Fiery Coconut-Curry Chicken Soup

  

 I made this chicken soup recipe using the same marinade from my spicy herb-garlic chicken. This dish incorporates both coconut milk, and curry,which are commonly used in traditional southeastern Asian cuisine. These two flavors compliment each other perfectly.   Hints of spice and curry pop in this dish which is simple to make, yet delicious as can be! This dish is easy enough for the beginner cook, yet the flavors are vibrant and sophisticated. Your friends will be impressed... Trust me!  Enjoy!!!

International Cuisine Basics

 
      There has often been times when I stumbled into unassuming  establishments specializing in a particular cuisine, and left speechless trying to comprehend the flavors I just took in. Often times these little eateries are run by people who came to this country and still cook how they used to back home. You get authentic food, done right. Let's face it, food from other countries are amazing! Not to say I don't have an affinity for some good old American fare, but I like it all. For me trying food from other regions of the world is fun, educational, and inspiring. The problem for a guy like me is that once I try something I like, my mind starts going to work.

Spicy Herb Garlic Chicken with Roasted Winter Vegetables

   Hello once again my friends! Without any further delay I present to you, a meal fit for an athlete. When creating this dish I took a minimalist approach. I wanted something easy for you guys to prepare, something that would taste delicious without a mile long list of ingredients. This spicy roasted chicken sparks a harmony between the heat of the jalapeno and the earthiness of the roasted winter vegetables. Splashes of lime add a brightness to this dish that take the flavors over the top. Hope you guys enjoy!

Kitchen Basics

 While I'm busy whipping you guys up a healthy recipe, I wanted to give you a few kitchen basics. Simple guidelines so to speak, that will make cooking easy, and your food delicious!

Preparation

 Prep-work ladies and gentleman, make it part of your cooking routine and I guarantee you will thank me.
     The French call it "mise en place," or to set in place. The French are considered to be among the world's culinary elite, yet as sophisticated, and precise as their techniques are, each dish begins with basic prep work. Only once everything has been prepared will a classically trained French chef begin to cook.
     Start by making a list of everything you are going to need for your meal, every ingredient and every spice, and lay them all out in front of you.

A Bite of Nutrition

     First off, I would like to thank you guys for the feedback. It seems the majority of you are interested in making a good healthy meal, with that in mind, I thought it would be a good time to talk a little bit about nutrition. Nowadays nutrition is a bit of a confusing subject, and a lot has changed since I was a kid. First it was the four food groups, then there was some sort of pyramid, and I'm almost sure they followed that up with some sort revised pyramid. Whats the deal with eggs, are they good or bad? Well, that depends on the time frame, its one of those back and forth things. How about dense fatty protein all day??? No carbs, all good... Or so some doctor from somewhere thought. Now carbs are ok, not all carbs, just some carbs. But which ones? You see what I mean by confusing? I want to share some general info, some easy guidelines that anyone can benefit from. In a sense, I would like to give you guys a bite of nutrition!

Calling all Foodies

     My fellow foodies, let me take a second to introduce myself. My name is Rafael, I am 32 years old and I live in Essex County NJ with  my half-witted dog Sampson. I'm writing simply because I have a love of food that I want to share with the world.

     
 
      Some may say that my passion for food started pretty early on in life. As a kid my family referred to me as the "bottomless pit." Well not much has changed, at 32 years old, I'm still putting it back! Whether it is burgers, foie gras, prime rib or pizza, I love it all!