Crépinette

bucatini con le sarde alla siciliana.JPG

I got caul fat from my favorite local butcher shop. Caul fat is the membranous fat that surrounds the digestive organs of pigs, cows, and sheep. Visually, it’s the most beautiful of all the fats; it looks a lot like a delicate spiderweb. I got pork caul fat and was very excited to use it, so I told my friend that I got a really a rare ingredient. As soon as my foodie friend heard that, he said he was going to pop Bordeaux wine. Then I suddenly became nervous. lol

You’ve enjoyed a multi-course meal at your favorite restaurant and now you want to prepare one at home. I am a professional chef, but I do sometime. I haven't been to a culinary school, but it is pleasure to hear that Tatekitchen is the best from many people. To start dinner for that night, I was wondering what I should serve for appetizer. It may be hard to choose from among fabulous salads. Yes, simple is always the best! In greater Boston, I can easily get super fresh mini tomatoes and super fresh greens. The sauce for this salad is beets based glazed sauce with a touch of cayenne.

Coursed meals enable my guests to enjoy a variety of plates. The menus are diverse and the dishes build upon each other. I am given the time and freedom to create a story through food. I’m a little obsessed with Sicilian cuisine, mostly because there are many Sicilian in Boston area. Did I share the story that I have lived in North End Boston, where called "Little Italy"? I wanted to make Pasta con le Sarde before, and this personal chef opportunity brought me to Eataly in Boston where I can find true traditional Italian flour made pasta. Bucatini is the best for this Sicilian pasta dish for sure. Well, how do I survive from gluten bomb wine dinner? Here is my secret. Every time I consume gluten contained food, I pop these pills before eating. Digest Tech from Onnit minimize digestive distress and prevents me from bloating next day. This pasta dish was amazing and everyone loved it. Sardines are plentiful in Sicily and much cheaper than other fish. Fresh organic fennel from local farmers market made this dish so flavorful, as well as ground fennel seeds and raisins.

Ok, it is entree time! How I am use caul fat and why am I so excited to use it? because lean meat can dry out when cooking, like game meat. Lean grass fed beef sometimes gets too chewy. Wrapping something in caul fat before cooking it will allow the fat to insulate it. Eventually the caul fat melts and baste the meat while it cooks, transferring a subtle flavor to whatever it’s wrapping. Crépinettes are a type of flat sausage patties that are characteristically wrapped in caul fat. They are made with a highly seasoned country-style forcemeat with a relatively coarse texture. Crépinettes can be made of pork, veal, chicken, lamb, or a combination. Truffles are a classic flavoring ingredient for crépinettes. Classical crépinettes would be coated with melted butter and then tossed in breadcrumbs before sautéeing or grilling. The caul fat around the crépinettes will melt away as it cooks. I cooked with beef fat and flavored with shallot and black truffles because my friend opened vintage Bordeaux

I want you to eat food that fills you with happiness and joy. Food provides me with the energy that enables me to grow and prosper. The act of preparing nutritious and compassionate meals is an art form in itself. I studied nutrition and know what good and bad foods are. We are so obsessed with food. We can get any food at 24/7. I think it is very very blessed to choose food we want. Back in the day, human could find only seasonal food or even no food such as during winter. My policy for food is "Eat local, season and no waste".

Dessert time!! Real ice cream made of real cream. I got raw milk and cream from a local farm. There are many reasons one might prefer raw milk over pasteurized milk, ranging from nutritional to ethical to environmental. Different people will resonate with different reasons, depending on their value system, worldview and priorities. I believe that raw milk is higher in nutritional content than conventional milk, which may have some merit. Raw milk comes from cows that graze on grass. Some evidence suggests that milk from these cows is likely to have higher levels of fat-soluble vitamins and other nutrients. Cows fed fresh green forage, especially those grazing grass, have been shown to have higher levels of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and essential fatty acids in their milk. Many people experience digestive and other problems when they consume pasteurized milk, but have no trouble with raw milk. Raw milk has some quality that makes it easier to digest than pasteurized milk. The fact that this has not been proven in clinical research doesn’t make it untrue. It is said that raw milk contains enzyme lactase, which is essential to the complete digestion of whole milk. Yes, it breaks down lactose. There are many people who are lactose intolerant, however, they have less trouble drinking raw milk as mentioned above. Occasional ice cream time? I think I am totally cool with it.