The Paloma – Asiatique

The Paloma

Asiatique
1767 Bardstown Road
Louisville, Kentucky
502.451.2749
http://www.asiatiquerestaurant.com

Sunday Brunch 10AM – 3PM
Sunday Dinner 4:30PM – 10PM
Monday – Thursday 5PM – 10:30PM
Friday & Saturday 5PM – 11PM
Thursday – Saturday the bar and Lounge A are open until 2AM with appetizers until 1AM

After reading the ingredients to this cocktail a couple years ago in the local newspaper, I thought since I love Tequila I would try it. I agree with Pabs Sembillo, owner of Asiatique Restaurant; it is very light, crisp and very refreshing. It’s similar to a kick up soda. I made this for a summer party last year, every one enjoyed very much.

2 ounces Tequila
1 ounce Grapefruit Juice
2 ounces Soda water
2 ounces Sprite

Fill the shaker with ice. Pour Tequila and Grapefruit Juice into the shaker. Shake well to chill drink. Fill tall cocktail glasses with ice, strain cocktail in glasses; add soda water and Sprite. Garnish with a slice of lime (squeeze lime into glasses and float lime in cocktail for added zest.

Happy Summer Drinking!

Upcoming New Finds

Hey Foodies.

I hope all who celebrate Thanksgiving had wonderful time, eating and catching up with family and friends. Our feast was great, many friends and family all had a great time, some eat too much and their stomach were hurting. So I make I Got Overstuff drink for them and they were feeling good in time for dessert.

I say it before I haven’t been here in long time but I’m trying to make more time to post restaurant findings and recipes for you all. I have two new restaurants I am researching now, I will post them some time early next year. More recipes are coming very soon for Christmas. Thank you all for your emails on your favourite difficult recipes. I will post extra suggestions and tips on what work best for me. And please continue to post, email your favourite recipes for Christmas you would like to share or have questions about.

Happy Eating and Happy Merry Christmas!

Turkey Gravy

This is one of my easiest gravy recipes that I use many times.

4 cups of turkey stock mixed with the turkey liquid gathered after cooking the turkey.
1 cup of chardonnay or your favourite white wine.
1 teaspoon of poultry seasoning. (you can use more if you like the seasoning stronger)
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (use less if you like less hot flavour)
¼ teaspoon of garlic powder ( some times I use fresh minced garlic; use powder if you want smooth gravy.)
1 cup of water
1/3 cups of flour
1 teaspoon of Browning gravy sauce

You can use the pan that was use to cook the turkey, the stock and chardonnay are use to deglaze the pan (that is how you get the liquid from the turkey mixed well). Cook over medium high heat until boiling.

When pan is deglaze add seasonings and salt to taste (about 1/8 teaspoon) reduce heat to low and cook and simmer until flavour are mixed well. Add 1 teaspoon of browning gravy sauce and stir in.

Mix well water and flour together to make roux with a whisk. Bring gravy to boil and stir evenly roux mixture continue to stir for about 1 minute or until you see the gravy becoming thick. You want to cook long enough to cook the flour taste out. 1 minute is long enough, don’t let gravy scorch. After gravy is thick you are ready to serve.

This recipe make enough for about 30 servings. Gravy can be stored in container place cool down mixture in refrigerator up to about 2 weeks.

Happy Eating! and Happy Thanksgiving!

Turkey preparation – tips and recipes

Well, Thanksgiving is almost here and I seen many people in panic attacks in food markets trying to get the last minutes items and ingredients to try to prepare a yummy feast to celebrate. Every year I see the same problem…what size of turkey to get, how long to thaw it out, and many questions to the butchers on how to avoid the awful dry, not cook through, and not flavour enough turkey.

For size, you want enough turkey for your guests/family; keeping moderation portion is three slices to each person and then add extra three slices for second servings. I figure with me its many people (staff/bandmates; guests/family) so to me 18-20 pound does nice. To thaw it, I begin 4-5 days before. You can begin thawing the turkey earlier than required time, mine has almost complete it thawing process. I soak it in a plastic laundry tub overnight. After I will keep it in the fridge until the night before and then begin cooking it.

I found this site most helpful for added tips – http://www.recipetips.com/kitchen-tips/t–642/preparing-a-turkey-turkey-preparation.asp

Some people like to make the stuffing (bread dressing) inside the turkey, I definitely prefer to keep it separate for reason it some time difficult to get the turkey cook through properly.

I first begin with taking the giblet bag (it is located inside the turkey) out. Rinse the turkey inside and out with cool water and paper towel it dry, the seasonings will stick to the skin better.

I tend to keep seasoning simply to have more natural flavours of the turkey. Since there is many thin layers of meat it will take a lot of salt, I use about three-thirds of a 26 oz box of salt inside and out and about 2 tablespoon of poultry and sage inside too. Don’t panic I shake partly hand full of salt evenly over the whole turkey.

Then I rub about one stick of unsalted butter mixed with about 3 tablespoon of poultry seasonings and sage – same measurement over the whole turkey and massage in to the skin well. You can separate the skin and rub on the meat. I tend to do the old school and how seasoning on the top skin.

Next I stuff inside 1 large sweet onion (cut in to quarter), about 4 celery stocks – halved, 3 carrots medium sized, and 1 large lemon – halved. Those are main important aromatics to flavour through the turkey from inside out.

Put turkey on turkey roasting pan with rack, pour about 1 ½ – 2cups of water in to bottom roast pan and cover. You can add chicken stock instead of water if you prefer, the turkey drippings will add to the liquids this is what you will use to baste the turkey. Put turkey in to pre-heated oven at 350 F (175 C) for 3 – 4 hours (check each hour after first two hours) and baste. For browning the top breast uncover for last hour until golden brown.

Most every turkey has the timer plug install inside, when it is fully eject out the turkey is done. Test temperature of turkey from the between the breast and leg area; if it around 165 you are ready, the turkey will continue to cook for another hour while cooling down. I usually turn off oven and leave turkey inside and covered.

Happy Eating and Happy Thanksgiving!

Updates coming

Hey foodies,

Sorry I haven’t been around here lately, been busy with work and the band with tours and promotions. I have been collecting all good food places for you. I write now for later posting of those places a slight at a time. Thank you for being patience and all your emails please continue to write me I do read all your suggestions and tips and hellos…you all ROCK!

Happy Eating!
Brown Wolf

Nopales (Cactus) Salad

Credited to Raul d’Ablaing

I was reading my friend, Raul’s blog, he posted that he finished planting some items in his garden. Among all the tasty eats, he planted some nopales (cactus). Wow! It’s been a while since I had some cactus for dinner, …thinking; now there is a true healthy meal for anyone and everyone who likes to eat healthy and light. I use to eat it all the time when I was touring and we stayed with friends, very quick and easy to prepare.

Select 3 or 4 pads
4 Portobello Mushrooms – clean with a damp towel
2 eggs – boiled and cut into slices
lime juice
olive oil
seasonings – red pepper flakes, black pepper, garlic powder, salt

(Make sure the Nopales pads you select are not wrinkled, soggy or too soft. Pads are modified branches, which range in color from pale to dark green. Pick the ones which good colour to them.)

Wear rubber or leather garden gloves when removing all needles with a sharp knife, sometimes I use a good vegetable peeler. Also, remove any nodules, the thick stem, and trim the edges off of the pads as well. After, wash each pad well with slightly warm to cool water.

Grill Cactus over medium high hot side of grill, brush each side with olive oil until tender and slightly browned (10 – 12 minutes each side). On the medium hot side of grill, grill Portobellos. Slice Portobellos and Cactus into stripes, add sliced eggs, and seasonings to taste; then drizzle with lime juice and olive oil. Can be served on top of a bed of lettuce. For added flavour, add diced tomatoes, chopped green onions, and grated cheese.

Nopales can be tightly wrapped and stored in a refrigerator up to one to two weeks.

Happy Eating!

Cheese Ball

Credit to Rhonda, this recipe is a crowd pleaser for any occasion.

2 – 8oz pkgs of cream cheese
1 pkg of Ranch Dip Mix (use half the pack, if making extra large balls – doubling batches, use the entire pack)
1 pack of finely shredded cheese – I used Cheddar, Mozzarella, and Monterrey Jack
2 cups nuts – your choice is fine I used pecans, walnuts, and sliced almonds.

Work cheeses and ranch dip all together until well incorporated and shape into a ball. Roll ball around until covered in the chopped nuts. Chill untill ready to serve on any favourite crackers of your liking… I served it with frybread chips; although Townhouse are real good too.

Happy Eating!

Sausage Balls

Credit Rhonda – Your guests will simply not get enough of these.

1 pound of sausage (mild or hot…both, can add other kinds of sausage; I added ½ pound of Chorizo) fried, drained, and cooled

Mix in a large bowl:

2 cups of Bisquick
1 jar of cheese whiz – 16 oz. (I’m for saving money to the masses, get the inexpensive brand; that way it’s two for the prize of one expensive brand with the same taste).

Add sausages to the bisquick and cheese whiz and mix together. Roll sausage mixture into a 1-inch balls and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes or until golden brown. (note-watch closely, you don’t want the cheese to ooze out and burn).

Serves about 10 – 15 people depending

Happy Eating!

Layered Salad

Another holiday is upon us, most of us are frenetic trying to get last minutes things done before Father Christmas comes…to add to the chaos what to fix extra for those last of the Christmas parties. Well, one of my best and dearest friends, Rhonda, shares some of her recipe collection.

This one is one of my favourites; I prepared it for a side and appetizer for my cousin’s birthday party

Layered Salad

1 or 2 heads of lettuce (if you use the pre-bagged; rinse before serving)
2 cups of Miracle Whip – I suppose you could use Mayo if preferred.
1 pound of bacon- fried (less bacon if you preferred…or more or cubed tofu if you’re a vegetarian)
–it’s best fried the bacon first, so it can be cooled and drain before adding to the salad
1 cup green onions – chopped
1 cup each of blanched peas and carrots (this is what I added to it the second making; it’s the band’s favourite)
1 or 2 cups Cheddar cheese – finely shredded (I mixed the cheddar with ½ cup of each Mozzarella and Swiss)

Layer the salad accordingly and serve to your hungry guests, they’ll ask for more….mine did…again and again…..and again
You may have to make several platters.

Happy Eating!

Fancy Cakes Shop – Catering

Fancy Cakes Shop
2 Liberty Avenue
Carlisle, PA 17013
717.386.5518
fancycakesshop@comcast.net
http://fancycakeshop.com

Specializing in homemade specialty desserts, party and wedding cakes, as well as special occasions; they will customize your cakes to your design.

—–Cake featured above: 4-Layer Petal Shaped cake iced in butter cream icing. Fondant draping from top to bottom with butter cream roses. Lots of Luster Dust sprayed for sparkle & shine.—–

Choose from a list of different flavours, fillings, and icings also specialty flavours such as: Tropical Passion Punch – Orange cake filled with lemon filling and toasted coconut flakes and iced with stabilized whipped icing.

A fan of chocolate? Try their Chocolaty Delight – chocolate cake filled with chocolate ganache, chocolate mousse, and iced with chocolate butter cream… it just screams chocolate delight!

Ordering party cakes online is available – complete their easy order form and you will be contacted for confirmation within three hours. Orders received after business hours will be confirmed the following day.

All Basic Party Cake decorations are made of real butter cream, wedding white butter cream, or royal icing. Sorry no fondant or gum paste flowers can be ordered with the party cakes. Those are custom orders; you will need to schedule an appointment to order custom flowers. There is a charge of $10 for orders under $100, delivery assurance for party cakes must be discussed for available deliveries.

—–Cake featured on right: 2-Layer Stacked Heart Anniversary Cake iced in stabilized whipped cream icing with white leaves edged in gold paint with matching gum paste topper.—–

Wedding cake samples by appointments – go online to fill out an appointment request form. Provide the date of your event ensures a quicker confirmation and reservation.

Special flavours available upon request.