Kitchen Encounters

~ Peanut Butter-Banana-Oat & Tropical Trail Mix Bars ~

Hot fun in the Summertime.  As a fan of peanut butter and banana sandwiches (no honey please, just smash a banana into some crunchy peanut butter and slather it between two slices of my Wonder bread or toast), when I decided to intervene in the world of recipes for peanut butter and banana bar cookies, I already knew my version was going to be loaded with one of my favorite snacks:  sweet and savory tropical trail mix (my favorite brand is a mix of dried coconut, mango, papaya and pineapple, raisins, banana chips, brazil nuts, cashews and peanuts).  Oh yum.

If you're looking for an easy dessert to make for a Summer brunch, take to the next picnic or barbecue, serve at a Fall tailgate, or brownbag to work or school any other time of year, this is it. In a cakey-brownie-esque sort of way, these are moist and chewy, only full of tropical flavors instead of chocolate.  I'd love to tout them as healthy -- I suppose in some oaty-grain fruit-and-nut-land sort of way they are, so, if that convinces you to give this recipe a try, I can live with that -- but, I'll just proclaim them to be a healthier option to other treats found at a bakery or coffeeshop.

They are 'da bomb of peanut butter & banana bars. 

1 1/2  cups unbleached, all-purpose flour

1  cup old-fashioned rolled oats

1  teaspoon baking powder

1/2  teaspoon sea salt

1/2  cup salted butter, at room temperature, very soft (1 stick)

1/2  cup granulated sugar

1/2  cup lightly-packed light-brown sugar

2  teaspoons each:  pure banana and vanilla extract

2  large, 7 1/2-8-ounce bananas, smashed with a fork, about 1 1/2 cups smashed bananas

1/2  cup peanut butter, crunchy or smooth, your choice

2  cups tropical trail mix (dried coconut, mango, papaya and pineapple, raisins, banana chips, brazil nuts, cashews and peanuts), your favorite brand 

~ Step 1.  Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the bottom of an 8" x 8" square baking pan -- preferably one with a removable bottom.  Insert bottom of pan into pan and spray the bottom of the pan with no-stick cooking spray.  

Insert parchment and spray top of parchment and inside of pan with cooking spray too.  Set aside.

~Step 2.  In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, oats, baking powder and salt.  In a 2-cup measuring container, mash the bananas with a fork -- there will be about 1 1/2 cups.  Stir the extracts into the smashed bananas, then, add and stir in the peanut butter -- there will be about 2 cups banana-peanut butter mixture.  Set aside.

~Step 3.  In a large bowl, starting on low and working your way up to high speed of hand-held electric mixer, cream the butter, sugars and egg together, while scraping down the sides of bowl with a large rubber spatula.  Lower mixer speed and fold in the banana-peanut butter mixture.

~Step 4.  Remove the mixer.  Using the rubber spatula, alternating the dry flour-oat mixture with the trail mix, fold the two mixtures into the wet mixture, in two increments each (half then half).

~Step 5.  Transfer mixture to prepared pan then use the spatula to spread it evenly into the sides. Bake on center rack of preheated 350° oven, 30-35 minutes, or until lightly and nicely browned, puffed up through to the center, and, a cake tester inserted into the middle in several spots comes out clean.  Remove from oven and cool, in pan on a wire rack, for 30-45 minutes prior to removing sides from pan.  Cool completely, 3-4 hours or overnight, prior to slicing into squares and serving.

Cool completely prior to slicing into 2" squares & serving:

Peanut Butter-Banana-Oat & Tropical Trail Mix Bars:  16, 2"-square bar cookies.

Special Equipment List: 8" x 8" baking pan w/removable bottom; parchment paper; spoon; 2-cup measuring container; fork; hand-held electric mixer; large rubber spatula; wire cooling rack

Cook's Note:  Congo squares were/are a WWII era chocolate-chip-laced pan-cookie marketed by the Nestlé corporation to compete with Hershey's Tropical Bar cookies back in 1942.  My recipe for ~ Tropical Fruit, Nut and Chocolate-Chip Congo Bars ~ is full of the history surrounding these bar cookies, and, it's loaded with Congo flavors that Tarzan and King Kong would love: candied papaya, mango and ginger, chewy flaked coconut, crunchy macadamias and a trio of Nestlé's own milk-, semi-sweet- and white- chocolate chips.  Feel free to create your own Congo combo.

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2018)

~Thai-Style Grilled Chicken or Pork Tenderloin Sliders~

In Thailand, unlike here in America, sandwiches are not something one finds sold in shops or on the streets -- bread is not a part of the traditional Thai diet.  That said, East met West quite a few decades ago, and, we Americans love sandwiches -- if it can be eaten between two slices of bread, we Americans will figure out a way to do it and make it taste great.  To that end, A trip to Thailand will reveal that nowadays, a portion of the Thai population has come to appreciate and incorporate some bread (mostly flatbreads), in some very tasty Thai-style "fusion food" dishes.

All Thai-style sandwiches are American or Thai-American.  

When Thai cooks brought their food here to the USA, American chefs and cooks who fell in love with Thai flavors worked quickly and successfully at inventing all sorts of Thai-style wraps, Thai-style sandwiches, and Thai-style pizza too.  That's correct:  Thai wraps, sandwiches and pizza are all-American or Thai-American creations.  I know this because my own family thrives on my Thai-inspired creations.  Thanks to some hands-on traditional Thai-cooking training, many authentic recipes, and, yes, creative know-how, me and mine enjoy Thai-inspired fare quite often.

It is not unusual for me to marinate and grill some chicken or pork tenderloins over a Saturday or Sunday to have on-hand for Thai-style salads and sandwiches during the week.  My Basic Thai Marinade for Grilled Poultry or Pork produces succulent, full-throttle Thai-flavored chicken or pork, relatively quickly.  Grill one, the other, or both (detailed instructions for doing both are included in the recipe), then, slice thick or thick, into medallions or strips, chop into cubes, or pull into bite-sized pieces and serve, hot or cold.  Be creative, and, be prepared to accept compliments -- these are so good you'll even impress Thai friends.

When it comes to crunchy and fresh sandwich toppings, allow me to suggest some traditional Spicy Thai Quick-Pickled Cucumbers, or, my Thai Honey-Sesame Broccoli Slaw. That said, soft Bibb or crunchy gem lettuce leaves go with anything, and, who doesn't love a grilled pineapple slice on an Asian-style sandwich. As for drizzly condiments, traditional Spicy Thai Peanut Sauce takes just five-minutes to make, and, if you like Thai food, you already have a bottle of sweet chili sauce (Mae Ploy) in your pantry.  Traditional garnishes include:  lightly-toasted and chopped cashews or peanuts, thinly-sliced scallions, and, minced fresh cilantro leaves.

We can all agree that a soft, flour tortilla is the perfect foil almost any cuisine.  That said, if it's a sandwich roll you're looking for, you've gotta try my Easy Thai-Spiced Bread Machine Slider Rolls.  Laced with garlic and ginger powder, dried Thai basil and Sriracha seasoning, these soft, semi-firm rolls get mixed and proofed in my bread machine then baked in muffin tins, which, besides even-sizing, promotes a high rise and nicely-domed tops.  I bake all my slider rolls in muffin tins.

With any or all of these easy-to-make or prep ingredients...

... Thai-style sandwiches are moments from the lunch box:

Thai-Style Grilled Chicken or Pork Tenderloin Sliders:  Recipe yields instructions to make Thai-style slider rolls and toppings for Thai-style slider-sized sandwiches.

Special Equipment List:  cutting board; chef's knife; serrated bread knife; hardware for specific toppings are listed in specific recipes

Cook's Note:  There's more than one way to fuse Asian fare with the American sandwich.  In my simple and straightforward recipe for ~ Asian Hot-Pot-Style Steak Sliders w/Broccoli Slaw ~, thinly-sliced raw flank steak is cooked Japanese shabby-shabu-style in a full-flavored appropriately-seasoned broth and piled high on slider rolls, and, topped with: my broccoli slaw.

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2018)

~ My Basic Thai Marinade for Grilled Poultry or Pork ~

For those who love Thai food, your search for an all-purpose marinade and method of cooking some chicken or pork, to bring the bold flavors of Thailand to your American dinner tables without consuming too much time, muss or fuss, is over.  Fact:  When it comes to our food, just when we should slow down, relax and make more time for our family and friends, we Americans always seem to be in a hurry.  While "eat and run" is not my style, this is my "go to" marinade, which produces succulent, full-throttle Thai-flavored chicken or pork, relatively quickly.  It's perfect to use the next day in a Thai-Style wrap, sandwich, salad or on a Thai pizza too.  After marinating the meat a few hours or overnight, I grill it indoors in my grill pan or outdoors on my gas grill.

Marination (which does not affect the cooking time), is a flavorizer not a tenderizer.

As a huge fan of Thai food, like many American cooks, I find myself improvising occasionally. Not, of course, when I'm preparing one of their many classic dishes (like Thai-Style Oven-Roasted Barbecued Half Chicken or Grilled Chicken or Pork Satay)  -- they require specific ingredients and a traditional method of cooking.  Improvisation enters my food world when I'm preparing one of my flash-in-the pan meals (a meal where the protein gets quickly grilled, grill-panned, pan-seared or broiled).  This all-purpose marinade, which contains many flavors basic to Thai fare, is my secret to imparting that all-important extra-layer of flavor into into my meal.

Simple, straightforward & scrumptiously to the point:

I'm grilling chicken for our dinner tonight, but I love grilled pork too.  That said, whichever meat I choose to use, I always choose to use the tenderloin.  Why?  Because it stays remarkably juicier and moister than boneless, skinless chicken breasts or pork loin when subjected to the high, dry heat of any type of grill or grill pan.

For the marinade:

2-4  pounds whole, boneless, skinless chicken tenderloins, about 10-20 large tenderloins, or, 2-4 pounds whole pork tenderloins, 2-4 tenderloins

1/4  cup each:  honey, lime juice, &, Thai seasoning soy sauce

2  tablespoons each: Thai fish sauce & sesame oil

1  tablespoon each:  garlic paste & ginger paste

1/4  cup each:  minced cilantro leaves & thinly-sliced green onion

1-2  small, hot, cayenne chile peppers, minced, or, 1 teaspoon Sriracha seasoning blend

Option One:  Grilling whole chicken tenderloins:

~ Step 1. Sandwich tenderloins between two pieces of plastic wrap on a flat work surface.  Using a flat-sided meat mallet, lightly pound them to a thickness of about 1/2" -- do not smash them to smithereens.

~ Step 2.  In a 1-cup measuring container, stir together all  the marinade ingredients.  Pour marinade into a 1-gallon food storage bag, add the pounded tenderloins, seal bag and toss to coat.  Marinate in refrigerator for about 4-6 hours or overnight. Remove from refrigerator 1-1 1/2 hours prior to grilling.

~Step 3.  On the stovetop in a grill pan, on the countertop in an electric grill, or outdoors on a gas grill, spray grill grids with no-stick cooking spray and heat the grids over medium-high heat. Remove chicken from marinade (allowing excess marinade to drizzle back into the bag), place tenderloins, side-by-side on hot grill grids and cook until golden and just cooked through on both sides, turning only once, 7-9 total minutes, about 4-5 minutes on the first side and 3-4 minutes on the second side, regulating the heat carefully, as the honey in the marinade (like sugar) can scorch.  Transfer the meat to a plate and repeat process with remaining tenders.  Read on:

Note:  Whether grilling in a grill pan on the stovetop, an electric grill on the countertop, or a gas grill outdoors on the patio, work in batches that are sized to comfortably fit the surface area of the grill, as well as your ability to manage the quantity, meaning:  know your own limitations.  

Option Two:  Grilling whole pork tenderloins:

~Step 1.  Using a thin, sharp knife or a pair of kitchen shears, judiciously trim or snip tenderloins of any thick silverskin or excessive fat from their surfaces.  In a 1-cup measuring container or a small bowl, stir together all of the marinade ingredients as listed.  Pour the marinade into a 1-gallon food storage bag, add the  tenderloins, seal the bag and toss to coat.  Marinate in refrigerator for 4-6 hours or overnight.  Remove from refrigerator 1-1 1/2 hours prior to grilling.

~Step 2.  On the stovetop in a grill pan, on the countertop in an electric grill, or outdoors on a gas grill, spray grill grids with no-stick cooking spray and heat the grids over medium heat. Remove tenderloins from marinade (allowing excess marinade to drizzle back into the bag), place tenderloins, side-by-side on hot grill grids and cook until golden and just cooked through on both sides, turning only once, about 6-7 minutes per side (for an initial total of 12-14 minutes).  

~Step 3.  With the aid of a spatula or a pair of tongs, working one-tenderloin-at-a-time, roll each tenderloin, left then right, onto its two un-seared sides, to put a quick sear on them as well, about 1 minute per tenderloin. Lower the heat to medium-low and, once again, continue to cook tenderloins on both sides, turning only once, about 6-7 minutes per side, or, until a meat-thermometer inserted into the thickest part of their centers reads 145º-150º.  

The total cooking time for four tenderloins is approximately 28-32 minutes.  

Turn the heat source off and allow the pork tenderloins to remain on the warm grill grids (or transfer them to the upper rack of an outdoor gas grill), about 10-15 minutes, turning occasionally during this rest period, prior to slicing, thick or thin, and serving as directed in specific recipe.

Slice, thick or thin, into strips or medallions, dice into cubes, or, pull into bite-sized pieces & serve, hot or cold, as directed. 

My Basic Thai Marinade for Grilled Poultry or Pork:  1 cup marinade to marinate 2-4 pounds chicken or pork; 10-20 chicken tenderloins/6-12 servings; or, 2-4 pork tenderloins/8-16 servings

Special Equipment List: plastic wrap; flat-sided meat mallet; cutting board; chef's knife; 1-cup measuring container; 1-gallon food-storage bag; grill pan on stovetop, electric countertop grill, or, outdoor gas grill; spatula or tongs; instant-read meat thermometer

Cook's Note:  If you are a lover of Tex-Mex fare too, I just happen to have a go-to marinade for that too. Try my garlic & onion powder, Mexican oregano, chili powder and lime laced ~ Tex-Mex Marinade for Beef, Poultry or Pork ~.

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2018)

~ Mel's Easy Thai-Spiced Bread-Machine Slider Rolls ~

Bread is not a part of the traditional Thai diet.  That said, East met West quite a few decades ago. Thai cooks brought their traditional recipes here to the USA, and in turn, American chefs and cooks who fell in love with Thai food have been very successful at inventing all sorts of Thai-style wraps, Thai-style sandwiches, and Thai-style pizza too -- Thai-style wraps, sandwiches and pizza are all American or Thai-American creations.  I know this to be true, because my family thrives on my Thai-inspired creations.  A trip to Thailand will reveal that nowadays, a good portion of the Thai population has come to appreciate bread, in the form of Thai-style "fusion food".

Thai-Asian flavor meets the American-style slider-roll dough.

"Fusion cuisine" was popularized in the '70's and describes the preparation of a meal combining two different culinary styles and/or traditions to create a new dish. Today's recipe initially put traditional Thai-Asian flavors into my Italian-American pizza dough. The idea to create a Thai-style pizza was not a big leap for me, and surprisingly, I didn't find it the least bit hard to impart Thai-flavor into the dough. Once my dough was perfected, I connected the dots: to make slider-rolls for Thai-style sandwiches.

A quick glance through the following ingredients list will reveal the common-sense substitutions and additions I made to my traditional pizza dough:  sesame oil (in place of olive oil), and, the use of garlic powder, ground ginger, dried Thai basil leaves and Sriracha seasoning, in place of the typical oregano and red pepper flakes that go on or into Italian- Italian-American pizza dough.

Oh-my-Thai-style pizza dough:

1 1/2  cups warm water

2  tablespoons sesame oil

4 1/2  cups all-purpose flour

2  teaspoons salt

2  teaspoons sugar

1 generous teaspoon each:  garlic powder, ground ginger, dried Thai basil leaves, Sriracha seasoning

1  packet granulated yeast

~Step 1.  To prepare the dough, place all ingredients in pan of bread machine in the order listed, except for the yeast.  Using your index finger, make a small indentation ("a well") on top of the dry ingredients, but not so deep that it reaches the wet layer.  Place the yeast in the indentation. Insert the pan into the bread machine, plug the machine in, press the "Select" button, choose the "Pizza Dough" cycle, then press "Start".  In about 55 minutes, you will have slider dough.  

~Step 2.  Spray insides of 12, standard-sized muffin cups with no-stick spray. Using lightly-oiled fingertips, remove dough from bread pan.  Divide dough into 12, slightly less than 1 1/2-ounce pieces (1 3/8-ounces each is great).  The best way to do this is with a kitchen scale.   In between the palms of hands, form each piece of dough into a ball, placing one in each muffin. Cover pan(s) with a towel and allow dough to rise, 30 minutes.

~Step 3.  Uncover the pans and bake rolls on center rack of preheated 350° oven, 10-12 minutes, or until lightly-browned and hollow sounding when tapped with the knuckle of index finger.  Do not overcook these rolls. Remove from oven and place pans on a wire cooling rack.  Cool rolls in pans about 1 minute prior to gently removing them from pans to wire rack cool completely.

The shape of a muffin cup, w/its steep, gently-sloped sides...

... promotes rising, a domed top, &, a firm, light-textured roll.

Mel's Easy Thai-Spiced Bread-Machine Slider Rolls:  Recipe yields 1 dozen, 3"-round slider-sized sandwich rolls.

Special Equipment List: bread machine (optional); 2, standard-sized muffin pans, enough for 12 muffins/rolls; kitchen scale; lint-free-cotton towel; wire cooling rack

Cook's Note:  The inspiration for these came when my mother mentioned that my Sicilian-style pizza dough would make dinner rolls.  My first reaction was to laugh, but, after thinking about it, I decided it worth trying -- "nothing ventured, nothing gained".  When I baked them on a flat pan, while good, they simply were not as light on the inside.  The muffin tin corrected that, by promoting their rising high.  Try my Italian-Style herb-seasoned ~ Baked-in-Muffin-Tins Slider-Sized Pizza-Dough Rolls ~.

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2018)

~Mel's Easy Thai-Spiced Bread-Machine Pizza Dough~

Every great pizza starts with a great crust, and, when it came to creating a Thai-style pizza dough, my decision to infuse Thai flavors into the crust, for an extra layer of flavor, transformed my Thai-style pizza into a great pizza.  Fact:  Bread and cheese are not part of the traditional Thai diet.  That said, us Americans who love Thai food have been very successful at inventing all sorts of Thai-style wraps and sandwiches -- all of them are American or Thai-American creations.

When travelers return to the USA from Thailand, it's almost impossible to wean themselves of the bold, addictive, flavors of Thailand.  That said, as an all-American girl, I did miss bread and cheese by the end of our ten-day visit (even though they do sell a limited selection of bread and cheese in their bigger grocery stores to satisfy the cravings of us Westerners).  Generally speaking, on all my travels, I come home craving bread and cheese -- specifically, in the form of pizza. Traditionally, a slice or four of 'za is the first thing I eat on my return home from anywhere.

Thai-Asian flavor meets Italian-American pizza dough.

"Fusion cuisine" or "fusion food".  Popularized in the 1970's, these words describe the preparation of a meal that combines two different culinary styles and/or traditions to create a new dish. Today's recipe puts traditional Thai-Asian flavors into Italian-American pizza dough.  The idea to create a Thai-style pizza, complete with Thai-style toppings was not a leap for me, and, I didn't find it the least bit hard to impart plenty of Thai-flavor into my American-style pizza dough.  

A quick glance through the following ingredients list will reveal the common-sense substitutions and additions I made to my traditional pizza dough:  sesame oil (in place of olive oil), and, the use of garlic powder, ground ginger, dried Thai basil leaves and Sriracha seasoning, in place of the typical oregano and red pepper flakes that go on or into Italian- Italian-American pizza dough.

Oh-my-Thai-style pizza dough:

1 1/2  cups warm water

2  tablespoons sesame oil

4 1/2  cups all-purpose flour

2  teaspoons salt

2  teaspoons sugar

1 generous teaspoon each:  garlic powder, ground ginger, dried Thai basil leaves, Sriracha seasoning

1  packet granulated yeast

~Step 1.  To prepare the dough, place all ingredients in pan of bread machine in the order listed, except for the yeast.  Using your index finger, make a small indentation ("a well") on top of the dry ingredients, but not so deep that it reaches the wet layer.  Place the yeast in the indentation. Insert the pan into the bread machine, plug the machine in, press the "Select" button, choose the "Pizza Dough" cycle, then press "Start".  In about 55 minutes, you will have dough.  While dough is mixing, oil 2, 12" round pizza pans with about 1 1/2-2 tablespoons vegetable oil on each pan.

~Step 2.  Using lightly oiled fingertips, remove dough from pan.  Dough will be slightly sticky, yet very manageable.  Divide dough in half (there will be about 2 pounds, 2 ounces) -- the best way to do this is with a kitchen scale.  In between palms of hands, form each half of dough into a ball, then flatten into a disc, then place one disc on each pan and allow to rest, about 15-30 minutes, to give the gluten time to relax.  Pat and press dough evenly across bottoms and evenly up sides of oiled pans.

~ Step 3.  Top pizzas as directed in specific recipe.  Bake pizzas as directed in specific recipe, or, as follows (according to me):  One-at-a-time place pizza on a pizza stone that has been heated on center rack of 375º oven.  Bake for 8-9 minutes. With the aid of a spatula, slide pizza from pizza pan to pizza stone and continue to bake 6-7 more minutes, for a total of 14-16 minutes. Transfer pizza from pizza stone to a wire rack to cool about five minutes prior to slicing and serving ASAP.

Oh-My-Thai-Style Pizza w/Grilled Chicken & Peanut Sauce: 

Mel's Easy Thai-Spiced Bread-Machine Pizza Dough:  Recipe yields 2-pounds, 2-ounces pizza dough/enough for 2, 12" round pizza pies.

Special Equipment List:  2-cup measuring container; bread machine; kitchen scale; paper towels; 2, 12"-round pizza pans; pizza stone; pizza peel; wire cooling rack

Cook's Note:  I love making pizza dough in the bread machine.  It's like have an extra pair of hands. While it kneads and proofs the dough, I have almost an hour to prep my toppings.  Click here to get my ~  A-1 All-Purpose Bread Machine Pizza Dough ~ recipe, along with a bit of traditional New-York-style pizza history too.

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2018)

~ Thai-Style Pizza w/Grilled Chicken & Peanut Sauce ~

Bread and cheese -- they're not part of a traditional Thai diet.  Even the Thai-syle sandwiches and wraps we lovers of Thai food enjoy, are American or Thai-American creations. That said, in Thailand they do sell a very limited selection of bread and cheese in their bigger grocery stores (mostly manufactured Wonder-type breads and processed cheeses), to satisfy the cravings of Westerners living in Thailand.  I know this from on-the-ground-in-Thailand experience.

When travelers return home from Thailand, it's almost impossible to wean themselves of the bold, addictive taste-of-Thailand.  That said, as an all-American girl, I did miss bread and cheese by the end of our ten-day visit (as well as on our trips to China and Japan too).  Generally speaking, on all my travels, I come home craving bread and cheese -- specifically, in the form of pizza. Traditionally, a slice or four of 'za is the first thing I eat on my return home from anywhere.

When Thai-Asian flavor meets the Italian-American Pizza -- Written in four easy parts:  slaw, sauce, chicken & crust.

"Fusion cuisine" or "fusion food".  Popularized in the 1970's, these words describe the preparation of a meal that combines two different culinary styles and/or traditions to create a new dish. Today's recipe teams traditional Thai-Asian flavors and ingredients with the Italian-American pizza.  You have to go through a few steps to put a meal like this together, but none are hard, and, the first three can be done a day or three in advance.  In the end, the effort is more than worth it.

Creating a Thai-style pizza was not a leap for me, and, surprisingly, I didn't find it the least bit hard to impart Thai-flavor into my American-style pizza dough.  Choosing the toppings came next, and they too, all typical Thai ingredients, were easy to decide on: bean sprouts, an easy-to-make lightly-dressed broccoli slaw, a spicy peanut sauce, and, lightly-toasted peanuts and cilantro for garnish.*  After a couple of experiments, I decided that melty, mild-flavored shredded Havarti cheese was the perfect rich, creamy "buttery" base to pull my Thai pizza together.  Oh-my-Thai.

*Note:  My marinated and grill-pan-grilled Thai-chicken strips are included as an optional topping.

Part One:  Making My Delish 5-Minutes-to-Fix Asian Slaw

No pretense here.  The day I came across store-bought "broccoli cole slaw mix" (cole slaw mix made with crunchy green broccoli stems instead of green cabbage), my mind immediately raced to the flavors of soy sauce and sesame oil.  Why? Broccoli is classic Asian.  There's more.  I didn't have to experiment with the perfect dressing for it -- I'd already come up with one for my Asian chicken salad recipe.  After a quick mix of the vegetables and my honey-sesame dressing, Asian-slaw-perfection was revealed.

1/4  cup each: vegetable oil and white rice vinegar

1  tablespoon sesame oil and Thai seasoning soy sauce + 1 teaspoon Thai fish sauce

2  tablespoons honey

1, 12-ounce bag broccoli slaw + 1/2-1 cup thinly-sliced scallions

~ Step 1.  In a measuring container w/a tight fitting lid, combine all the liquid ingredients.

~ Step 2. Place the broccoli cole slaw in a medium bowl and add all of the dressing.  Give it a thorough stir.

Cover and place slaw in  refrigerator for 2-6 hours (or overnight will work too), stopping to stir it about every 30-45 minutes in the beginning so that all the slaw gets to absorb the dressing equally.  Note:  This recipe yields 3/4 cups of salad dressing and 4 cups of broccoli cole slaw.

Part Two:  Making My 5-Minute Spicy Peanut Sauce

If you love Thai food, having a recipe for Thai peanut sauce in your repertoire is a must. In Thailand, it's used in and on all sorts of classic-poultry, pork and noodle dishes, but, it's a great dip for raw vegetables and as a spread for Thai-style sandwiches and wraps too.  My recipe yields 2 1/2 cups, and, while that might sound like a lot, it freezes great and thaws relatively fast.  A little goes a long way, so I freeze it in 5, 1/2-cup-size containers, to have on-hand at a moment's notice.

A bit about peanut sauce:  This sauce is widely used in the cuisines of Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, China and Africa.  The main ingredients are roasted peanuts or peanut butter (crunchy or smooth), coconut milk, soy sauce and palm sugar.  Pulverized spices (red chile peppers, coriander, cumin, garlic, galangal and /or lemongrass, are almost always added.  You can easily purchase your favorite brand, but, when you see how easy this is to make, I don't know why you would.  My recipe, which came from my Thai girlfriend Kanya, contains one small can of Thai-style red curry paste, which provides all of the above named pulverized spices.

For the peanut sauce:

2  tablespoons sesame oil

1  4-ounce can Thai-style red curry paste

1  13 1/2-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk (briefly stir after opening the can)

6  tablespoons smooth or chunky-style peanut butter

2  tablespoons firmly-packed palm sugar (light or dark brown sugar may be substituted

~Step 1. Place the sesame oil and the red curry paste in a small 1-quart saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Continue to cook, stirring almost constantly, until the curry paste is bubbling rapidly and is very fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Add the coconut milk, peanut butter and sugar.  Continue to simmer steadily but gently, stirring almost constantly, until smooth and thick, 2 1/2-3 minutes.  Remove from heat, cover, and set aside.

Keep leftovers stored in the refrigerator.  Reheat gently in the microwave, prior to serving warm. 

Part Three:  Want Thai grill-pan-grilled chicken on your pizza?

I use chicken breast tenderloins because they stay juicier & moister than ordinary boneless, skinless chicken breasts do when subjected to the high, dry heat of a grill or a grill pan.  Feel free to use what you like best, but in either case, lightly-pound them with a flat-sided meat mallet for added tenderness.  That said, feel free to substitute thinly-sliced and lightly-pounded pork tenderloin for the chicken tender -- it'll be just as good.

For the chicken & the marinade:

2  pounds boneless chicken tenderloins, about 10 large tenderloins (pictured above)

1/4  cup each:  honey, lime juice, &, Thai seasoning soy sauce

2  tablespoons each: Thai fish sauce & sesame oil

1  tablespoon each:  garlic paste & ginger paste

1/4  cup minced cilantro leaves

1/4  cup thinly-sliced green onion, white & light green part only

1-2  small, hot, cayenne chile peppers, minced, or, 1 teaspoon Sriracha seasoning blend

~ Step 1. Sandwich tenderloins between two pieces of plastic wrap on a flat work surface.  Using a flat-sided meat mallet, lightly pound them to a thickness of about 1/2" -- do not smash them to smithereens.

~ Step 2.  In a 1-cup measuring container or a small bowl, stir together all of the marinade ingredients as listed.  Pour the marinade into a 1-gallon food storage bag, add the pounded tenderloins, seal the bag and toss to coat.  Set aside to marinate for about 2 hours at room temperature, or 4-6 hours in the refrigerator.

~Step 3.  On the stovetop, heat a grill pan that's been lightly- with no-stick cooking spray over medium-high heat.  Add half of the tenders (5) and grill until golden and cooked through on both sides, turning only once, 6-7 total minutes, about 4-4 1/2 minutes on the first side and 2-2 1/2 minutes on the second side, regulating the heat carefully as the honey in the marinade (like sugar) can scorch.  Transfer the cooked tenders to a plate and repeat process with remaining tenders (5). Slice each tender into long thin strips, then, slice strips into thinner halves or thirds.

Part Four:  Oh-my-Thai-Inspired Bread-Machine Pizza Dough

Every great pizza has a great crust, and, when it came to creating a Thai pizza dough, my decision to infuse Thai flavors into the crust, for an extra layer of flavor, made mine a great pizza.  A glance through the ingredients  reveals the common-sense substitutions and additions I made to my traditional pizza dough: sesame oil (in place of olive oil), and, the use of garlic powder, ground ginger, dried Thai basil leaves and Sriracha seasoning, in place of oregano and red pepper flakes on or in an Italian pizza.

For the Thai-style pizza dough:

1 1/2  cups warm water

2  tablespoons sesame oil

4 1/2  cups all-purpose flour

2  teaspoons salt

2  teaspoons sugar

1 generous teaspoon each:  garlic powder, ground ginger, dried Thai basil leaves, Sriracha seasoning

1  packet granulated yeast

~Step 1.  To prepare the dough, place all ingredients in pan of bread machine in the order listed, except for the yeast.  Using your index finger, make a small indentation ("a well") on top of the dry ingredients, but not so deep that it reaches the wet layer.  Place the yeast in the indentation. Insert the pan into the bread machine, plug the machine in, press the "Select" button, choose the "Pizza Dough" cycle, then press "Start".  In about 55 minutes, you will have dough.  While dough is mixing, oil 2, 12" round pizza pans with about 1 1/2-2 tablespoons vegetable oil on each pan.

~Step 2.  Using lightly-oiled fingertips, remove dough from pan.  Dough will be slightly sticky, yet very manageable.  Divide the dough in half (you will have about 2 pounds, 2 ounces) -- the best way to do this is with a kitchen scale.  In between the palms of hands, form each half of dough into a ball, and then a disc, then place one disc on each pan and allow to rest, about 15-30 minutes, to give the gluten time to relax.  Pat and press dough evenly across bottoms and evenly up sides of oiled pans.    

Top & bake pizzas, one-at-a-time, as directed below:

For the toppings and the baking instructions:

3-4  cups, warm Thai-Asian Grill-Pan-Grilled Chicken Strips

8-10  ounces shredded Havarti

1  cup, chilled bean sprouts

3  cups, chilled & drained Asian-Style Broccoli Slaw

1 1/2 cups, warm Thai-Style Spicy Peanut Sauce for Poultry or Pork

1  cup minced cilantro leaves

1  cup chopped, unsalted peanuts, lightly-toasted as follows: Place 8-12-ounces chopped peanuts in a shallow baking pan.  Roast in 350º oven, until fragrant and  golden, tossing with a spoon every 4-5 minutes, 12-15 total minutes.

Note:  Cool completely and store leftover peanuts tightly-covered in freezer to have on-hand.

~ Step 1.  Working one-at-a-time, top each pizza with about 1 1/2 cups grilled chicken (6 ounces), followed by 1 1/2 cups, "go easy on the cheese", shredded Havarti (4 ounces) -- it's important to put the chicken down first and top it with the cheese, just enough to keep the chicken from drying out and hold onto the toppings after baking.  If you are omitting the chicken, that's fine, simply start with the Havarti.

~Step 2.  Place pizza on a pizza stone that has been heated on center rack of 375º oven.  Bake for 8-9 minutes.  With the aid of a spatula, slide pizza from pizza pan to pizza stone and continue to bake 6-7 more minutes, for a total of 14-16 minutes.  Using a pizza peel transfer pizza from oven to wire cooling rack to cool a few minutes while continuing to top, in order, as follows:

~Step 3.  Distribute 1/2 cup bean sprouts over the pizza, followed by about 1 1/2 cups well-drained broccoli slaw --  the bean sprouts were not mixed into the slaw in order to keep them crunchy. Transfer pizza to a plate.  Drizzle with warm peanut sauce, then garnish with a sprinkling of cilantro and peanuts.  Slice and serve ASAP.

Oh my sweet, sour, spicy, salty & crunchy topped Thai pizza:

Slice & serve pizza #1 ASAP, while baking pizza #2:

Mel's Thai-Style Pizza w/Grilled Chicken & Peanut Sauce:  Recipe yields 4 cups broccoli slaw/2 1/2 cups peanut sauce/5 cups chicken strips/2-pounds, 2-ounces pizza dough/2, 12"-round pizzas/8 slices per pizza/4 servings per pizza.  

Special Equipment List:  1-2-cup shaker container w/tight-fitting lid & pourer top; plastic wrap; 1-quart saucepan; spoon; food storage container(s) w/tight-fitting lid(s); flat-sided meat mallet; cutting board; chef's knife; 1-gallon food storage bag; grill pan; 2-cup measuring container; bread machine; kitchen scale; paper towels; 2, 12"-round pizza pans; pizza stone; wire cooling rack; pizza peel

Cook's Note:  Over the years, I concluded that tacos should be defined as a style of eating rather than specifically associated with Tex-Mex fare.  Let's face it, the tortilla, just like the pizza crust, is a great foil for any cuisine to land its food on.  In my recipe ~ Thai-Style Grill-Pan Chicken Tacos w/Spice Peanut Sauce ~, Thai-Asian flavor hooks up with the Tex-Mex tortilla, and it is superb. Yes, you have to go through a few of the same steps to put this special sandwich together, but, oh-my-Thai, that's a wrap.

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2018)

~ Superbly-Seasoned Steakhouse-Style Steak-Fries ~

Would you like fries with that?  If your answer is yes, but you secretly, or not-so-secretly, want to taste more potato with a bit less crunch than you expect in an order of McD's-style shoestrings, or classic 1/2"-thick 3"-4"-long, square-tipped, box-cut, twice-fried French fries: the plump and planky, skin-on-or-off steakhouse-style steak-fry is for you.  Not to be confused with steak-frites, a French dish consisting of a pan-fried rib-eye steak served with classic French fries, steak fries are an all-American term referring to thick-cut fries -- more similar to Britain's wedge-cut chips.

When I was growing up, we adored my dad's round steak fries.

My dad thought outside the box.  If there was an easier way to do a task and still get the ideal end result, he'd find it.  Dad came up with his own time-saving version of steak fries for our family of four and we adored them.  He'd pop a few T-bone steaks in the oven under the broiler, and, while they sizzled away, he would peel and slice four Russet potatoes into 1/2"-thick discs -- FYI: potatoes can be peeled and disced in lots less time than it takes to peel and plank-cut potatoes.    

Into a 14" skillet of 1/2"-deep corn oil the potatoes went.  They fried until light-golden on both sides, 12-14 total minutes.  Once transferred to a paper-towel-lined plate, he seasoned them ASAP with a 1:1 mixture of garlic salt and onion salt.

If the end justifies the means, think outside the box.

The apple-of-my-dad's eye didn't fall far from his steak-fry tree.

Use your own or any seasoning blend -- steak fries play well with almost anything one can conjure up.  If you'd like to add some herby flavor to the oil too, simply place a few whole sprigs of fresh herbs in the oil as it is heating up on the stovetop, then remove the sprigs just before adding the potatoes.  That said, I wasn't lying when I said my steak fries were superbly-seasoned.  Garlic salt and onion salt are sublime -- they go with everything.  As for potatoes, over-time, I've decided Yukon gold potatoes, left unpeeled and cut into 1/2"-thick planks, deliver more flavor and a tenderer texture than the Russet.  My cooking method remains the same as my dad's:  the skillet.

Everybody into the skillet.  Deep-frying requires frying twice, &, oven-roasting takes too long for such a lack-luster result.

Into a 10" skillet of 1/2"-deep corn oil drop two, large, skin-on Gold potatoes, cut to a thickness of approximately 1/2".  Fry until light-golden on all sides, 10-12 minutes, turning/tossing frequently with a spatula and/or fork.  Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate and lightly-season ASAP with a 1:1 mixture of garlic salt and onion salt.

Would you like steak sauce with your steak fries?

Superbly-Seasones Steakhouse-Style Steak Fries:  Recipe yields instructions to make two types steak-fries (round Russets or planked Yukons), in an appropriately-sized skillet/ 2-4 servings. 

Special Equipment List:  cutting board; chef's knife; appropriately-sized skillet (10" skillet = 2 potatoes, 2 servings.  14" skillet, 4 potatoes, 4 servings); fork and/or spatula; paper towels

Cook's Note: Great skillet-fried steak fries deserve a great steak -- preferably cooked in a grill-pan.  In my kitchen, that's ~ The Perfect 12-13-Minute, 2"-Thick Grill-Pan Filet ~.

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2018)

~A Little Thing Called Gem Lettuce: A Leafy Treasure~

Lettuce is not a subject people get excited about.  That said, everyone has a preference, nonchalantly placing their favorite variety in their shopping cart as they saunter through the produce department.  In our present day food world, it's understandable to take this humble, fragile and perishable vegetable for granted, but, prior to the 1920's, that was not the case. Americans relied primarily on seasonal leaf lettuces that were grown in their gardens or sold in their local markets for their salads -- salad eating in the colder regions was a seasonal pleasure. Out of season, the cook relied on rugged root vegetables like carrots, potatoes and cabbage.

Thankfully, along came the transcontinental railroad.

It became possible for iceberg to be shipped year round, in traincars, from California to every corner of the USA.  Each crate of this round-headed super-crispy lettuce, which has a longer shelf life than all other leafy greens, was topped with ice to keep it cold during the long trip.  As the traincars pulled into depots for delivery and unpacking, the rail workers would shout, "here comes the icebergs", or, "the icebergs are coming".  Then, along came refrigerated rail cars, trucks and airplanes.  The stage was set for the lettuce industry to boom, and boom it did.  Worldwide distribution of many varieties of lettuce, bagged lettuce mixes and micro greens was possible.  

Gem lettuce is a miniature, slightly-sweeter variety of romaine.

Described as the perfect cross between butterhead & romaine.

Originally native to France and Spain, this miniature variety of romaine has been around for a long time on the West coast of the USA.  Thankfully, its gain in popularity has finally resulted in my having easy access to it here on the East coast, more specifically, Central Pennsylvania.  Its scaled-down appearance is remarkably similar to its larger relative, having a green (sometimes reddish), oblong head with loose, crinkly leaves gathered around its crisp, more compact heart. Described as the perfect cross between butterhead (also known as butter, bibb or Boston bibb) and romaine, its crisp texture and compact size make it perfect for appetizer-size lettuce wraps and a great substitute for iceberg lettuce on any type of sandwich or wrap sandwich.

It's super-crispy, fork-friendly green leaves are often served in high-end restaurants, in a fancy-schmancy single-serving salad course.  Sliced in half or quarters and lightly painted with vinaigrette or olive oil, it holds up really well on the grids of a hot grill or grill pan too.  Like other leafy greens and lettuces, it won't hang around forever, but, if stored loosely wrapped in plastic in the vegetable crisper of the refrigerator, I've found it easily lasts up to a full ten days.

These sexy little lettuce heads dress up any type of salad.

Try 'em halved, brushed w/EVOO & grilled to a nutty-golden brown...

... in my Grilled Gem Wedges w/Blue Cheese, Bacon & Filet salad:

Or "as is" in my Little Gems Caesar Salad w/Roasted Chicken: 

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2018)

~Grilled Gem Wedges w/Blue Cheese, Bacon & Filet~

You can teach an old dog new tricks.  As a gal, who, for the most part, prefers her vegetables cooked in some manner to enhance their flavor and texture, grilling lettuce was a technique I learned just a few short weeks ago.  I haven't a clue why it eluded me for so long, except, in my own defense, I don't remember a chapter entitled The Art of Grilling Lettuce in my foodie manual. Grilling lettuce might not be for everyone.  After all, we eat with our eyes, and our eyes have been trained to seek bright green, crisp. lettuce leaves.  So, even though the concept may seem foreign, I'm here to report, there's a nutty deliciousness in this process that's hard to describe.

A grilled-lettuce salad is indeed a shabby-chic salad to look at.

A bit about the classic wedge salad:  Culinary reference books say iceberg lettuce (also known as crisphead or Simpson) was popular with Americans as far back as the 1920's, but, it places it "at the top of its game" in the 1950's and 60's. During this period, "the classic wedge salad" (a wedge of iceberg topped with blue cheese dressing, blue cheese, bacon, and sometimes, tomatoes) ruled the salad world much like the chicken Caesar does today.  It was a staple on every steakhouse menu. While this undeniably delicious salad has been deemed unhealthy by current-day food police, this is an unfair criticism.  Back in my day, Americans weren't eating via the drive-thru, take-out or delivery several nights a week. "The big cold wedge" was simply an occasional, pleasurable indulgence.

A bit about iceberg lettuce:  Prior to the 1920's, Americans relied primarily on seasonal leaf lettuces that were grown in their gardens or sold in their local markets for their salads -- salad eating in the colder regions was a seasonal pleasure. Then, along came the railroad.  It became possible for iceberg to be shipped year round, in traincars, from California to every corner of the USA.  Each crate of this round-headed super-crispy lettuce, which has a longer shelf life than all other leafy greens, was topped with ice to keep it cold during the long trip.  As the traincars pulled into depots for delivery and unpacking, the rail workers would shout, "here comes the icebergs", or, "the icebergs are coming".

Gem lettuce is a miniature, slightly-sweeter variety of romaine.

Described as the perfect cross between butterhead & romaine...

... these sexy little lettuce heads dress up any type of salad.

Originally native to France and Spain, this miniature variety of romaine has been around for a long time on the West coast of the USA.  Thankfully, its gain in popularity has finally resulted in my having easy access to it here on the East coast, more specifically, Central Pennsylvania.  Its scaled-down appearance is remarkably similar to its larger relative, having a green (sometimes reddish), oblong head with loose, crinkly leaves gathered around its crisp, more compact heart. Described as the perfect cross between butterhead (also known as butter, bibb or Boston bibb) and romaine, its crisp texture and compact size make it perfect for appetizer-size lettuce wraps and a great substitute for iceberg lettuce on any type of sandwich or wrap sandwich.

It's super-crispy, fork-friendly green leaves are often served in high-end restaurants, in a fancy-schmancy single-serving salad course.  Sliced in half or quarters and lightly painted with vinaigrette or olive oil, it holds up really well on the grids of a hot grill or grill pan too.   Like other leafy greens and lettuces, it won't hang around forever, but, if stored loosely wrapped in plastic in the vegetable crisper of the refrigerator, I've found it easily lasts up to a full ten days.

Halved & brushed w/EVOO, it does great on the grill or grill pan.

Part 1:  Make the dressing, preferably in day in advance.

Blue cheese dressing is undoubtedly one of America's most popular salad dressings -- especially with men.  As the only girl in a sea of four men in my kitchen, this has been proven true.  In any steakhouse you'll be offered their house salad, many times a classic wedge salad, with the option of their in-house-made blue cheese dressing on top of it.  Order chicken wings anywhere, and unless you request them served otherwise, they will arrive with blue cheese dressing. 

My recipe will rival any blue cheese dressing, anywhere.  Chocked full of chunky blue cheese crumbles and the right balance of sweet and savory spice with a touch of heat, I'm reasonably certain it will become your favorite version.  My favorite blue cheese comes from Denmark, but, if you've got a favorite, as long as it can be crumbled, use it.  If you have the time, prepare the dressing a day before serving, to allow it ample time to thicken and give all the wonderful flavors time to marry.

For the salad dressing:

1/2  cup each:  buttermilk, mayonnaise and sour cream

1/2-3/4 teaspoons cayenne pepper sauce

1/2  teaspoon each:  lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce

3  tablespoons minced chives

1-1 1/2  cups crumbled blue cheese, 4-6 ounces

For the dried spice blend:

1/2  teaspoon each:  minced garlic, garlic powder, sugar and celery salt

1/4  teaspoon each:  minced onion, onion powder, celery seed, cracked black pepper, white pepper

1/8  teaspoon salt

~ Step 1.  In a medium bowl, vigorously whisk together the salad dressing ingredients, except for the blue cheese crumbles and chives.  In a small bowl, stir together the dried spice blend, add them to the bowl of wet ingredients and, once again, vigorously stir.  Fold in the blue cheese crumbles and chives.

Note:  Depending on how much blue cheese you added, you will have 2-2 1/2 cups of salad dressing.  Transfer to a food storage container, cover and refrigerate several hours to overnight.

Part 2:  Grill-pan a filet or four & let 'em rest 10-15+ minutes.

Feel free to take your filet mignon into the great outdoors to cook it on the grill, but, I don't recommend it. Why? The filet, cut from the tenderloin and leanest, tenderest cut of beef, is the least likely to succeed over the dry, open flame of any seething-hot charcoal or gas grill grids. That said, indoors, on a grill pan, where it has a solid, steamy surface to sear itself above its own bubbling juices, the filet graduates at the head of its class -- with perfect, 4.0 grill marks too.

~Step 1.  For even-cooking and a pretty presentation, tie a kitchen-twine rope-line around the waist of each of 4, 8-9-ounce, 2"-thick filet mignon.

~Step 1.  Spray the grids of a nonstick grill pan with no-stick cooking spray and place over medium-high heat for 1 minute.  Once pan is preheated, place steaks on the grill grids.  Season their tops with freshly-ground sea salt and peppercorn blend*.  Continue to cook 5 full minutes. Using a spatula (not a fork), flip steaks over,  season the second sides and cook 5 more minutes. Flip steaks over and immediately give each one a quarter-turn, to form the signature cross-hatch grill-grid marks (note the direction of the marks in photos 3 & 4), then, cook 1 more minute.

*Note:  Steak-seasoning may be substituted for freshly-ground sea salt and/or peppercorn blend.

~Step 2.  Flip steaks over one last time and cook 1 more minute.  Steaks will now have the signature cross-hatch marks on both sides.  Using the aid of a long-handled fork (without poking holes in meat), lift steaks onto their sides and use the sides of the grill pan for support as you work. Continue to cook steaks on their sides for another full minute, turning steaks methodically and constantly during this time, to brown all around their perimeters.  Transfer steaks from grill pan to a plate, loosely cover steaks with aluminum foil or plastic wrap (to keep moist), and, set aside to cool prior to slicing and serving slightly-warm or at room temperature.

Part 3:  For the salad, grilling the lettuce, &, the assembly:

Of course you can serve this salad without grilling the gem lettuce -- everyone loves a crisp and classic wedge salad.  That said, the slightly-sweet gem lettuce gets sweeter on the grill pan, and, because of its compact leaf structure it holds up really well.  Set your apprehension aside for a moment and try it once.  You just might like it, and, be surprised to find out your family does too.

16  gem lettuce heads, sliced in half, 4 gem lettuce heads per salad

1  tablespoon olive oil, for ever-so-lightly brushing on gem lettuce halves

4  grill-pan-grilled filet mignon, slightly-warm or at room temp, from above recipe

1 1/2-2  cups dressing, from above recipe

1  cup crumbled blue cheese

1/2-3/4  cup very-thinly-sliced red onion, cut into half-moons, half-moons cut into quarters

1/2-3/4  cup crisply-fried and small-diced bacon

freshly-ground sea salt and peppercorn blend, for garnish

~Step 1.  Slice each lettuce head in half lengthwise.  Using a pastry brush, lightly paint the flat surfaces with olive oil. Spray grids of a nonstick grill pan with no-stick and place over medium-high heat for 1 minute. Once pan is heated, arrange gem lettuce halves, without crowding the pan, flat side down, on hot grill grids. Do this in two batches if necessary.  Grill lettuce, without turning, for 3-3/12 minutes. Turn heat off and remove lettuce from skillet.  Use ASAP to plate salads as directed below.

~Step 2.  To assemble the salads, on each of four salad/luncheon-sized plates, in the following order, decoratively arrange, sliced filet mignon, grilled lettuce halvess, red onion, blue cheese crumbles and bacon bits. Dollop a generous scoop of dressing in their centers, then, give each salad a light, even grinding of sea salt and peppercorn blend.

The beauty is in the eye of the grilled-lettuce beholder:

Pick up a knife & a fork and cut in to nutty deliciousness: 

Grilled Gem Wedges w/Blue Cheese, Bacon & Filet: 2-2 1/2 cups salad dressing & four, hearty main-course salads.

Special Equipment List: 2-cup food storage container w/tight fitting lid; cutting board; chef's knife; kitchen twine; kitchen shears; aluminum foil or plastic wrap; grill pan; pastry brush 

Cook's Note:  The perfect accompaniment to any wedge salad is a steak.  An extraordinary accompaniment to any wedge salad is ~ Steak au Poivre (Peppercorn-Crusted Filet Mignon) ~.

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2018)

~ The Perfect 12-13-Minute, 2"-Thick, Grill-Pan Filet ~

Feel free to take your filet mignon into the great outdoors to cook it on the grill, but, I don't recommend it. Why? The filet, cut from the tenderloin and leanest, tenderest cut of beef, is the least likely to succeed over the dry, open flame of any seething-hot charcoal or gas grill grids. That said, indoors, on a grill pan, where it has a solid, steamy surface to sear itself above its own bubbling juices, the filet graduates at the head of its class -- with perfect, 4.0 grill marks too.

4, 8-9-ounce, 2"-thick USDA Choice Angus filet-mignon steaks.

To insure even cooking time & a pretty presentation...

... it's necessary to buck 'em up to hold their shape.

This is done by tightly-tying a rope-line around each waist.

Tie 'em even if you are foolish enough to put 'em on an outdoor grill.  You can thank me later for that small piece of advice.

~Step 1.  Spray the grids of a nonstick grill pan with no-stick cooking spray and place over medium-high heat for 1 minute.  Once pan is preheated, place steaks on the grill grids.  Season their tops with freshly-ground sea salt and peppercorn blend*.  Continue to cook 5 full minutes. Using a spatula (not a fork), flip steaks over,  season the second sides and cook 5 more minutes. Flip steaks over and immediately give each one a quarter-turn, to form the signature cross-hatch grill-grid marks (note the direction of the marks in photos 3 & 4), then, cook 1 more minute.

*Note:  Steak-seasoning may be substituted for freshly-ground sea salt and/or peppercorn blend.

~Step 2.  Flip steaks over one last time and cook 1 more minute.  Steaks will now have the signature cross-hatch marks on both sides.  Using the aid of a long-handled fork (without poking holes in meat), lift steaks onto their sides and use the sides of the grill pan for support as you work. Continue to cook steaks on their sides for another full minute, turning steaks methodically and constantly during this time, to brown all around their perimeters.  Remove steaks from pan.

Rest steaks 5-10 minutes prior to slicing & serving: 

Would you like Superbly-Seasoned Steak Fries with that?

The Perfect 12-13-Minute, 2"-Thick, Grill-Pan Fillet:  Recipe yields 4 servings.

Special Equipment List:  kitchen-safe twine; kitchen shears; grill pan; spatula; long-handled fork

Cook's Note:  A classic recipe to cook a filet indoors is ~ Steak au Poivre (Peppercorn-Crusted Filet Mignon) ~.  It gets cooked in a skillet and is served with a luscious sauce made from the pan juices -- one of my fancy-schmancy favorites.

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2018)

~ Little Gems Caesar-Style Salad w/Roasted Chicken ~

Over the past four decades, the classic Caesar salad has:  #1)  Become America's most popular main-dish salad; #2) Altered the lettuce industry, as the demand for romaine has skyrocketed, and: #3) Turned the chicken-topped Caesar salad into the chicken item most frequently found on restaurant menus -- even more than wings and chicken fingers.  Now considered the all-American salad, it was in fact invented in Mexico in 1924 by an Italian-born immigrant to Mexico.

Now considered the all-American salad, the Caesar was invented on July 4th, 1924, by an Italian-Mexican chef & co-owner of a restaurant in Tijuana, who emigrated to & resided in America.

Caesar Cardini lived in San Diego, but worked as a co-owner in a Tijuana restaurant in order to avoid the restrictions of Prohibition. He concocted his now iconic salad late in the day on the Fourth of July, for some Hollywood celebrities, after the holiday crowd had depleted his kitchen of many ingredients.  He used romaine lettuce (which doesn't impress us today, but back then it was an uncommon ingredient) and tossed it with a dressing made from just six ingredients:  garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce and Parmesan cheese.  In the original salad, he used whole lettuce leaves, which were meant to be picked up and eaten with the fingers.  The original salad dressing contained no anchovies, but got its slight anchovy flavor from the Worcestershire sauce (which contains anchovies).  Later, the salad was tossed and served at tableside, and posh restaurants in Hollywood and LA, who catered to the upper class, soon began offering it.

I've heard it said that a restaurant is only as good as its Caesar salad and a Caesar salad is only as good as its dressing.  A few decades ago, back in the 1970's, '80's and '90's, when people still had an appreciation for the snobbery of an elegant restaurant, that was true, and no one enjoyed the fanfare of watching a black-tied waiter prepare my Caesar salad, to my liking, at tableside, more than me.  If a Caesar salad was on a restaurant menu, I ordered it.  Nowadays -- not so much.  Fast forward.  In our present-day Olive Garden-, Carrabba's-type atmosphere, I'm betting most folks wouldn't know a good Caesar salad, or a good Caesar dressing from a bad one, even if they got hit on the head with an olive wood bowl.  I find this disheartening because the simple elegance of a well-prepared Caesar salad is indeed an extraordinary dining experience.

Cardini served his original salad arranged atop leaves of long, slender hearts-of-romaine.  Each leaf was intended too be picked up & eaten out-of-hand.  Cardini would have adored gem lettuce.

Gem lettuce is a miniature, slightly-sweeter variety of romaine.  

Described as the perfect cross between butterhead & romaine...

... these sexy gems will dress-up my July 4th Caesar salad.

Originally native to France and Spain, this miniature variety of romaine has been around for a long time on the West coast of the USA.  Thankfully, its gain in popularity has finally resulted in my having easy access to it here on the East coast, more specifically, Central Pennsylvania.  Its scaled-down appearance is remarkably similar to its larger relative, having a green (sometimes reddish), oblong head with loose, crinkly leaves gathered around its crisp, more compact heart. Described as the perfect cross between butterhead (also known as butter, bibb or Boston bibb) and romaine, its crisp texture and compact size make it perfect for appetizer-size lettuce wraps and a great substitute for iceberg lettuce on any type of sandwich or wrap sandwich.

It's super-crispy, fork-friendly green leaves are often served in high-end restaurants, in a fancy-schmancy single-serving salad course.  Sliced in half or quarters and lightly painted with vinaigrette or olive oil, it holds up really well on the grids of a hot grill or grill pan too.   Like other leafy greens and lettuces, it won't hang around forever, but, if stored loosely wrapped in plastic in the vegetable crisper of the refrigerator, I've found it easily lasts up to a full ten days.

Part 1:  Caesar-Style Salad Dressing a la Melanie

The original dressing contained six ingredients:  garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, Worcestershire and Parmesan -- it did not contain anchovies, getting its slight anchovy flavor from the anchovies in the Worcestershire.  When it comes to making Caesar dressing, I play by the rules, bending them by adjusting the quantities to suit my own taste.  I want my dressing garlicy, peppery, and creamy, and, I want it to get creamy by using the traditional raw egg.  I want it slightly sweet and savory too, and, while I don't want to see anchovies, I want to taste their tang.  As for the Parmesan -- I omit it from the dressing, choosing instead to use a copious amount to garnish my salad.   

While store-bought dressing is a time saving ingredient, and, "hoaky-smokes Bullwinkle", there is a wide selection to choose from (and that includes the trademarked Cardini's brand, which is named after Caesar Cardini), when it comes to making this iconic salad, I don't take shortcuts -- and I'll put my dressing up against any of the bottle brands out there.  That said, I won't call the food police if you choose to use one, but, if you do, do not be afraid to "doctor it up a bit" to suit yourself.

1  2-ounce can anchovy fillets (preferably rolled w/capers), well-drained

1/4  cup Dijon mustard

2  tablespoons red wine vinegar

1  tablespoon each:  garlic paste, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, sugar

1/2  teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

2  large eggs, at room temperature

1/2  cup extra-virgin olive oil

~Step 1.  Place all the ingredients, except olive oil, in work bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade.  Put the lid on, turn the motor on, and process for a full 30 seconds.  With the motor running, add the olive oil, in a thin, slow, steady stream, through the feed tube into the dressing. Transfer to a 1 1/2-2-cup size container, cover tightly and refrigerate one hour prior to using (to allow flavors time to marry), and, keep it stored in the refrigerator for up to one week.

Part Two:  Caesar-Style Croutons a la Melanie

Not too big, not to small, not too hard, not to soft, buttery-rich and bold-flavored from plenty of black pepper, garlic powder and Italian seasoning, I make my croutons from scratch, and, I make 'em using homemade bread, which I make in my bread machine.  Why?  Because, just like store-bought dressings, I take Ceasar salad-making seriously, and, that means: no short cuts.

1  pound loaf, 1/2"-cubed, bread-machine herbed-pizza-dough loaf

2  sticks salted butter

1/2  teaspoon garlic powder

For the dough:

3/4  cup warm water

1  tablespoon olive oil

2 1/4  cups all-purpose flour

1  teaspoon sea salt

1  teaspoon sugar

1/2  teaspoon each:  garlic powder, Italian seasoning blend and coarse-grind black pepper

1  teaspoon granulated dry yeast

~ Step 1.  Place all ingredients, in order listed, in bread machine.

Follow the instructions in your machine's manual for baking a 1-pound loaf of white bread.  Got questions?  Click on the the link provided above to get my directions and step-by-step photos.

~Step 1.  In a 12" skillet, melt the garlic powder into the butter over medium-low heat.  Adjust heat to medium-high and add the bread cubes.  Using two large, slotted spoons, tossing constantly until butter is all absorbed and almost constantly thereafter, brown and crisp the bread, about 15-18 minutes, lowering the heat as necessary toward the end of the cooking process.  Remove the skillet from heat and allow the bread to cool in the skillet for about 1 hour, where it will continue to crisp up.  Use one of the slotted spoons to transfer croutons to a shallow bowl that has been lined with paper towels, then remove and reserve the smaller crouton bread bits for plate garnish.  

Part Three:  Caesar-Style Gem Salad a la Melanie

It's been said that a restaurant is only as good as its Caesar salad. As a lover of Caesar salad, if a restaurant offers one, I'm ordering it. That said, with or w/o the chicken option, I ask that my Caesar contain three on-hand additions to the usual suspects: onion, tomato and hard-cooked egg. One last item of note, I roast two chickens almost every week.  I do it because I love having it on-hand for a quick salad or sandwich all week long.  Feel free to use poached- or grilled-, salt-and-pepper-seasoned- chicken.

When it comes to salad making, it is not an exact science.  I have estimated the quantities below to the best of my ability, based upon my preferences -- I encourage you to do the same.

For four, main-dish, gem-lettuce Caesar-style salads w/roasted chicken (in order of assembly):

10-12 Little Gem lettuce hearts, separated (a generous 2 1/2 hearts per salad)

1-1 1/2  cups red onion, peeled, quartered and very-thinly-sliced, shaved (a generous 1/4 cup per salad)

2 1/2  cups bite-sized, pulled- or diced, chicken breast (a generous 1/2 cup per salad)

4-6  hard-cooked eggs, peeled & wedged, wedges cut in half (1+ egg per salad)

1 1/2  cups grape tomatoes, halved (about 1/3 cup per salad) 

Caesar-style dressing, from above recipe

1/2-1  cup finely-shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese (a generous tablespoon per salad -- I shredded 5-6 ounces and will refrigerate what I do not use)

Caesar-style croutons, from above recipe 

freshly-ground black pepper, for garnishing salad

~Step 1.  To assemble four hearty, individual-sized salads (or one large salad on a large platter), divide, layer and arrange the ingredients, in the the following order:  gem romaine leaves, red onion, chicken breast, hard-cooked egg, grape tomatoes, a drizzle of dressing, a sprinkling of cheese, crunchy croutons and, a generous grinding of black pepper.  Serve immediately.

Once assembled, serve salad(s) ASAP...

... & enjoy w/a fork, or, out-of-hand a la Caesar Cardini: 

Little Gems Caesar-Style Salad w/Roasted Chicken:  Recipe yields 1 1/2 cups dressing and 4 large, main-dish serving.

Special Equipment List:  food processor; 1 1/2 cup food storage container w/tight-fitting lid; cutting board; serrated bread knife; chef's knife; 12" nonstick skillet; 2 large slotted spoons; paper towels; microplane grater

Cook's Note:  Looking for the perfect accompaniment to a Ceasar salad? ~ My Traditional Gazpacho: Fresh from our Garden ~ is it.  Just like steaming hot tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich go hand-in-hand in the Winter, so goes gazpacho and the Caesar salad.

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2018)

~ Creamy, Garlicy & Peppery Caesar-Style Dressing ~

I've heard it said that a restaurant is only as good as its Caesar salad and a Caesar salad is only as good as its dressing.  A few decades ago, back in the 1970's, '80's and '90's, when people still had an appreciation for the snobbery of an elegant restaurant, that was true, and no one enjoyed the fanfare of watching a black-tied waiter prepare my Caesar salad, to my liking, at tableside, more than me.  If a Caesar salad was on a restaurant menu, I ordered it.  Nowadays -- not so much.  In our present-day Olive Garden, Carrabba's atmosphere, I'm betting most folks wouldn't know a good Caesar salad from a bad one if they got hit on the head with an olive wood bowl.

The Caesar salad, was invented on July 4th, 1924, by Caesar Cardini, an Italian-born Mexican immigrant & co-owner of a restaurant in Tijuana, Mexico, who resided in San Diego. 

Cardini concocted his now iconic salad late in the day on the Fourth of July, for some Hollywood celebrities, after the holiday crowd had depleted his kitchen of many ingredients.  The original and easy-to-make dressing contained just six ingredients:  garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, Worcestershire and Parmesan -- it did not contain anchovies, getting its slight anchovy flavor from the anchovies in the Worcestershire.  When it comes to making Caesar dressing, I play by the rules, bending them by adjusting the quantities to suit my own taste.  I want my dressing garlicy, peppery, and creamy, and, I want it to get creamy by using the traditional raw egg.  I want it slightly sweet and savory too, and, while I don't want to see anchovies, I want to taste their tang.  As for the Parmesan -- I omit it from the dressing, choosing instead to use a copious amount to garnish my salad.

While store-bought dressing is a time saving ingredient, and, "hoaky-smokes Bullwinkle", there is a wide selection to choose from (and that includes the trademarked Cardini's brand, which is named after Caesar Cardini), when it comes to making this iconic salad, I don't take shortcuts -- and I'll put my dressing up against any of the bottle brands out there.  That said, I won't call the food police if you choose to use one, but, if you do, do not be afraid to "doctor it up a bit" to suit yourself.

1  2-ounce can anchovy fillets (preferably rolled w/capers), well-drained

1/4  cup Dijon mustard

2  tablespoons red wine vinegar

1  tablespoon each:  garlic paste, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, sugar

1/2  teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

2  large eggs, at room temperature

1/2  cup extra-virgin olive oil

~Step 1.  Place all the ingredients, except olive oil, in work bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade.  Put the lid on, turn the motor on, and process for a full 30 seconds.  With the motor running, add the olive oil, in a thin, slow, steady stream, through the feed tube into the dressing. Transfer to a 1 1/2-2-cup size container, cover tightly and refrigerate one hour prior to using (to allow flavors time to marry), and, keep it stored in the refrigerator for up to one week.

Try my Italian-seasoned Caesar-style croutons w/my dressing:

Use them both on my house-special gem Ceasar-style-salad:

Creamy, Galicky & Peppery Caesar-Style Dressing:  Recipe yields 1 1/2 cups.

Special Equipment List:  food processor; 2-cup food-storage container w/tight fitting lid

Cook's Note:  Similar to the Caesar salad in that it is only as good as its dressing,  ~ My Big Fat Greek Lemon-y-Garlic Salad ~, is one of my favorite salad combinations.  Full of briny olives and feta, it's particularly good with grilled or poached seafood (crabmeat, lobster, shrimp and/or scallops) added to it.

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2018)