Friday, October 29, 2010

Trick or Treat for UNICEF Celebrates 60 Years


Committed to helping end any form of hunger, educational issues or inequalities for children, UNICEF is celebrating the 60th year of their Trick or Treat for UNICEF program that has helped aid millions of children World wide. Over the years many things have changed on the face of this planet but the desire to help others has not. True many people are facing some of the worst economic times that they have ever faced, but in times like these it is more important than ever to support worthy causes such as UNICEF and other International programs that help deliver food, clothing, shelter, forms of education such as schools, books and computers and so much more to where it is truly needed.

There are still two days left and numerous spots that you can still obtain a box to take in donations for UNICEF. Follow the link below and see how you too can get involved.

Trick Or Treat 4 UNICEF

Friday, October 22, 2010

Recipe Of The Day: Caramelized Cayenne Cashews





Sometimes buying those store bough nut mixes leaves you with nothing more than sticky fingers and and a body full of salt and chemicals. With the abundance of health food shops popping up, farmers markets and raw foods showing up in major chain grocery stores, it is much cheaper and healthier to create your own flavored nuts and trail mixes. This recipe is simple, fast and good to try out for beginners in the kitchen. 
After you get your timing down, start to experiment with your flavors and levels of heat or sweetness.
Tell your friends to save the nut jokes because once you master what it take to make theses, you will  be making these spicy treats to be implemented in too many recipes to count.
They also work great for those long days at the office to help avoid snacking on that crap they call food in the vending machines. That’s just food for thought though.


Ketel One Oranje - Just In Time 4 Halloween

Perfect Puree Red Mixed Berry

Red Mixed Berry Puree

The best red berries live in harmony in this indulgent puree. Strawberry, Cranberry, Blueberry, Black Currant and Cherry have been combined to create a symphony of berry flavors. There is an added antioxidant punch with the bonus of sweet and tart flavors. Classic and contemporary uses include trifle, ganaches, ice cream,yogurtsavory saucescocktails and plate decorating.
 
 
 
Shrimp Tempura with
Spicy Red Berry Ketchup
Chef Max Duley, Consulting Chef
  • ½ cup Culinary Traditions Red Mixed BerryPuree, thawed
  • ½ cup rice wine vinegar
  • 2 lbs. tomatoes, rough chopped
  • 5 tbsp. brown sugar
  • 1 onion, chopped and diced
  • 1 serrano pepper, diced
  • 1 clove garlic, chopped
  • 4 cloves
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 stick cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp. celery seeds
  • ¼ tsp. chili flakes
  • ¼ tsp. allspice
  • 1 ½ tsp. kosher salt
Place cloves, bay leaf, cinnamon, celery seeds, chili flakes and allspice into a cheesecloth and tie securely. Place tomatoes, Red Mixed Berry puree, salt, vinegar, sugar, onion, pepper, garlic and cheesecloth bundle into a 4-quart saucepan. Cook the sauce for 30 minutes or until onions are soft. Remove cheesecloth spice bundle and puree the sauce until smooth in a blender or with a hand blender. Strain the puree through a mesh strainer and return to stovetop. Cook on low heat until thickened, about 20 more minutes. Stir occasionally so the sauce does not burn. Cool. Serve with tempura shrimp. Store any remaining ketchup in an airtight container. Can last up to 2 weeks.
 
 
 
Bourbon Bling
Dana M. Bruner, The Perfect Purée
  
• 1 ½ oz. Culinary Traditions Red Mixed Berry Puree, thawed
• 1 oz. Woodford Reserve Bourbon
• 6 Bing cherries
• ½ oz. simple syrup
 
Combine cherries and Red Mixed Berry puree into a glass and muddle. Add Bourbon, simple syrup and ice. Shake vigorously with a Boston Shaker for 10 seconds. Pour into glass, garnish.
 


Visit www.perfectpuree.com for more great recipes!
 

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Today Rock Purple & Support NOH8 - Cause Any Form of Hate, Racism or Bullying Is Just Bullshit.

Banner

Biscayne Steak, Sea & Wine, Brings South Beach To Las Vegas


Las Vegas – Oftentimes when people wax the philosophical about what great spots they have vacated too or what fascinates them, you will be told about a dining location that one must not miss out on. Food and its supernatural powers can either make or break an entire trip. How many times have you heard someone return from a vacation to hear, everything was great but the food was horrible. Let us put it bluntly, when the food sucks, everything from that point on might as well not even have happened.

The city of Las Vegas knows this fact and that is why they have become the ultimate dining hotspot within the last decade. The Gastronomical /Culinary crazed monster that has overtaken the World is leaving an incredible mark in the hearts and stomachs of millions of people night after night in the city where anything goes and for the right price anything can be had.

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Soulful Sunday - Willie Bobo "Fried Neckbones & Some Home Fries"



Do your homework, Willie Bobo released numerous records that all had gems on them. Perfect for cooking, lounging around doing nothing, cleaning the house and of course low key relaxing with some good libations and a close friend to keep you warm.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Recipe Of The Day: Lobster Quesadilla w/ Tropical Fruit Salsa

This morning was quiet, the skies were clear and all I could think about was Lobster. Does that make me sick person? Anyways I think that taking an entirely different approach to things we have become beyond bored with is the only way to spice up ones life. Oftentimes people feel that because something is easy or not out of the ordinary for their daily routine, they mustn’t change a thing about their actions. We at The Supreme Plate feel that when life becomes to routine whether good or bad, something must be done to change the situation before it becomes stale. No this isn’t some prophetic, retrospective look into our lives, but more a look at a simple Culinary staple that has provided us with many great memories around the world, The Quesadilla.  Making a slight change in the ingredients someone incorporates into a Quesadilla can provide that “Moment of Clarity” if you will as to how amazing something so easy and mundane can be with a bit of ingenuity.
We added some fresh Lobster, an amazing Tropical Fruit Salsa and went for broke this morning, and here is what we created.
Enjoy (because if you don’t, your Crazy!)

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Come Check Out The Greatest Food Trucks @ Art Walk - October 14th, 2010

Perfect Puree Spotlight On Citrus Sensation

Citrus Sensation Concentrate

A mélange of classic fruit concentrates including orange, tangerine, lemon and lime that transforms into a floral citrus sensation with a kiss of honeysuckle. This unique flavor can be used for all parts of a menu -beveragessaucesdesserts and much more!
Citrus-Coconut Bars
Chef Max Duley, Consulting Chef
 
For the crust:
  • ½ cup butter, softened
  • 1/8 tsp. salt
  • ¼ cup powdered sugar
  • 1 cup flour
For the citrus filling:
For the coconut filling:
Heat oven to 325° F. Mix butter, salt, ¼ cup powdered sugar and 1 cup flour together until soft dough forms. Pat in bottom of 9" x 9" pan. Bake until just lightly browned. 
 
While crust is baking, mix eggs, Lemon Zest, Citrus Sensation, Meyer Lemon, sugar and ¼ cup flour. Remove crust from oven and pour egg mixture on top. Return to oven and cook for 20 minutes, or until just set in the center. Cool.
 
Mix Coconut and powdered sugar together until smooth. Add cream and vanilla, beat until medium peaks form. Spread over cooled bars and sprinkle with toasted coconut. Store in refrigerator for best results.
 
Mango Citrus Zen
Dana M. Bruner, The Perfect Purée
  
• 1 ½ oz. Charbay Green Tea Vodka
 
Combine ingredients into mixing glass with ice. Shake vigorously with Boston Shaker for 10 seconds. Pour ingredients into glass, garnish with orange slice.
 

Sunday, October 10, 2010

Soulful Sunday - RIP Solomon Burke (3/21/40 - 10/10/10)


This was one of the greatest songs used on one of the greatest shows ever made, The Wire. I remember the first time I heard this song, I must've listened to it twenty times in a row, stuck in traffic driving from Los Angeles to Corona after work and just thought that this song was meant to make people think about where the heck they were headed in life. 
RIP SOLOMON BURKE

Recipe Of The Day: Supreme Plate Macaroni & Cheese

Nothing says sunday dinner like a great big helping of Macaroni & Cheese. Over the weekend we worked on quite a few new recipes in the test kitchens and when it finally became time to cook for our invited guests, we decided on whipping up an old classic that everyone loves.
Macaroni & Cheese is one of those things that just pulls a meal together so perfectly, so long as you have the right recipe to put on the table. Box mixture just wont cut it for for the people we cook for, that might get us cussed out in certain instances.
This recipe is really easy to make and is not too sweet and not too heavy on the stomach.
Enjoy!

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Perfect Puree Tamarind

Culinary Traditions TamarindPuree
 
Introduced to America during the sixteenth century, the Tamarind is native to Africa. Extensively cultivated in tropical areas of the world, Tamarind pods grow from the branches of Tamarind trees. Our Tamarind Puree has a powerful, sweet-tart flavor that is 100% free of the seeds and strings that characterize the pod fruit. It is blended so silky smooth that even your finest sauces will not require straining.
 
Cracked Pepper and Tamarind Glaze
Chef Ladan Raissi
Current Restaurant at Coronado Island Resort & Spa
  • 1 cup Culinary Traditions Tamarind, thawed
  • 2 cups orange juice
  • 3 tbsp. canola/olive oil blend
  • ½ small red onion, chopped
  • 2 tbsp. fresh ginger, chopped
  • 2 tbsp. honey
  • 2 tsp. cracked black pepper
  • Sea salt
Heat oil over high heat. Add the onion and ginger and cook until soft. Add the orange juice and stir occasionally until reduced to 1 cup. Whisk in Tamarind, honey, and salt to taste and cook until dissolved. 
Strain into a bowl and stir in the coarsely ground black pepper. Let cool.
 
Serving suggestion:
Glaze is used for brushing on chicken or fish on the grill or roasted in the oven.
 

National Frappe Day (Who Needs Starbucks When You Have A Recipe Like This?)



Today is National Frappe Day, so with that we figured we would hit our beloved fans and friends off with a simple, delicious recipe that can be made at home pretty quickly before you start your day or after you return home from slaving at work for however many hours you put in.

For the most part I am not a big coffee person, as a matter of fact I can’t recall ever drinking an entire cup of coffee in my life. I am blown away by people who feel the need to spend hundreds of dollars monthly buying all these sweetened up drinks when they could be making them at home for a fraction of the price.

Of course convenience plays a major part in these retailers being able to rake in the cash for such a simple but delicious treat; but that is the reason we exist, to help alleviate the burden and cost of loving delicious foods and beverages so much.

This recipe has been a hit in our test kitchens for quite some time and the truly great thing about it is, that all 3 of the components needed for this drink, can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge / freezer until your ready to enjoy your delicious drink.
You can even get creative and use cool shaped ice cube trays and sell these drinks to your friends an co-workers to supply their habit as well.

Enjoy!

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Recipe Of The Day: Hot Dogs A La Rose



Good Morning Ladies & Gentlemen. Finally a few cool days have landed upon us in the South West which no matter how cold your AC keeps your home, is always a blessing in Southern California. We got a request from a mother who said that her kids have grown tired of their usual regimen of hot dogs, hamburgers and French fries and was curious if we could give her something to breathe new life into these childhood classics we all grew up eating. 

She had stated that her kids were adventurous, but on a school night and after a hard day at work, she didn’t have the time or energy to chance trying out new dishes on her youngsters. Which gave me the idea to give her a recipe that was created on Food Network by Aarti Sequeria. I hadn’t actually caught the recipe in it’s original airing, but by being given this recipe by someone who doesn’t have a fondness for Hot Dogs, I knew there had to be something quite inviting about it, or else I would have never even heard about it.
That alone made me think of how deep and well combined the flavors must be and also how truly flavorful the Worlds best mass produced hot dog could taste on some warmed Pita bread.

The Garam Masala and Tumeric go so wonderful with the Onions, Ketchup and Ginger it simply cant be stated any better than saying, This Dish Really Is Amazing!!
We hope you and your loved ones enjoy this futuristic and thoughtful take on such a classic recipe as much as we did.
Ingredients:
1 TBS Canola Oil
1 Large Onion, Diced
4 Garlic Cloves, Peeled And Thinly
1 ½ TBS Minced Fresh Ginger
1 Handful Shredded Carrots, Optional
Salt And Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1 tsp Tumeric
¼ tsp Garam Masala
½ tsp Smoked Spanish Paprika
1 Large Tomato, Diced
2 TBS Ketchup
1 (12-Ounce) Package Hot Dogs, Sliced About 1/16-Inch Thick (Recommended: Hebrew National)
¼ Cup Water, If Necessary
Handful Cilantro Leaves, Minced

Directions
Heat the Canola Oil, in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, until shimmering.
Add the onions, Garlic, ginger and carrots, if using, and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Saute until onions are softened and slightly brown around the edges, about 5 minutes.
Add the turmeric, Garam Masala and paprika, quickly stirring for about 20 seconds to keep the Spices from burning.
Stir in the Tomatoes and ketchup, and taste for seasoning; add more salt and pepper, if needed.
Add Hot Dog rounds, stirring to cover them with the tomato mixture.
Add 1/4 cup water if the mixture is too dry.
Cover and simmer over medium-low heat 15 minutes.
Taste and season accordingly.
Remove from heat, stir in Cilantro and transfer the mixture to a serving bowl.
Serve in warmed / toasted Pita Bread Asap.



Sneak Peak... John Rocha for Waterford Crystal

Since the black on black everything trend is something that just doesn't seem to going away anytime soon, we thought we would give you a sneak peak at the new Black Cut line of Waterford Crystal, designed by the always awe inspiring John Rocha. More to come on these and other amazing pieces during the week.
Stay tuned and start saving some dough if your thinking about buying any of these illustrious pieces for your home.

October Is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Sunday, October 3, 2010

Perfect Puree Pomegranate

Culinary Traditions Pomegranate Concentrate
 
This delightful fruit is well known in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisines. The red seeds burst with an astringent sweet-tart flavor. Our Pomegranate Concentrate is made from 100% fresh pomegranates and delivers a powerful, true fruit flavor. This concentrate is especially popular in dessertscocktails, mocktails andsavory sauces.
 
 
Pomegranate Sidecar
  • 1 oz. Premium Cognac
  • ½ oz. Culinary Traditions PomegranateConcentrate, thawed
  • ½ oz. Grand Marnier
  • 1 oz. simple syrup
  • ¾ oz. fresh lemon juice
  • 1 egg white
  • Dash of orange bitters
Combine all ingredients into a glass filled with ice. Shake vigorously with a Boston Shaker until egg whites are foamy. Strain into a glass and garnish with a sprig of thyme.
 

October Is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Men & Women both need to take heed to the signs that Breast Cancer is something we all need to be concerned about. Everyone knows someone who has suffered from cancer, no matter what the location may be, Cancer is a horrible thing to have to fight alone.
Support every cause you can that has anything to do with Cancer research, including Breast Cancer.
Remember if it weren't for breasts, there would be none of us!


Soulful Sunday

Soulful Sunday

Twitter