5 Star Makeover: Best of the Year and Happy Holidays!

It is almost the end of the year and many of us are reflecting on everything we have done for the last twelve months, including some of the dishes we have made. This month's 5 Star Makeover challenge is an easy one - no cooking required! All you have to do is pick your favorite "makeover" dish that you have posted about your blog at any time during 2009. This can include any classic dish (from any of the cuisines of the world) with a twist (such as modern, healthy, fusion, molecular gastronomy, seasonal, or adapting to a particular cuisine style). To participate, just leave me a comment on this post with a link to your recipe or send me an email at natasha@5starfoodie.com. Please send your entries by Sunday, January 3rd. The round-up will be posted on Monday, January 4th.

I will be taking a winter break for about two weeks. Happy Holidays, everyone, and best wishes in the upcoming New Year!

Szechuan Buttons and a Double Burner Giveaway Winner

Szechuan Buttons are little yellow flowers that cause a stimulating electric tingling sensation on the tongue. They are also sometimes called toothache flowers, buzz buttons, or Sechuan buttons. The main use of the Szechuan buttons is in various cocktails where they add a carbonation-mimicking effect, and they are also a lovely compliment to raw fish and sashimi dishes and frozen desserts. It would be a pleasant culinary surprise for your guests at upcoming holiday parties, and you can find this unique ingredient at Marx Foods.

Szechuan Buttons are actually native to Brazil, so I've decided to try them with two Brazilian specialties. First, I mixed the flower petals into a Papaya Cream, a frozen dessert, containing papaya, ice cream, and Creme De Cassis.



I also made Batida de Natal, a sweet cocktail with condensed milk that is traditionally served for Christmas. I loved the cooling tingling sensation that the Szechuan buttons added to these concoctions.



Papaya Cream (inspired by the Papaya Cream I once had in Fogo de Chao).

Ingredients: (2 servings)

About 1 1/2 cup papaya chunks
3 vanilla ice cream scoops
2-3 tablespoons Creme de Cassis
4 Szechuan buttons

Directions:

In a blender, mix papaya, ice cream, and creme de cassis until smooth. Swirl the petals of two Szechuan buttons. Pour into bowls or glasses and sprinkle the petals of one Szechuan button per serving.


Batida de Natal (adapted from cookbrazil.com)

Ingredients: (2 servings)

4 oz condensed milk (I used fat-free)
1/2 cup Port
Splash of Cachaça (or vodka/cognac to substitute)
1 tablespoon chopped walnuts
1/3 cup crushed ice
2 Szechuan buttons

Directions:

In a blender cup, combine condensed milk, Port, Cognac, walnuts, and ice and blend with an immersion blender. Pour into individual glasses and sprinkle Szechuan button petals over the top.

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The winner of the Double Burner Griddle Giveaway is Sarah at SJ Gourmet (randomly selected using random.org)! Please send me your mailing address here or natasha@5starfoodie.com .

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If you haven't had a chance to vote for my Sweet Goat Cheese Grape Fritters in the Chavrie Facebook Recipe Contest, I would appreciate your vote here or just post "Sweet Goat Cheese Grape Fritters" Chavrie's Facebook Wall. Thanks, everyone!

Chicken Liver Pâté

Every year during the winter holiday season, I enjoy making dishes to celebrate the holiday traditions. One my favorite dishes for these occasions when I was growing up was Chicken liver pâté. In our family recipe for chopped liver, butter is the secret ingredient that makes this pâté creamy, rich, and really delicious.

I am sending this recipe for the Family Recipes: Memories of Family, Food and Fun December Roundup hosted this month at Lynda's Recipe Box.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
1 pound chicken livers
3 hard-boiled eggs
2 sticks of butter
Salt to taste
bread, such as baguette, sliced

Directions:

Heat oil in a skillet. Add onions and fry until they turn golden. Meanwhile, cook livers in boiling water for about 10-15 minutes. Drain and cool.

In a food processor, mix onions, livers, eggs, and butter until mixture is smooth. Season with salt to taste.

Refrigerate for couple of hours before serving. Spread a thin layer on fresh or toasted bread slices.

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Don't miss the Double Burner Griddle Giveaway which will be open until 3 am on Sunday, 12/20/09.

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My Sweet Goat Cheese Grape Fritters were chosen as one of the finalists in the Chavrie Facebook Recipe Contest! I would appreciate your vote here or just post "Sweet Goat Cheese Grape Fritters" Chavrie's Facebook Wall. Thanks, everyone!

Apple Cinnamon Raisin Latkes and a Double Burner Griddle Giveaway

When we moved into our house a few years ago, I received a free double burner griddle with my new Dacor stove. I actually wanted a double burner grill instead and wasn't sure that a double burner griddle would be so useful. However, I discovered that the double burner griddle is quite a necessity and an amazing time saver. For example, I can make 6-8 large pancakes on the double burner griddle ensuring all the pancakes for a family breakfast are ready at the same time.

This week we are making a lot of latkes to celebrate Hanukkah. Instead of frying the latkes in batches in a regular frying pan, on the double burner griddle I can make 20-24 latkes at once. This morning I made breakfast latkes with apples, cinnamon, and golden raisins. They were excellent!



Ingredients: (about 24 latkes)

3 large Gala apples, peeled and cored
3 tablespoons golden raisins
3 tablespoons flour
1 egg
3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of salt
Vegetable oil

Directions:

Grate apples into a bowl. Add golden raisins, flour, egg, sugar, cinnamon and salt. Mix well.

Brush a large griddle or skillet with oil and heat over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Drop as many tablespoons of apple mixture onto a griddle as possible to fit, leaving enough space between each one. Flatten with a spatula into 1/4-inch-thick pancakes.

Cook latkes for a few minutes on each side, or until golden and cooked through.
Serve with a dollop of Greek Yogurt or sour cream.

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GIVEAWAY: Would you like to get your own double burner griddle from Rachel Ray Cookware collection at cookware.com? One lucky reader will be able to get one for free! For a chance to win, just leave a comment for this post. This giveaway can be shipped to USA and Canada (apologies to my readers overseas). The giveaway will be open until 3 am on Sunday, 12/20/09. I will randomly select a winner and post the announcement the following day!

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My Sweet Goat Cheese Grape Fritters were chosen as one of the finalists in the Chavrie Facebook Recipe Contest! I would appreciate your vote here for the final contest! Thanks, everyone!

Truffle Coffret Degustation Giveaway Winner

The winner of the Truffle Coffret Degustation Giveaway is ........

Sam at My Carolina Kitchen (randomly selected using random.org)! She said: "I've had a truffle once in France and we brought home some truffle oil. My husband loves the earthy taste of truffles. " Please send me your mailing address here or natasha@5starfoodie.com .

Just posted - check out my special breakfast latkes recipe and another fabulous giveaway!

Truffle Coffret Degustation Giveaway

La Boutique De La Truffle offers the fine truffles as well as more affordable specialties such as truffle honey and truffle carpaccio. I've been particularly enjoying the truffle carpaccio, incorporating the truffles in dishes such as Veal Involtini with Fontina and Truffles and Turkey Breast Roast with Truffle Butter. Truffle honey is also lovely drizzled on cheeses or with fresh breads and muffins. Check out the Boutique's products here.

La Boutique De La Truffle has a new "coffret degustation" which includes truffle oil, truffle honey, and truffle balsamic vinegar. It is a great gift for the holidays!



One reader will be receiving a free truffle coffret degustation! For a chance to win, leave a comment sharing your idea for a dish incorporating one or more of the truffle products in this sample. Please note that the product can only be shipped within United States. The giveaway will be open until 3 am on Wednesday, 12/16/09. I will randomly select a winner and post the announcement the following day!

Ghost Chile Peppers

Proceed with Caution: Extremely Spicy!

The Ghost pepper is the hottest chile in the world as recently confirmed by Guinness World Records. It is native to Northeastern India and is also called Bhut Jolokia or Naga Jolokia after one of the most venomous snakes, King Cobra.

This chile pepper is extremely hot and spicy. On the Scoville scale, it measures 855,000–1,050,000 units. For comparison, the hottest chile pepper many people are familiar with is the habanero chile which measures nearly a tenth less, at 100,000–350,000 Scoville units. When handling Ghost peppers, use caution and wear gloves. Even the airborne dust particles emanating during preparation may irritate some people, and I strongly recommend avoiding cooking with Ghost peppers when children are around.

I enjoy spicy sauces, and some of my prepared hot sauces are hotter than many people prefer. However, they are never quite spicy enough for my husband, who is a real spice lover. So, even though the Ghost pepper seemed a little scary to me, I asked Marx Foods to include it in my chile samples with a goal to make a dish spicy enough for my husband.

For this preparation, my goal was to make a sauce with a relatively simple flavor profile so we would be able to taste the true flavor of these chilies. I made a creamy sauce with just the Ghost chilies, onions, cream, and a little bit of agave. The result was very spicy but also very flavorful with wonderful smokiness and even a hint of sweetness.



I am happy to report that my husband finally said that this Ghost Chile Cream Sauce was spicy enough! I only put a few drops of this sauce on my monkfish and it was still very spicy for me! Of course, I did use three chiles (with the seeds), and unless you have a very high heat tolerance like my husband, I would only recommend using one chile and taking out the seeds before incorporating into the sauce.

I paired this sauce with coconut crusted monkfish. We loved the combination of smoky ghost pepper cream sauce with toasty coconut and delicate monkfish. On a side, Jasmine rice and brown sugar butternut squash mash were great side dishes to help absorb the heat of the chilies.



Ingredients:

1 tablespoon butter
1/2 onions, finely chopped
2/3 cup cream
3 Ghost pepper chilies
1 tablespoon agave

1 large monkfish fillet
1 egg
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
Salt to taste
Vegetable oil

Directions:

Place ghost pepper chiles in a small pot, cover with water. Bring to boil and then simmer for about 10 minutes until the chiles are softened. Take the chilies out of the pot and blend into a paste in a food processor, adding a tablespoon of the water from the pot if necessary.

In a skillet, heat butter and add onions. Saute until translucent. Add the chili paste and cook for another minute. Add cream and stir well to blend. Simmer for a few minutes until the cream reduces by 1/3. Blend and strain, then keep the sauce warm until ready to serve.

Meanwhile, slice the monkfish into 1 inch rounds or other shapes, if desired. Whisk the egg a little bit in a bowl. Combine the flour, coconut, and salt in a shallow bowl or plate. Heat oil in a skillet. Dip the monkfish rounds into the egg, and coat with coconut-flour mixture. Place in a skillet and fry for a few minutes per side.

Serve monkfish with Jasmine rice and brown sugar butternut squash and top with Ghost Chile Cream Sauce.

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In addition to the Ghost Chile Cream Sauce, I made a Ghost Chile Salt. I simply toasted the chilies in a skillet on a high heat for a few minutes and placed it in my spice grinder along with a little bit of orange peel. Then, I added the coarse sea salt (1/3 cup of salt for 6 ghost chilies) and pulsed it together with the chilies a few times. This salt would be a great addition to many different dishes according to an individual taste. Packaged in a nice container, it would also make a nice holiday gift for someone that likes spicy foods!

5 Star Makeover Roundup: Thanksgiving Leftovers

This month's 5 Star Makeover was all about turkey or other Thanksgiving leftovers. I was very excited to see all the creative ways of transforming regular holiday leftovers into fabulous dishes that you would want to make at any time of the year.

Sweet Potato Cranberry Napoleons

TURKEY TETRAZZINI by Lynda, Lynda's Recipe Box.



This Turkey Tetrazzini is an ultimate comfort food with the creamy Parmesan sauce, mushrooms and pasta.

LEFTOVER TURKEY DINNER PIZZA by Faith, Thought 4 Food.



To make a leftover turkey pizza, you can mix and match any leftovers that you’ve got on hand. Faith used shredded turkey, sweet potatoes, and green beans, then after baking she topped it with cranberry chutney.

TURKEY, CHARD, and RED JASMINE RICE by Diana, Cookerati.



This dish combines the leftover turkey with the Ruby Red Jasmine Rice and lovely chard colored red, yellow and green growing in Diana's garden.

TURKEY MUSHROOM PEA PIES by Andrea, Andrea's Wellness Notes.



These pretty individual mini pies with turkey, mushrooms, and peas are topped with mashed potatoes and baked until the potato topping is golden brown.

Khao Pad Grapao Turkey by Leela, She simmers.



Here, the leftover cooked turkey meat got transformed into a big pan of Thai spicy basil fried rice, Khao Pad Grapao. It's excellent accompanied by a crispy-bottomed fried quail egg on the side.

TURKEY APPLE POT PIE with Cheddar Biscuit Crust by Greg, Sippity Sup



"Warm and hearty with an unexpected bit of tartness from apples. Which are the perfect companion to the cheddar cheese biscuit crust."

BAKED EGGS WITH LEFTOVER STUFFING by Karen, Karen Cooks.



Baked eggs with leftover stuffing are very nice for a light and easy dinner. When baked, the stuffing gets crispy on the edges and the eggs are done perfectly.

TWISTED TAMALES by Christo, ChezWhat?.



These unique banana leaf tamales have a delicious filling with ground turkey meat and different kinds of chiles.

Turkey Fried Spring Rolls by Christo, ChezWhat?.



Christo also created scrumptious fried spring rolls with the turkey filling used for tamales above, accompanied by nuoc cham dipping sauce.

BAKED TURKEY AND BLACK BEAN TAQUITOS by Alyssa, Angel in the Kitchen



These oven-baked crispy taquitos are great with black beans and pepper jack and cheddar cheeses.

THANKSGIVING WRAP UP by Tangled Noodle



"The appetizing appeal of this wrap is in its combination of textures - from the crunchiness of nuts, the chewiness of a whole grain and the creaminess of mashed yams." The wheatberries are an intriguing addition and the cranberry-horseradish sauce looks fantastic.

SAVORY PEAR, FENNEL AND CHICKEN TARTE TATIN by Angela at Spinach Tiger



This gorgeous savory tarte tatin can be made with leftover chicken or turkey and features this month's Royal Foodie Joust ingredients: pear, ginger, and fennel, a unique combination.

MOROCCAN CIGARS by Elra at Elra's Baking



The Moroccan cigars with leftover turkey are a fried spicy and delicious snack that anyone would love.

THANKSGIVING LEFTOVER TURKEY SOUP by alwayswinner786 at TIPS FOR DELICIOUS AND HEALTHY COOKING



A delicious, warming, and healthy soup with wonderful flavors with addition of chipotle peppers and avocado.

BAKED EGGS IN STUFFING CUPS by Diva on a Diet at Beach Eats



"The savory herbed bread mixture was exquisite when paired with the silky baked egg."

STUFFED PEPPERS by Diva on a Diet at Beach Eats



Stuffed peppers are a great idea to use up any Thanksgiving leftovers and especially delicious with the leftover pork stuffing.

STEAMED BUNS WITH TERIYAKI TURKEY by Momgateway



A fabulous Japanese twist on turkey leftovers!

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Thank you to all my wonderful blogger friends who joined me for this challenge! I will announce a new challenge theme at the end of next week!

Pear Ginger Mousse with Candied Fennel

Fennel is an aromatic herb that has many medicinal and culinary uses. The fennel pollen, leaves, seeds, and bulbs of a fennel plant are all used for cooking. The bulb is a root vegetable and is typically eaten raw in salads or braised but can also be cooked in variety of other ways. Today, I decided to explore a sweeter aspect of the fennel bulb and prepared a candied fennel. I've paired it with a delightful and refreshing pear ginger mousse.

My featured natural sweetener that I used instead of sugar is Xagave. It is a premium blend Agave nectar that contains a special mixture of blue and white agave. Having used several other brands of agave nectars before, I found Xagave syrup to be delicate yet more flavorful. In this recipe, as it could be in may others, it is a complete substitute for sugar.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon butter
2 pears, peeled, cored and chopped (about 1 1/4 cup)
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
3 tablespoons agave syrup (Xagave)
1/4 cup brandy
2/3 cup whipping cream

1/2 fennel bulb
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup agave syrup (Xagave)



Directions:

In a skillet, melt butter. Add ginger, pears, and agave syrup. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes or until the pears are tender. Add 1/4 cup brandy and blend into a puree. Strain if necessary.

Whip the cream to soft peaks and fold into the pear puree. Refrigerate for a few hours or overnight.

Slice fennel into thin rounds on a mandoline. Place into a saucepan, cover with water. Bring to boil and simmer for a few minutes, then drain. Return to the saucepan. Add water and agave syrup and simmer for about 10-15 minutes. Cool.

Arrange the pear ginger mousse in the individual serving bowls or glasses and add the candied fennel on top.

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I would like to submit this recipe for the Beet'n Squash You! December Battle Fennel at Bouchon For 2.

Also, I've already submitted this recipe for this month's Royal Foodie Joust at the Leftover Queen Forum where the three ingredients were pear, ginger, and fennel. Go see what the other participants did with these ingredients and vote for your favorite!

Cooking Red to Remember: Smoked Serrano Chile Cranberry Reduction

In honor of the World Aids Day, I'm joining Angela of Spinach Tiger in Cooking Red to Remember. Please, visit Angela's blog for more information and to read her touching story.



My sauce today features special chilies that I got from Marx Foods. Marx Foods sent me a variety of chilies, and I have already used a few of them. I used three different chilies to make a sauce for the turkey tamales - Aji Amarillo, Pasilla Negro, and Ancho Chiles. This 3-chile sauce was incredible and was perfect to compliment the tamales.



I also made a pumpkin soup with Chile de Arbol which was a lovely blend of sweet and spicy flavors.



My best creation with Marx Foods' chilies so far is the Smoked Serrano Chile Cranberry Reduction sauce. It has a gorgeous deep dark red color as it is made with cranberries, red wine, and fiery red smoked serrano chilies. The chilies add wonderful smoky and spicy flavors to the sweetness and tartness of the cranberries.



Ingredients:

1 tablespoon butter
3 tablespoons onions, minced
1 cup cranberries
4 smoked serrano chiles
1 cup red wine
2 tablespoons sugar
salt, pepper to taste

Directions:

Saute onions until translucent, add the rest of ingredients, bring to boil, simmer for about 10-15 minutes. Blend until smooth and strain.




We served this sauce with seared duck and the vegetarian Sweet Potato Cranberry Napoleons on the side. It was also excellent with grilled halibut as well.

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Please visit The Split Pea where I'm guest posting today, featuring a recipe for Beet Salad with Mayonnaise.


View the details and recipe here.

And don't forget to visit Spinach Tiger blog for Cooking Red To Remember!