twice fried alligator is yummy

twice fried alligator meat

My daughters always ask me to fix something special … and as travelors they are very adventurous. i guess the motto is: “visit the people of the world and break bread — or share their food!”

Have you ever made anything … with say… alligator? Well, Alligator meat has many textures… but it has some unusal qualities that you really have to see to understand. Many restaurants serve alligator ( those that actually serve it) in some sort of fried form and I thought that this was the approach I was going to take.

I fried the alligator as one would fry chicken for a Chinese dish… I ‘twice fried’ the sliced chunks of alligate. Here’s how to do it: roll the alligator in cornstarch, fry, roll again, fry one more time. A little seasoning and some dipping sauces make the experience grand!

fusion of South Africa and a Japanese Favorite food

the wonder fusion of prawns, soba, curry sauce with peri-peri!
the wonder fusion of prawns, soba, curry sauce with peri-peri!

Okay, sometimes I do cheat a little and I don’t use everything from scratch… but I thought that these were so enjoyable that they deservd to be combined together! Obviously, I buy raw shrimp, boil until pink and sautee in gralic butter before adding the sauce from South Africa. The organic wheat noodles from Japan are gaining popularinty in this county and offer a distinctly different taste and texture to the meal.

the sauce is mild
The curry sauce provides a nice base for whatever you add to it. However, I like a little more zip to my curry sauce and I added a curry mix not too much unlike my own and some peri-peri sauce for just the right warming effect!

My grandmother gave me some great advice as a young person. She said — do what we all do ( chef’s) when caught with a time constraint find a nice mix that gets you close to where you want the recipe to be…. then amend it. Ah, the secret of quick cooking!

The best part? I still have some left for today!

bbq ribs for the holidays – step one

Ribs for the Holidays!
Ribs for the Holidays! My daughters have always loved the ribs we make; however, it does take some time and preparation. CLICK on the picture to see what is involved.

 Today is really the start of baking season as folks start putting together what they want to serve their friends and families for Halloween, then comes the truly universal American Holiday of  Thanksgiving and finallyDecember and for us that means Christmas.

As the father of adult children, when we all get together, it calls for something special. Memories of family foods and fun from times gone by for starters. Food is a way of keeping family close and traditions alive. My daughter Kristin, for example, is fixing some  ‘seafood lasagna’  this weekend… it takes a lot of preparation… but it is an impressive dish!

Fortunately for me, I have lots of freezers!