Chef John’s On Vacation!

Please Note: Photo is for metaphorical purposes only.
Chef John is not vacationing in the tropics.

There are many things I enjoy about my partnership with Allrecipes – amazing tech support, access to state-of-the-art equipment (I don’t know how to use it, but still), and being able to work with talented, like-minded foodies; but above and beyond that, I love that they actually make me take vacations.

At first, they had to force me to take them, since I was convinced that if I went a week without posting a video, the Internet would implode. After realizing that wasn’t the case, my ego and I relaxed, and now we actually look forward to these mandatory breaks.

Anyway, I’ll be off all this week, and while comments will be published, I’ll not be monitoring the blog, so when it comes to questions and comments, you’ll be at the mercy of fellow foodwishers. Good luck with that. Thanks, and see you next week!

Green Goddess Dressing – Oh. My. God.

What's the difference between Green Goddess dressing and Green God dressing? Green Goddess dressing takes a lot longer to get ready. Sorry, but I couldn’t fit that joke into the voice over. Anyway, here’s my take on San Francisco’s very own, Green Goddess dressing.

This creamy, herby, addictively delicious sauce is not only my favorite salad dressing, but also one of my favorite dips as well. You can of course tweak the acidity with more or less lemon, as well as play with the salt and pepper, but please, do not change the trio of herbs. The way the parsley and chive play against the sweet tarragon makes this unlike any other herb dressing.

This is truly fit for a Goddess, and with Mother’s Day coming up Sunday, what better way to make your mom feel like one? That, and a complete spa package with extra long foot massage, and she should be set. I hope you give this Green Goddess dressing a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 2 cups of Green Goddess Dressing:

(all the following amounts should be adjusted to your tastes)

1 cup mayonnaise

3/4 cup sour cream

1 anchovy fillets

1 clove garlic, chopped

1/3 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

1/3 cup chopped tarragon leaves

1/4 cup chopped fresh chives

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, or to taste

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

cayenne to taste

Next Up: A Tardy Green Goddess

Due to major plumbing circumstances beyond our control, today's new video will be tomorrow's new video. The good news is, you'll have this classic American dressing in plenty of time to impress mom. Stay tuned!

Sausage Stuffed Piquillo Peppers – Not So Rare Spanish Beauty

There’s nothing quite like the piquillo pepper. They’re sweet, fruity, slightly smoky, and just bitter enough. For me, they’re the San Marzano tomatoes of peppers. And while I enjoy them in literally anything, these delicate, triangular beauties are just made for stuffing.

I don’t think I’ve ever filled them the same way twice, and while this most recent exploration was quite amazing, who knows what the future will bring. Having said that, this one may be worth repeating. I loved this Spanish-inspired combination of flavors.

The thing to keep in mind is that since you’re only cooking these for about 20 minutes, you’ll want to stay away from things that take longer than that. Things like raw rice, or larger chunks of vegetables just won’t work well here. Thankfully that leaves like a thousand other possible ingredients, so you have that going for you.

These are surprisingly easy to find, and any high-end grocery store should stock them. Gourmet cheese shops almost always have them, and you can find them all over the Internet. If all else fails, ask any Spanish person living near you, and they will know. I hope you give these beautiful peppers a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 12 Stuffed Piquillo Peppers:

12 Piquillo Peppers

olive oil, as needed

4 oz chorizo, Merguez sausage, or any spicy sausage meat

1/2 cup diced green onions

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup cooked white long grain rice

2 oz goat cheese

2 cloves crushed garlic

2 tbsp parsley, plus more to garnish

cayenne to taste

1 tsp cumin
1 large egg

2 tbsp sliced or chopped almonds

1 tsp blood orange zest

1 tbsp blood orange juice

400 F. for 15-20 minutes

Salsa Cruda de Nuevo

I wanted wish everyone a very happy Cinco de Mayo, or as I used to call it, "Mexican St. Patrick’s Day." I don’t anymore, since I heard about some college kids who now have to do a year of tolerance training, after planning a celebration called “Cinco de Drinko.” While funny, it is inappropriate, and so I’ve decided not do any more jokes like that...after this paragraph.

Anyway, in addition to large amounts of beer and tequila, the cornerstone of any great Cinco de Mayo party is the salsa, and this version we posted a few years ago is about a thousand times better than anything you’ll get from a jar. I hope you give it a try, if not today, sometime soon. Click here to view the original post, and get the ingredient amounts. Enjoy!

Olive Oil Poached Tuna – You Can Tuna Fish

You’re perfectly happy eating regular canned tuna, until the day you taste the imported, olive oil-packed tuna, and realize exactly what you’ve been missing. You tell people that there’s nothing better, but that’s not entirely true. There’s this.

By gently poaching fresh ahi tuna in olive oil, you can create a “tuna fish” of exceptional quality. The taste and texture are amazing, and you can adapt this in many ways. Besides switching up herbs and seasonings, you can cook the fish to a wide range of doneness.

Traditionally, the tuna is cooked all the way through, and preserved in the oil. This is a perfectly fine way to do it, and you will be blown away by the results. If you want to cook it through, simply keep it in the oil on low heat, until it’s just barely pink in the center (it’s okay to peek). Then proceed as shown, and by the time it cools it will be perfect.

Or if you prefer, you can follow my lead, and give it a briefer basting in the hot oil, so that after cooling in the oil, you’ll still have some gorgeous pink running through. There are so many variables, so the 5-7 minutes I did mine should only be a guideline for you. If you stop when the tuna is rare to medium-rare, by the time it cools in the hot oil, you should get something close to what I have here.

You can also do just one steak in a smaller pan, and it should work about the same. By the way, do not throw away the olive oil! You can use it for salads and pastas, or strain and freeze for another batch. It may take you a few experiments, but once you dial it in to how you like, you will be enjoying one of life’s great pleasure. I hope you give it a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 thick cut ahi tuna steaks (about 10-12 ounce each)

enough olive oil to come to surface of tuna steaks

handful of thyme sprigs

2 whole garlic cloves, bruised

red pepper flakes to taste

sea salt to taste

Next Up: Tunafish