Fast Food

It's late, you've just had a long hard day at work and don't particularly feel up to cooking dinner as well. So you stop at the first fast food proprietor you pass and grab a bite on the go. After all, they're convenient. I don't disagree with that statement. Fast food restaurants are convenient; or at least more convenient than preparing a full meal yourself. When you take into account purchasing the groceries, thawing them out if necessary, choosing what meal to prepare, and actually cooking it, the fast food run seems a lot more convenient; barring microwave dinners, of course. However, convenience is not always the best option. Don't get me wrong, I'm not against fast food, I just have many problems with it.
I'll just start off by saying that I do enjoy fast food; if it's prepared well, is nutritious, and is above all delicious. The problem is that many fast food chains do not fall into any of these in one way or another. I'll give a few examples: I love Burger King. I love whoppers. They aren't exactly nutritious, but they tase great. The problem is that sometimes they are so greasy that the paper wrapper becomes translucent by the time it gets to the table. There's another problem with the whopper, but I'll get to it later. McDonald's has some good food, however most it is neither healthy or tasty. And In fact sometimes its not prepared well either. Once I ordered a burger and didn't find out till later that It was still raw. Now that is unprofessional. I could have seriously gotten sick from that burger. Fortunately once I realized this I tossed it, but if I'd had a keener mind I would've filed suit against the McDonald's corporation. Many of the grievances I have toward fast food chains are actually the fault of the employees themselves. Many of whom are high school dropouts with no ambition to do anything with their lives, this doesn't apply to all. I've met many who were working their way through school. I applaud them for this, I just wish they could have found a better job.
Back to my point that my problems are due to the employees, I mean that it is not hard to make an order, yet somehow they always screw it up. They make no amenities for people with food-related allergies either. Which is why all restaurants should have it where people can leave items or toppings off of their orders. I myself am lactose intolerant, and I find it offensive that at certain fast food establishments I am required to order my meal without cheese. In my opinion, there should already be a version of that order without cheese, because it is redundant to say,"I would like a cheese burger without cheese." However I am obligated to do so because the particular menu item comes only with cheese. The cashier always sounds taken aback when I do also.
Along these same lines I am sick of menu items with sour cream, mayonaise, and cheese. I hate sour cream. If you like it, that's fine, but I think rather than me having to order an item without it, there should be a version with and without. The same goes for mayonaise. Now it's not so much that I hate mayonaise. I'm ok with it in small amounts, which by the way is how it was intended when it was invented. I am sick of going to a fast food restaurant (especially Burger King or Wendy's and there is more Mayonaise than anything else on the sandwich. "Would you like meat with your mayo?" Its sickening. The correct application is a thin coating spread on the bread or bun; not a glob. That is pure unhealthy and disgusting. Trust me, try a sandwich with the correct amount and you will understand.
Now as for cheese, and before you get on my case about the lactose intolerance, I love cheese, and ice cream. I just can't have it all the time. Fortunately there are plenty of alternatives, soy etc. But every now and then I want the real thing. However, ALL fast food chains use American cheese. Which in my opinion is the worst cheese ever created. And trust me I've had cheeses from all over the world. American IS the worst in taste and texture. It covers the taste of whatever you put it on. Why do these restaurants insist on using it? because its cheap. There are much better cheeses to have on sandwiches. Cheddar, jack, colby, gouda, meunster, swiss, provalone, even mozzarella, parmesan and many more. Believe you me, Put some better quality cheese on a sandwich and watch how it tastes soo much better than that nasty craptastic American garbage.
Now one of my biggest grievances is with Wendy's. I don't know if any of you have noticed, but I've met many who have not. The first 4 or 5 items on the menu DO NOT come with Mayonaise. DO NOT. Look at the pictures on the menu board. None of those sandwiches have Mayo on them in picture, yet every time I order them the automatons behind the counter put eggin' mayonaise on them. Either its false advertising or poor workmanship, either way I can smell a lawsuit. I'm serious, every Wendy's I've ever been to does this, and the images are the same countrywide. There's no Mayo until the chicken sandwiches on the menu, apart from the limited time menu items that may be placed between the classics and the chicken. Is it so hard to make these items, the eggin' pictures are right there above your heads. You see them everyday! Start making them right or change the pictures. I'm tired of it.
Now, before I make it seem that I dislike all fastfood establishments there are a few examples of great fast food that I would like to site. Qdoba is a great fast food Mexican place with delicious food which in a Subway style system, you order your food as you move down the line and get only what you want on your plate. With a variety of tacos, burritos, and quesadillas the combinations are endless, and there's also a host of salsas to choose from, and chips are aplenty. Trust me, you will not be disappointed in Qdoba. Another is a more widely known chain, though still small compared to the bigs. Five Guys is a burger joint with a simple yet complex menu. Again, here you order only what you want on your plate. There are basically 5 menu items, burgers, hot dogs, grilled cheese sandwiches, fries, and a drink. And you can alter them in any way. Double patty burger, add cheese, your choice from like a dozen toppings, seasoned or regular fries, etc. There is nothing on your plate that you didn't want. I get my burger with sauteed onions, lettuce tomato, pickles, and Frank's hot sauce. It is amazing. I cannot stress how much I love Five Guys. You just have to try them. And you will see, that there is more to fast food than mindlessly slopping on toppings like a robot.

Chicken and Penne in Homemade Alfredo

Tonight I dazzled my fiancee's family with one of my signature dishes. I decided to share my dish with the internet as part of the Amateur Chef blog. As my first recipe post, I wanted to share one of my favorites. This dish is a favorite at my table and it could be one at yours as well. I have been working on this one for the last few years, and each time it keeps getting better. It is my take on a classic Italian dish. Chicken and Penne pasta served in my homemade Alfredo sauce.

Ingredients:
3 medium boneless chicken breasts
1 1/2 pound penne pasta
2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
2 to 2 1/2 cups milk (your choice, I use 2%)
3 cups mixed Italian cheese (low-moisture part-skim mozzarella, provalone, romano, asiago, and parmesan. I used Kraft brand)
2 tablespoons Tuscany Blend (pepper, garlic, basil, onion, rosemary, tomato powder, sea salt, spices. from The Spice and Tea Exchange of Sarasota Florida)
1 to 2 teaspoon Emeril's Chicken Rub
2 to 3 teaspoons garlic powder
2 to 3 teaspoons freshly ground peppercorn medley (black, white, green, pink)

Instructions:
-Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces and rub with 1/6 to 1/4 of the seasonings. Let sit for 10 to 15 minutes. Add half of the olive oil into large saucepan and heat on medium high. Cook chicken and add more seasoning if needed. Remove chicken from pan, but do not drain. The liquid will be used in the alfredo sauce.
-Cook noodles as per instructions, and drain. Return noodles into the drained pot and add chicken.
-In the saucepan, add the remaining olive oil and return to medium high heat. Add the cheese in 1/4s and continually stir to prevent burning. Once half of the cheese is semi-melted (it wont melt entirely) add half of the milk and continue to stir. Add 1/3 of the seasoning. Repeat until all of the milk and cheese has been added. Once the sauce is the correct consistency (melty cheesy), pour into the pot and stir to evenly coat the noodles and chicken. Add the remaining seasoning and stir.
-Serve immediately. (serves 8)

Served with a side of broccoli and tuscan bread.
-steam broccoli, sprinkle any remaining cheese and serve
-Slice a loaf of Italian bread into 2/3 inch slices. Lightly coat with olive oil, lightly sprinkle the mixed cheese on top and a pinch of the tuscan seasoning. Toast at 350 for 10 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

While I am neither sponsored or endorsed by Pepsicola, I enjoyed this meal with Sunkist Solar Fusion soda. It is a delightful tropical mandarin flavor and full of vitamins of all things. Whatever your preference of libation, if you prepare this dish for your friends and family they will definitely warm your table more often. Try it just once and you'll find out what I mean. This is a perfect dish for a date night as well. Just cut the recipe down to 1/4th of this, and you can have a nice candlelight dinner with your spouse, girlfriend, boyfriend, or partner. With a glass of white wine at hand, it'll bring a little taste of Tuscany to your table.
Whether you're cooking for one, two, or even a dozen; have fun in the kitchen. Without enjoyment, food is just food. With the right attitude in the kitchen, you can make your dinner an experience never to forget. Take it from the amateur chef, your stomach will thank you for it.

Unagi

Feeling adventurous when my fiancee and I ate at a Japanese restaurant, I decided to try something new. Unagi. I saw this on the menu and against my better judgement ordered it. Not that the dish was at all ill prepared. No, actually, it was prepared quite well and was aesthetically pleasing to look at. We also had sushi and that beef tataki i mentioned in my last entry. After partaking in all of that, I decided to dig into the Unagi. It was presented in a 2-piece bento-like box. The Unagi was in the top section along with sea breeze salad, sliced ginger, and octopus salad. In the lower section was rice drizzled in a dark sauce and sprinkled with roe. As I said, the dish looked gorgeous, however when I took my first bite I realized what a big mistake I had made. For those who don't know, Unagi is eel. This particular dish is barbecued eel. Well as close to barbecue Japanese food can get. It fell apart in my mouth, and not in a "mmm-delicious" sort of way. It was more like a gritty. "OMG what did I just eat" kind of way. It was so off-putting that it ruined my appetite not just for that night, but for the next three days. Seriously, I barely ate for three days after. Not knocking the restaurant, I've had great food from there before, it's just that eel (and pretty much any seafood) is not my thing. Lesson learned.

Beef Tataki

I have recently been exposed to this Japanese dish, and I cannot believe it has taken me this long to experience it. My fiancee and I dined at a Japanese Hibachi restaurant recently, and on a whim I ordered this as an appetizer. Since then I have craved it. It was THAT good. For those who do not know, it is a dish consisting of seared thinly sliced beef served over lettuce and drizzled with a Ponzu sauce; or a ginger soy dressing. My fiancee equally enjoyed it, and in fact, we have been looking for an excuse to get more. Just last night we dined at a different Japanese restaurant and ordered the Tataki as an appetizer. While the quality was no where near in comparison to the first, it was delicious. This time it had an addition of sliced cucumber, which surprisingly added a nice crisp contrast to the savory beef. We enjoyed it so much that I am thinking of making an attempt at the dish myself. While I have been attempting to avoid pre-made seasonings, Kikkoman brand soy sauce has come out with its own ponzu sauce, and I will gladly use it. If you have a Japanese restaurant in your vicinity, see if they have this dish. If they do, I highly recommend trying it. You will be glad you did.

Amateur Chef Dining In

Hello, internet
I am an amateur chef, and by amateur I mean that I have not had formal training nor am I in a culinary career - though I have worked in the food service industry. Needless to say, I love food. I love to cook food and I love to eat food. It is my intention for this blog to express my thoughts on the subject of food; restaurants, home cooking, cook books, food television, and so on.
First, I'll tell a little more about myself. Growing up in the deep south I was introduced to good ole southern cooking at an early age. I'm not going to lie, much of it was fried. However, I also grew up with the exotic foods from my father's side of the family. Originally from Brasil, he moved all over the world before settling here in the US. Because of this, he gained an international palette, and he passed it on to me. At a young age, I began experimenting with food; different flavors, textures, cultures. Through that experimentation, I honed my tastes. I gained a love of fusion dishes; combining spices and ingredients from different corners of the globe. Recently I've been experimenting with whole spices and blending my own. The results have been astonishing. I have also been altering my own recipes to account for these rather than pre-mixed seasonings.(ie McCormick, etc.) - not that there is anything wrong with pre-made spices, I just want to achieve a more natural flavor.
Since I've had not formal training, I lack certain skills and techniques; such as, proper chopping techniques, and I have difficulty cooking certain foods, but I teach myself through experimentation and through cook books and cooking shows.
I also have a love of restaurants. I often go to different ones just for the experience, and I love tasting different foods. In this blog I will describe some of these; some of my favorites as well as new experiences. This blog will be the good, the bad, and the ugly of food, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

The Amateur Chef