Hot Pot is a great meal that can be cooked in an electric fondue pot.

The Mongolian Hot Pot was originated by the ancient Mongols who would cook their food in boiling water. They would season the water with whatever dry spices they might have had on them at any given time. Those Mongols probably would not recognize your Fondue Pot with it's sterno cans and stainless forks!

To make Mongolian Hot Pot you'll need to fill your fondue pot with a type of broth. Be it beef, chicken, or even a spiced vegetable consume. Using your fondue forks you skewer meats and vegetables and cook them right at the table. You will need the more tender cuts of meat as boiled meats can be a little tough.

All the of preparations such as cleaning and cutting the vegetables and meat into bite sized pieces, can be done before hand. The little morsels will of course cook quicker and not reduce the temperature of the boil if they are brought out a little early to reach room temperature before dunking.

You'll need at least three dipping sauces to offer your guests some variety. possibly a hollendaise/ bernaise, a warm barbacue, and a spicy southwest would be good choices.

The cooking of the items will add flavor to the broth. At the end of the meal add some rice noodles and let cook for 10 min. Dish out into small bowls and serve with chopsticks. This after dinner soup is a special treat that your guests will remember and look forward to at future dinner parties.

Mongolian Hot Pot Recipe

Broth:5 cups, your choice, Broth
2 Green Onions (chopped)
2 Garlic Cloves (minced)
About 5 Shiitake Mushrooms (chopped)
2 tablespoons Cilantro (chopped)
2 tablespoons Soy Sauce

Vegetable Platter:
8 Bok Choy leaves (cut into strips)
1 – 8 ounce Can Bamboo Shoots (drained)
2 Green Onions (chopped)
1 cup Broccoli Florets
4 ounce package Rice Noodles

Meat Platter:
1 pound Beef Tenderloin (sliced into thin strips) or
1 pound Chicken Breast (sliced into thin strips) or
1 1/2 pounds Shrimp (in half if large)

Arrange vegetable platter before guests arrive.

Bring Broth to a boil.
Add Green Onions, Garlic, Mushrooms, Cilantro, and Soy Sauce Simmer for 15 minutes.
Spear beef strips with fondue forks and cook in broth for 3-5 minutes.
Spear vegetable strips and cook until tender.
Dip cooked beef and vegetables into desired sauces.
When all the meat has been eaten:
Add Rice Noodles to broth.
Add remaining vegetables to broth.
Simmer for about 10 minutes.
Serve portion to each guest in a bowl with chopsticks. ENJOY!

This Cooking article is provided by ~~Chef Brian~~ Visit www.chefbrianscookingtips.com for more recipes, articles, and recipes.

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I would like comments on this recipe, it's the first WHITE bar-b-que sauce I've seen. Try it!!


White Barbecue Sauce – Gourmet B-b-q Sauce At It’s BestCooking article brought to you by Chris McCarthy, Posted on: 2006-06-15

Barbecuing is not what it used to be. When growing up the only time that my family would start up the grill or smoker was in the summer and on the weekends. Today, people barbecue every night and all year round. Barbecue sauces have come along way since then as well. There used to be only a couple of choices at your local market. But now with the invention of “super” markets the amount barbecue sauces you can buy locally has grown significantly. For those gourmet barbecue sauces the web is probably the only place you will find these unique sauces. If you don’t live in the Alabama area the only place you will find traditional White BBQ Sauce like Big Bob Gibson’s is on the web or of course you can try to make it yourself.
In Alabama Barbecue traditional Sauce uses Mayonnaise as its base rather than tomato sauce, vinegar, or any of the other more typical barbecue sauce bases. It is clearly a region favorite. Bob Gibson of Decatur, Alabama is credited with the invention the white sauce back in 1925. Friends and family were first treated to this secret-recipe sauce on chicken and pork at weekend barbecues where boards were nailed to trees for tables. Today, this famous mayonnaise-based condiment is traditionally employed to baste chicken, seafood and pork.
White BBQ Sauce is as synonymous with the state with Alabama as the legendary "BAMA" football program. White BBQ Sauce’s intriguing flavor complements salads and is a superb baste for chicken, pork and turkey. You can also use White Sauce as an ingredient to add an extra kick to your favorite slaw or potato salad. However, because the racks of your local grocer are dominated by many incarnations of tomato-based sauces and white bbq sauce is such a regional anomaly, most people outside Alabama have not tested this concoction of flavor.
Like many barbecue sauces you want to apply this only at the very end of your grilling or smoking. It will breakdown and separate if it is heated too long. Use this sauce on chicken and turkey. It is also good on pork. Alabama White Barbecue Sauce has a tangy flavor that is a great addition to grilled foods.
White BBQ Sauce makes a unique experience. Use this recipe when grilling chicken; brush lightly over the chicken during the last few minutes of grilling. This sauce is also great for dipping; keep some sauce aside for passing at the table.
White BBQ Sauce Recipe
Ingredients:1 quart mayonnaise3/4 quart apple cider vinegar1/2 cup corn syrup1/4 tablespoon cayenne pepperPrepared horseradish to taste (1-3 tbs)Lemon juice to taste ( 1-3 tsp )2 tsp Salt1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Directions:Place all ingredients in a very large blender or food processor. Blend for 1 minute, or until thoroughly mixed and sauce is smooth. Pour sauce into two quart jars, use one today and save the other for next time.*** Remember, when using a brush to "dip" sauces out of a container for basting, discard unused sauce in container to prevent spread of bacteria that may form over time in storage. It's always best to pour sauce out onto meats and then spread.... Chef Brian***

Chris McCarthy is the owner of InsaneChicken's BBQ Sauce Catalog. InsaneChicken is proud to sell Big Bob Gibson White BBQ Sauce.