The Inside Scoop (6)
a Chef´s perspective featuring tips and facts about my favourite foods
French Onion Roast Beef Dip Hero
Many years ago, I developed the very first "Dip" sandwich featured on the national sub shop Quizno's menu. It sold millions and millions of sandwiches and it really was quite delicious. I can't share that exact recipe with you but, here's a recipe you can make at home with a bunch of ingredients easily found at your grocery store that is equally as delicious.
French Onion Roast Beef Dip Hero
Serves 4
4 hero rolls
Non stick vegetable spray (as needed)
1 lb cooked roast beef, sliced thin
1 large onion, sliced thin
1 T butter
1 T olive oil
1 1/2 cups beef broth
4 T pesto sauce (available in the refrigerated case at your grocery store)
3 T Hellman's mayonnaise
4 T Regianno Cheese, grated
1. Slice the hero rolls and spray the insides liberally with non-stick vegetable spray.
2. Place the opened rolls in a large saute pan or griddle and grill for 2 minutes or until nicely brown.
3. Remove the heros and melt the butter with the olive oil and heat on medium flame in the same pan.
4. Add the thinly sliced onions and cook for 5-8 minutes or until the onions are golden brown (stir frequently).
5. In a small sauce pan, heat the beef broth for 2 minutes and add the thinly sliced roast beef and cook for 2 minutes.
6. While the beef is heating up, combine the pesto sauce with the mayonnaise and mix well.
7. Paint the inside of the hero rolls with the pesto mayonnaise, pile the roast beef inside and top with the caramelized onions.
8. Sprinkle the grated cheese atop the onions.
9. Serve each hero immediately along with a small cup of the hot beef broth for dipping.
Herbal Tea Panaceas
Earl Mindell could be considered the pope of the holistic healing culture. His book, The Herb Bible is interesting and informative. Whether you believe in holistic healing or not, the book is packed with folklore, facts and theories about a new approach to healing the old fashioned way; through herbs. Earl wrote an entire chapter just on herbal teas. Every tea that is called out in the book is available in health food and specialty stores. The teas can be consumed hot or cold, but are not all pleasant tasting, Most importantly, according to Mindell, these teas will cure what ails you. Alfalfa tea for example, aids in digestion, perfect after a hearty fall meal. If you not feeling well and don’t have an appetite, or if you have a cold and cant taste a darn thing, a sip of black currant tea will help. This popular flavor is also said to stimulate your taste buds. Ginger tea supposedly restores a lost appetite, not a problem for this chef. Most of us have seen what catnip can do to a little kitty. The author does not suggest that you will react similarly to a cat sniffing catnip, but he does write that catnip tea is a relaxant and mild depressant. If your kids are driving you wild and you are one-step away from lacing their spaghetti sauce with Demerol, let them sip on iced chamomile tea. Believe it or not, it calms hyperactive children and is perfect before bedtime. If you're planning on tailgating this weekend and ylooking to chow down on some good old fashioned baked beans, sip on some peppermint or spearmint tea, both are good when you are trying to avoid having your dinner talk behind-your-back. You can find The Herb Bible at Amazon.com
Pasta is always a favorite in my home A simple three-ingredient sauce such as a classic Alfedo made with cream, butter and cheese can be as delicious as a more complicated hearty Bolognese. I’m a big fan of gnocchi. This pasta is typically made from potatoes and when prepared properly, they can be as light as fa eather but more often than not, they are dense and as heavy as a potato dumpling. I make my gnocchi from scratch a day before I plan on serving them. I start by baking 10 lbs. of russet potatoes; these are heavier in starch and often referred to as bakers. I sheet them up single layer and bake them in an oven set at 400 degrees for about an hour or until they are tender inside. I remove them from the oven and immediately cut off the tops in order to scoop every ounce of that delicious starchy pulp. I always have a pot of ice water nearby where I dip the hand that will be holding the potato to keep from burning myself. Once I have the potatoes scooped out, I gradually add about 2 cups of all-purpose flour and a few teaspoons of sea or kosher salt. I end up kneading this on a stainless table for about 10 minutes and add enough flour so the dough stands up and holds it shape, so it is similar to bread dough. Once the dough is firm, I roll it into thin uniform logs about as thick as my thumbs. Using a knife, held at a slight angle, I cut the log every ? inch or so, depending upon how big I want my gnocchi to be. I then gently drag each gnocchi onto a floured fork allowing the tines to make indents in the pasta. The indents will allow my sauce to collect and stick to the pasta at service. I then store the gnocchi on a floured sheet pan and refrigerate overnight. The next day, I cook the gnocchi in simmering, not boiling, 190-degree water, until they float to the top of the pot. This makes enough gnocchi for about 12 people, or 4 Avernas. Any sauce will compliment these potato babies but my favorites are Basil Pesto Genovese, Bolognese meat sauce or just a simple quick made fresh tomato sauce.
Knives are a cook’s best friend. Whether you are a professional chef, or a home enthusiast, a good sharp knife can either allow you to prepare food efficiently and safely, or be a deadly weapon. It sounds crazy, but a dull knife is much more dangerous than a well cared for sharpened one. If you’re shopping for a knife, look for the tang, or end of the blade that attaches to the handle to run throughout the entire length of the knife. It should also be riveted in several places. A high carbon stainless steel or forged carbon knife is recommended, because it will hold an edge, or remain sharp longer. Sharpening a knife with an electric sharpener if not done properly can really shorten the life span of a good knife. You must hold the knife, while inserting it in the sharpener at just the right angle, or you will actually dull the knife, flattening it’s surface... I give my knives a quick sharpen by using a steel. You have probably seen these in the stores and might even own one. Its a long metal or ceramic stick that you draw the knife against at a 20 degree angle, the blade becomes renewed after a few passes and will appear sharper than ever.
I'm still not fully convinced that the organic movement is taking hold. I don't think that middle America is quite ready to go full-out organic. In my opinion, you either do it or you don't. Well, that was the case until I discovered organic milk. I just started buying only organic milk because of its generous shelf-life.
Typically, standard pasteurized milk has a shelf life of about 6-10 days once it hits the grocer's shelves. With my lifestyle and travels, I'm on the road far too much and end up pouring milk down the drain after the expiration date passes. This is not only a waste of money but a waste of resources...that poor cow suffered through the automated process of having her utters drained so I could enjoy a bowl of cereal in the morning and here I was, throwing most of it out.
Organic milk, is exposed to ultrahigh temperature processing (UHT), which brings the milk to 280 degrees for 2-4 seconds killing any bacteria spores in the milk itself. Standard milk is heated to a much lower temperature killing much, but not all of the bacteria. You can buy UHT non-organic milk which doesnt require refrigeration and is great in a pinch. There is a slight difference in the taste (UHT milk is sweeter) but with a 3-4 week shelf-life, this chef-on-the-road will only buy organic or UHT milk from now on.
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