Chef*Lee

about me

I love Recipezaar!!! This website is so vast that I am set for life with different recipes!!!! I love to cook because I want to experience new flavors as often as I can and I rarely want to eat the same dish twice!
I also love to garden.
I live in the desert so I have a xeriscape garden with lots of cacti, peppers, and succulents.
My dog and I love to check out what's blooming out in the yard and then go in and cook dinner with a recipe from Recipezaar. I am also "in" to tasting and learning about wine.






PLEASE DON'T MAKE ANY OF MY OLD POSTED RECIPES!!!
I wish I could remove them but I can't. I especially don't want you to make any with pre-made items (such as a jar of salsa) because you can get very different results from brand to brand or if you change the cooking method in any way.
I should not have created recipes with pre-made items for Recipezaar because not everyone has the same brands and some store-bought items can really suck.
At one point, I went through a Lawry's Seasoning Salt phase that I'm not proud of. Don't make any of those recipes either!! I do like to experiment with different flavors and so that's why it happened.
I always buy fresh and quality ingredients to cook with because it really makes a difference in your outcomes. A good example would be fresh vs. canned spinach, the flavors are completely different!!!!
So again,,,thank you for NOT making any of my old posted recipes!!


You don't have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces - just good food from fresh ingredients.
Julia Child

I was 32 when I started cooking; up until then, I just ate.
Julia Child

Never apologize for anything that happens in the kitchen.
Julia Child

Cooking is an ongoing learning process. A good cook never stops learning and, by extension, will continue to make mistakes.
Eric Burkett

Learn to cook--try new recipes, learn from your mistakes, be fearless, and above all have fun!
Julia Child































OH MY GOODNESS, IT'S THE BEST SEASON YET!!!





THE KINGS !!!
FOOD NETWORK RULES !!!!!!!!!!








THE NEW SEASON OF
THE NEXT FOOD NETWORK STAR!!!!!!!
Awesome show!!

http://www.foodnetwork.com/the-next-food-network-star/index.html





TOP CHEF MASTERS!!!!





Top Chef Masters pits 24 world-renowned chefs against each other and sees how well they fare in the tried and true format of Top Chef. In each episode, money will be at stake for the chefs, with the winners of eliminations being awarded cash donations for their charities.

http://www.bravotv.com/top-chef-masters?__source=yho|top+chef+master|Brand|Y_TCM&sky=yho|top+chef+master|Brand|Y_TCM

It's awesome TOO!!!










GRILLIN' AND CHILLIN' !!!











WELCOME TO THE
CHILE PEPPER FESTIVAL AND REUNION!!







How'd the cucumber get in here??
































I GAVE IT A SHOT IN THE ZAAR GINGERBREAD CONTEST 2008!



soaking in the candy hot-tub

gingerbread house on cinnamon bun lane






































PIZZA PARTY!!!!!!






















WASTIN' AWAY AGAIN.....











MY IDOL JULIA






watch a little bit of
THE FRENCH CHEF!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ohiUbQyDhk

















COOL SIGNATURE!!!




I found this business card signed by Julia and her husband Paul on vintagememorabilia.com. It had been sold but you can look at the enlarged version with this link
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.vintagememorabilia.com/mcms_site/uploads/images/2003768B-3048-C0CE-55C6409981566429.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.vintagememorabilia.com/index.cfm/page/julia-child-autograph-signed-signature-with-paul-child&usg=__kQCyiQe9thPOxQDBb5GOGH1BAzc=&h=731&w=1354&sz=887&hl=en&start=29&tbnid=2qRhT1j8V_a14M:&tbnh=81&tbnw=150&prev=/images%3Fq%3Djulia%2Bchild%2Bvintage%26gbv%3D2%26ndsp%3D21%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26start%3D21



SWEETHEARTS FOREVER!!
JULIA & PAUL







L'ECOLE DES TROIS GOURMANDES





Julia and her cookbook collaborators, Simone Beck and Louisette Bertholle, started an informal cooking school in Paris in 1952. Called L'Ecole des Trois Gourmandes, the school was held in Julia's kitchen, where the three women, who really thought of themselves as home cooks, taught American students how to cook French food. Paul Child designed the logo for L'Ecole des Trois Gourmandes, which the friends proudly wore on their cooking school aprons. When the Childs moved to Marseilles in 1953, the school was disbanded, but the spirit of the group lived on when, years later, Julia pinned the insignia to her blouse before each televised cooking program.



JULIA'S KITCHEN AT THE SMITHSONIAN

http://americanhistory.si.edu/juliachild/


I can't wait to visit this exhibit at the Smithsonian, I am planning to go someday!!







JULIE & JULIA
In theatres August 7, 2009 !!
http://www.julieandjulia.com/








FAVORITE CHEFS

























ODE TO SPRINKLES......

Oh Sprinkles, why are you so good?
I am glad that I live far from you and I
can only visit you occasionally.
I love you Sprinkles!!!









CUPCAKE ART!!











CUTIE CHEFS !!!!
















FAVORITE FOODIE STORES!!!!!!!!















SPICE OF THE MONTH....CELERY SEED!!





FUN WITH VINTAGE SPICES!!









COME TO THE FARMER'S MARKET!!










FOODS I GROW IN MY DESERT GARDEN:

Meyer Lemons
Rosemary
Japanese Eggplant
German Thyme
Lemon Thyme
Fresno Peppers
Kumquats
Lavender
Pomegranates
Oregano
Cherry Tomatoes
Sweet Basil
Black Mission Figs
Avocado







TIME FOR A CHILE PEPPER DANCE-OFF!!









CANNING IS FUN!!!










THE QUEST FOR UMAMI

http://www.umamiinfo.com/

20 June 2002, Review of Umami Research published:

A new review of research into umami, the fifth basic taste, was published this month in Food Reviews International. "Umami: A Universal Taste" charts the history of the understanding of taste and different perceptions of taste around the world. Umami was identified as a unique taste by Professor Ikeda in 1908 but it was only in 1985, at the first International Symposium on Umami in Hawaii, that it was recognised by scientists as one of the basic tastes along with sweet, sour, bitter and salty.

Ms Kumiko Ninomiya, the author of the paper, points out that although the identification of umami is relatively recent, "the taste has been with us for centuries in the stocks and sauces of Europe, the pizza of Italy, the broth of Japan, and the oyster sauce of China."

Umami is the taste of glutamate, a component of protein and the most abundant amino acid in nature. It is found in fish, meat, milk and many vegetables and is essential to human metabolism. Glutamate is found in a variety of foods renowned for their flavour enhancing properties including Parmesan cheese, tomatoes and Shiitake mushrooms. The drying of certain foods increases their glutamate content. For example, fresh shiitake mushrooms contain 71mg of glutamate per 100g, but when dried they contain 1,060mg of glutamate per 100g.




MY UMAMI LIST OF INGREDIENTS (KEEPS GROWING):

arugula
worcestershire sauce
chipotle chilies in adobo sauce
capers
pine nuts
sriracha chili sauce
shiitake mushrooms
tamarind paste
gruyère cheese
okra
fire-roasted tomatoes
sun-dried tomatoes (dry & packed in oil)
crème fraîche
mascarpone cheese
plain yogurt
beets
ginger
cognac
zucchini squash
nutmeg
EVOO and all olives
fresh basil
fresh thyme (especially German thyme)
fresh and dried oregano
vanilla
shallots and chives
scallops
artichoke hearts
kaffir lime leaves
hazelnuts (toasted)
rhubarb
raw pumpkin seeds (the green pepitas)
feta cheese in its brine





HOLD UP,,,,PICKLE TIME !!!!!!










TAKE A WALK THROUGH WINE COUNTRY!








LEE'S WINE CELLAR!!!!



Featured wines:

Robert Mondavi Private Selection
2006 Sauvignon Blanc of California



I served this wine for my Thanksgiving meal this year. It has a nice, crisp flavor that is not too dry or sweet. I got notes of citrus and honey. It went great with turkey and green beans!!!


Mionetto Il Prosecco of the Veneto region of Italy


This is a great prosecco, at a great price!
I love the crisp, citrus flavor with hints of herb. It is not too dry or too sweet which is my favorite!! Brought in New Year, 2009 with this and it is one of my favorite white wines to cook with and then pair the meal with!!



2004 Robert Pecota Moscato d'Andrea-Napa Valley Muscat Canelli

This moscato has been produced for over 20 years. I had the 2004 vintage. This was a delicious moscato, very good dessert wine with a thick honey texture. There were notes of pineapple, flowers, definitely honey, and orange.



2006 Rosemount Traminer Riesling of South Eastern Australia



This blend is a sweet wine. It is 65% 'traminer and 35% riesling. This is definitely one to pair with a blue cheese or dessert cheese plate. I have always enjoyed Rosemount wines and this was another great blend from them!!



2001 Rosemount GSM
(Grenache-Syrah-Mourvèdre) McLaren Vale-Barossa Valley-Langhorne Creek GSM ($30). Beautifully aromatic, with waves of ripe berry, floral and spice notes and just a touch of sweet vanilla. Plummy and supple, with ripe fruit accented with loads of spice and bourbony oak in the background. A compelling wine that’s hard to put down. Very good now and over the next four or five years. (World Wide Wine 04/05)



This wine is ready to drink! I bought this wine and tasted a bottle in 2001 and it was fantastic. I usually buy another red for aging and this 2001 has been sitting in my wine collection since. It has the notes of vanilla bean and blackberry but now with a depth of flavor that is thick and soothing to the palate. This wine is one of the best reds I have tasted.

2005 Yalumba South Australia Shiraz 94% Viognier 6% blend



This is a great blend! I find myself always getting reds from Chile and Australia and my whites from Napa or Oregon. This blend from Australia's Barossa Valley is spicy from the shiraz and aromatic from the viognier. Yalumba is Australia's oldest family-owned winery and their experience shows with this one!! It is silky with notes of blackberry and I detected a hint of citrus and creamy cherry. Had beautiful legs too.



Cakebread Cellars Napa Valley 2003 Chardonnay



I probably let this one sit in my cellar too long accidentally because you typically don't want to age whites but this one was good even after a long sit!! Here are the winemaker's notes:

Cakebread Cellars' Napa Valley Chardonnay has a light straw color with a glint of gold. Its aromas are reminiscent of green apples and the faint scent of apricots. There is also the clean scent of mineral that some tasters would describe as being "flinty." On the palate, the flavors closely resemble those of the aromas, but with a very slight buttery finish as well as the subtle hint of vanillin from the French oak in the background. The wine has good depth, with an ideal balance of fruit and crisp acidity. A fresh, silky finish completes what we believe is an outstanding Napa Valley Chardonnay.

2006 Yalumba Eden Valley Wild Ferment Chardonnay



winemaker's notes:
The Wild Ferment Chardonnay features the use of a natural or "wild yeast" ferment for all batches of juice, where the juice is encouraged to ferment with the indigenous yeasts present on the grape skins from the vineyard. The many individual yeasts each participate in some way to build layers of complexity and finesse into the wine. Further palate structure is built through extended lees contact and regular lees stirring. The fine-grained French barriques have also contributed an additional lift, fragrance and finesse to the wine.

Yalumba Eden Valley Wild Ferment Chardonnay 2006 is pale golden straw in color with a bright rim. Creamy almond nougat and toasted cashew aromas are threaded with bright citrus peel and white nectarines. The palate is brimming with creamy stone-fruit flavors with a crisp lemony brightness, fine toasty oak nuances and a refreshing finish.


2003 Yalumba South Australia Shiraz



This is a wonderful shiraz, flavors of stewed plums and berries with lots of spice and pepper. This wine had a rich texture and lots of depth. This was a perfect time to open this wine!!



2006 Loredona Viognier

Tart, refreshing, and delicious!!
A great white with fruit and tangy flavors!






I AM NOT DRINKING ANY $%^&* MERLOT!!!












FAVORITE COOKING TV SHOWS!!!

Chopped
Secrets of a Restaurant Chef
Hell's Kitchen
Barefoot Contessa-Back to Basics
Bizarre Foods
Essence of Emeril
Iron Chef America
Easy Entertaining with Michael Chiarello
Paula's Home Cooking

Top Chef
Top Chef Masters
Lidia's Italy
Simply Ming
The Next Food Network Star
Fast Food My Way With Jacques Pépin





JACQUES ROCKS!!!!!



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AP27HxEzdK8





HOW BAD CAN THAT BE?????

INA IS A SWEETHEART!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

http://www.barefootcontessa.com/








ANNE IS AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!
http://www.foodnetwork.com/chefs/anne-burrell/index.html









FAVORITE KITCHEN GADGETS!!!!

Meat Thermometer
Santoku Knives
Dutch Oven
Microplane
Vitamix
Food Processor
Spice Grinder
Unlined Copper Bowl For Egg Whites
Mortar and Pestle
Stainless Cookware
Mandoline
Citrus Squeezers
Olive and Teak Wooden Spoons
Salt Cellar
Garlic Chopper
Melon Baller






FAVORITE COOKING MAGAZINES!!!

Food Network
Cook's Country
Cooking Light
Taste of Home
Bon Appétit
Cook's Illustrated
Vegetarian Times
Food & Wine
Taste of the South
Penzey's One
La Cucina Italiana





DR. WEIL'S TRUE FOOD KITCHEN IS OPEN!



A restaurant that is the realization of Dr. Weil's lifelong dream - serving "great tasting food that happens to be good for you" - opened Monday, Oct. 27, in Phoenix, Arizona. True Food Kitchen features dishes that closely adhere to the principles of Dr. Weil's anti-inflammatory diet. It promises to be a new kind of restaurant: one in which delicious flavors, healthy nutrients, environmental awareness and an inviting atmosphere come together to create an unforgettable dining experience.

True Food Kitchen's Executive Chef
Chef Michael Stebner


I got to dine here today and it was great!!!
Here's a pic of the outside of the restaurant,,,,

Everything on the menu is fresh and exciting!! I had a 'Ginger Nojito' which is a fresh mint, ginger, lime, honey-lemonade mixed with soda water. We tried the 'Shrimp Dumplings' with shiitake mushrooms, ginger, and cilantro; they tasted so great with lots of oriental influence in the flavors. Then I had the 'Wild Ahi Sliders' which came with either a Sweet Potato Hash or wonderful Tuscan Kale Salad. I had the Tuscan Kale Salad with mine which had a light vinaigrette and grated Pecorino Toscano cheese. The sliders were dressed with wasabi, radishes, and cucumber on a sesame brioche bread.
I will definitely be visiting this restaurant again, it was really fun and delicious!!
Here's a link to Dr. Weil's restaurant, True Food Kitchen!
http://www.foxrc.com/true_food_kitchen.html







BOBBY'S BURGER PALACE !!

I want to go to this restaurant, a casual burger restaurant by Bobby Flay!! They have four locations right now in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut but I hope he expands and builds one closer to me because it sounds so delicious to eat a Bobby Flay burger!!!
They look awesome, check it out!!!

http://www.bobbysburgerpalace.com/










COOKING ON THE PRAIRIE
I love 'The Little House Cookbook' by Barbara M. Walker that takes you back to pioneer days and features the frontier foods from the Laura Ingalls Wilder classic stories.
Some of the staples and treats included in the book are....

Johnny-Cake
Fried Salt Pork with Gravy; Drippings
Bean Soup
Crackling Cornbread
Blackbird Pie
Blueberry Pudding
Huckleberry Pie
Buckwheat Pancakes
Hardtack
Fried Parsnips
Ripe Tomatoes with Sugar and Cream
Baked Hubbard Squash
Raw Turnip Snacks
Apple Pie
Fried Apples 'N' Onions
Apple-Core Vinegar
Chicken Pie
Cambric Tea









COOKBOOKS OF THE MONTH !!


Julia and Jacques Cooking At Home

Sam Choy's Island Flavors

Lidia's Italy






SNACKS OF THE MONTH!!!!!!!



These are great treats that I have tried recently!! So delicious!!!

Calbee Snapea Crisps
Green&Black's Organic Hazelnut & Currant Bittersweet dark 60% chocolate bar
Häagen-Dazs 'Five' line of Ice Creams
I tried the passion fruit and the ginger, both are so flavorful and wonderful!!!
http://www.haagendazs.com/products/five.aspx Here are the other flavors,,,I'm wanting to try all of the other flavors now because this is the best commercial ice cream I have ever tasted!!
Dorset Cereals Berries & Cherries flavor,,,,I found this cereal at Whole Foods and it is wonderful!! It costs a little more but it is 50% quality dried fruits in a tasty oat-muesli type cereal. My milk turned purple in my bowl from all the antioxidant goodness from all the fruits!!!
Clif Bars' Chocolate Almond Fudge flavor,,,probably the best energy bar I have ever tasted,,,they taste like a cross between a rum ball and those no-bake chocolate oatmeal cookies! Very flavorful and not dry at all.






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Favorite Foods:

I love all food!! My favorite food today ......summer melon!!!!!!!!!!






I like to use Recipezaar as my main web site and keep it changing and different like we do food! So come back, visit anytime and Bon Appétit!

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