"Shrimp paella!! If you have never been to "Boiling Crab" you must definitely try their food. They do a great spice and oil bliss that they cook their shrimp and other types of seafood in. What I did was take home a pound of shrimp cooked in the "whole shebang" seasoning. I peel the shrimp and make a stock out of the remaining shells and sauce. I cut up the shrimp meat and add sweet potato and tomatoes to some cooked rice. Then, I add the stock and it's nothing but flavor after that. " 

Phillip Yin's Birthday Celebration!!

This was such a fun theme to work with. The idea was a pub-style party with a bar menu.

On the Menu

Slider Burgers: My special ingredient in this item is Chinese Five Spice. Commonly used with other meats, this spice proved to make for an incredible-tasting burger.

     Beef Sliders: Really good blend of onion and garlic with the beef, though the most important thing that still remains to be praised is salt. Well-salted beef can make a world of difference.

     Turkey Sliders: This was the top item on the menu. The turkey burgers not only offer a leaner choice, but when seasoned with the Chinese Five Spice, make a combination that is beyond expectation.

      Toasted Buns, Sweet Pickles, Chili Pepper Aioli

      Cheeses: Jack, Aged Cheddar, Swiss and Havarti

   

     Sauteed Mushrooms were offered as a vegetarian option. First sweated to pull out the mushroom flavor, and then sauteed in a simple butter and white wine combo with some garlic.

Garlic Fries: Simple and easy. Once the fries are cooked, just toss with parsley, garlic, salt and pepper.

Sweet Potato Fries: A popular alternative to regular fries, the sweet potatoes are simply cooked and then salted. Though one thought did come up for the future: tossing them in a combo of salt and pepper, with either a cinnamon and sugar mixture or simply sugar!

Pea Crostini: Unfortunately, there is no picture for this because everyone went through them so fast. Though if you go back to previous posts in my blog, you may find a good picture of this dish.

A great combo for an appetizer that includes peas (frozen or fresh, not canned), garlic, olive oil and salt, blended together in a food processor. Once mixed, add on top of a toasted thin-sliced piece of bread, preferably a rustic French-style bread. One day old works perfectly. And lastly, a cherry tomato halved adds a final acidic splash to pull this appetizer together!

"Probably going down the path of heart attack... But i dont care! Hahaha fried eggs, fried tomato, and avocado in a sandwich with grey poupon mustard. Then fry the outside of the sandwich with butter, similar to a grilled cheese. "

"Show of hands, who doesn't like a mozzarella caprese salad? Especially when its made with 100% buffalo mozzarella, fresh basil and heirloom tomatoes!"

"Goat cheese from Sardinia and goats' milk cheese crusted with grape leaf ash are the two topics of the night. Pairings are cherry preserves, dill pickles, Dijon mustard, capers, and rosemary-garlic blend spread. Bread of choice is a potato rosemary loaf. We have two wines; a 2011 Malbec from Argentina and a 95-point winning table wine. Tasting notes: on top of the bread, the garlic spread and sardinia cheese are a perfect match as they are both strong and profound flavors that rather than clash, actually balance each other out. The great thing about this cheese from Sardinia is that it even stands up to the strong notes in the Dijon mustard! Great together. Capers... maybe not the best addition to this platter, at least for me. The salty flavors of the Sardinian cheese also make a great pairing with the pickles, leading me to believe that this cheese would be perfect in thick slices on a sandwich. Another surprise match is the Malbec and cherry preserves. The preserves are very sweet but can be toned down by the Malbec to a very smooth, natural cherry taste. "

"Usually a picture never gives any credit to the dish. This is one of those dishes. Rigatoni pasta with chicken, tomato and three different cheeses. The chicken was seasoned with oregano, basil and salt & pepper and marinated with an Italian balsamic vinaigrette. The cheese was simply whatever happened to be in the fridge. In this case, I used pepper jack cheese, asiago cheese and pecorino cheese. The great thing about creamy cheese sauces is that the taste depends solely on the amount of each cheese and what cheeses are used. For a garnish, I used parsley and once again, it brought the whole meal together. Another great thing about food is how easily one simple ingredient can complete a dish. "

"Mango Guacamole! So simple and so good. Mango, avocado, lime juice, onion, tomato, salt and pepper and cilantro. "