5 Star Makeover Round-Up: Cooking with Wine

This month we welcomed two new members to our fantastic cooking group.  A big thank you to our newest collaborators and our returning members for their hard graft and imagination in executing this month's theme.

Thank you to my dedicated and fabulous co-host Natasha, for all her work putting together this round-up of dishes.

This month we...cooked with wine.

As per usual, you will find an interesting variation of complex dishes.  All the while, making our central ingredient, wine, shine through.  I am certain you will gain some marvelous ideas for your next dinner party or get together.

Enjoy...

***

Mushrooms in Cream

by Faith, An Edible Mosaic

Sangria Chicken Rustic Baguette

by Evelyne, Cheap Ethnic Eatz

Champagne Jelly with Rosé Granita

by Linda, The Squashed Tomato

Chicken Marsala Gratin

by Lazaro, Lazaro Cooks!

Classic Pairing for Grüner Veltliner

by Priscilla, She's Cookin'

The Trifle Tower

by Aoife, The Daily Spud

Icy Poached Fish

by Jessica, Bacon and Soufflé

Chocolate Covered Red Wine & Raspberry Jelly Candies

by Marisa, Cook's Book

Teriyaki Chicken with Dragonfruit Ravioli and Apple-Plum Chutney

by Maya, Foodiva's Kitchen


Gruyere Ravioli with Beet Cream

by Deana, LostPastRemembered


The Opulent Open-Face: Seared Bison Skirt Steak Bites, Potatoes Dauphinoise & Bordelaise Sauce

by Trix, Tasty Trix

Manila Clams with Chinese White Wine Chili Paste Sauce

by Tanantha, I Just Love My Apron

Virginia Ham Wellington with Apple and Honey Bordelaise

by Natasha, 5 Star Foodie

Asian Risotto: Sushi Rice, Shrimp, Thai Basil, Shiso, Yuzu

by Lori Lynn, Taste With the Eyes

Glazed King Oyster Mushrooms with
Wild Mushroom Marchand de Vin sauce

by Alisha, The Ardent Epicure

Red Wine Reduction Sauce With Mushroom & Rosemary

by Bren, Flanboyant Eats

That's it for now...till we exchange a few words again...Peace!

5 Star Makeover: Chicken Marsala Gratin

hosted by 5 Star Foodie & Lazaro Cooks!

This months theme is cooking with wine.  I love using spirits be it, wine, hard liquor, or beer, in the kitchen.  I was very excited with this challenge.

Chicken Marsala was a childhood favorite of mine.  In our house both my brother and I looked forward to mom making this dish.

So...

I decided to make my mother's version of Chicken Marsala, just presented a different way.  This dish is basically a CM that is served like a French onion soup.  Sounds strange but it was good.

The most important ingredient in a CM is the Marsala wine.  Use a shitty wine, you get a shitty finished product.  I used a fantastic one from Sicily, Curatolo Arini Marsala Superior Riserva.

What made this course for me was the melted cheese topping.  I adore ooey, gooey, browned melted cheese.  Here I combined...

• Hickory smoked Gouda - Adds a smokey hint that otherwise this dish doesn't have.
• Parmigiano Reggiano - The undisputed king of cheeses.

A word on cheese.  Please do not buy pre-grated or pre-shredded cheese.  Invest in a good box grater and do it fresh yourself.  Makes a world of difference.

Fantastico...

Crusty French Bread

Chicken Marsala, Fresh Thyme & Chopped Chives

Hickory Smoked Gouda & Parmigiano Reggiano

Fresh Out the Oven

For the Chicken Marsala

• 1/2 cup AP flour
• 1 tbs grated Parmigiano Reggiano
• 1/2 tbs dried oregano
• 2 - 8 oz chicken breasts - lightly pounded to an even thickness
• 2 tbs safflower oil
• unsalted butter
• 6 oz shiitake mushroom - sliced
• 1 cup Curatolo Arini Marsala wine
• 1 cup homemade chicken stock
• sea salt
• ground black pepper

1. In a bowl combine the flour, parmigiano, and dried oregano.
2. Dredge the chicken breast in the flour mix.
3. In a saute pan, heat the safflower oil over medium heat.  Once the oil starts to shimmer, add 2 tbs butter.  Once the butter melts and foams, add the chicken.
4. Cook the chicken breasts until golden brown.  Max 4 minutes per side.
5. Remove to a wire rack to rest.
6. Add another few drops of fresh safflower oil to the pan.
7. Cook the mushroom until well browned.
8. Season with sea salt and black pepper.
9. Add 1 tbs butter and 1 tbs of the prepared flour from the chicken.  Make a quick blond roux.
10. Deglaze with the marsala wine, scraping up all browned bits.  Reduce by half.
11. Add the chicken stock.  Simmer for 10 minutes to reduce and thicken sauce.
12. Cut the chicken breasts into 1 inch cubes.
13. Return the chicken to the pan.
14. Check for seasoning.
15. Take off the heat.

To Finish the Dish

• crusty French bread
• chopped chives
• fresh thyme
• grated hickory smoked gouda
• grated Parmigiano Reggiano

1. Preheat the oven to 500 F.
2. Cut the French bread into 1 inch thick slices.  The slices should fit inside an ovenproof ramekin.
3. Add 1 slice bread to a ramekin.
4. Add the Chicken Marsala.
5. Add chopped chives and fresh thyme.
6. Cover with a generous handful of grated hickory smoked Gouda cheese.
7. Sprinkle the top with grated Parmigiano Reggiano.
8. Bake until the topping is melted and slightly browned.  BROWN IS GOOD, BLACK IS FUCKED!

That's it for now...till we exchange a few words again...Peace!

Guest Post Spotlight: Fresh Fava Beans, 2 Ways

An Edible Mosaic

Everyday Fare With Extraordinary Flair

Edible: fit to be eaten.  Eatable.

Mosaic: a picture or design made in mosaic.

My good friend, Faith from An Edible Mosaic is one of the best bloggers on the net.

• The blog name is cool and perfectly describes her food.
• Her blog layout is bright, vibrant and gorgeous.
• Her food is creative and executed to perfection.
• Her photos are flawless.

Beyond all of that, Faith is one of the nicest people I have met online.

Enjoy...

Fresh Fava Beans, 2 Ways

I want to thank Laz, who is not only a fantastic guy, but also one of my all-time favorite bloggers, for the opportunity to guest post on his site.  It’s truly an honor, Laz!

If ever there were magic beans, fava beans would surely be them.  Just look…

Not only are they high in fiber, extremely low in fat and sodium, cholesterol free, and a great source of folate, but they just feel like magic, Jack-and-the-beanstalk-style.

Favas, which are also called broad beans, horse beans, pigeon peas, and Windsor beans, are related to peas;  like peas, they grow in pods (the pods are fun – they’re padded inside!).  They’re double the work of peas though, since they first have to be shelled and then blanched to remove their outer skin.  But I have to say, the labor-intensive process is so worth it for their uniqueness…they taste earthy, but with a fresh, nutty flavor and slightly bitter notes…and let’s not forget their buttery texture.

Fava Beans in Their Padded Pods

These beans have ancient roots, and although it’s thought that they were introduced to the Americas hundreds of years ago, they are still not as popular as they are in other areas of the world.  (Maybe you’re thinking that fava beans sound familiar even though you haven’t had them…there’s a very notable quite about them from The Silence of the Lambs.)  The first time I had favas was in the Middle East, as dried favas are commonly used there to make several dishes, including falafel and foul mudammas (a breakfast dish of mashed fava beans with olive oil, garlic, and other fresh veggies).

Fava Beans Sautéed with Garlic & Olive Oil…and don’t worry, that’s not Chianti.  It’s actually a Kool-Aid-like drink called Squeeze.  (And yes, I (occasionally) drink that…I’m basically just a big kid.)

Fava beans are typically harvested in the spring/summer, and even though it’s a bit late in the season, I was lucky enough to find them on a recent visit to a local Middle Eastern grocery.  Since I probably won’t come across them until next spring, I couldn’t resist grabbing a few pounds.  Fresh favas, once shelled and peeled, are a fantastic addition to so many dishes…salads, soups, stir fries, risottos (or other rice or grain dishes), and dips/spreads are a few favorites of mine.  I made a couple things with them – a simple sauté with garlic and olive oil, and a flavorful spread for bread or crackers.

Fava Bean Spread with Garlic, Olive Oil, & Pecorino

IMPORTANT:  Just a slight word of caution concerning fava beans.  For some individuals, consumption of fava beans triggers an allergic reaction called favism, resulting in hemolytic anemia with jaundice (for more information on favism, please see the Favism Association’s website http://www.g6pd.org/favism/english/index.mvc). 

 Fava Beans Sautéed with Garlic & Olive Oil

Serves 2 as a side dish

About 1 1/4 cups shelled fresh fava beans (from about 2 lbs fava bean pods)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large clove garlic, minced

A handful of fresh green herbs (such as parsley, chives, scallions, etc.), minced

Salt and pepper

Blanch the beans in boiling water for 2 minutes; plunge into an ice bath to cool, and then slip off the skins.

Heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium heat; add the beans and a pinch of salt and pepper, and sauté 3 minutes, then add the garlic and sauté 1 to 2 minutes more.

Turn off heat and stir in the herbs; taste and season with additional salt and pepper as desired.

 Fava Bean Spread with Garlic, Olive Oil, & Pecorino

Serves 4 as an appetizer

1 batch Fava Beans Sautéed with Garlic & Olive Oil

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Olive oil

1/2 oz Pecorino, grated

Bread or crackers (for serving)

Transfer the beans and lemon juice to a blender or food processor and pulse a few times; with the motor running, drizzle in enough olive oil until it reaches your desired consistency (it can be completely smooth or you can leave it lumpy).  Stir in the grated cheese.  Transfer to a serving bowl and serve with bread or crackers.

Please stop by and say hello to Faith at An Edible Mosaic.  One of the best food blogs on the net.

That's it for now...till we exchange a few words again...Peace!

Yellowfin Tuna "Meatballs" with Israeli Couscous

Yellowfin Tuna "Meatballs" with Israeli Couscous

I love when things seemingly fall out from the sky and into my waiting hands for me to play with.  Recently, I was given a package of ground Yellowfin tuna.  Yup, it is exactly what you read.

Not your garden-variety ingredient to work with

Immediately I thought of making tuna "meatballs." Who doesn't like that?!

To accompany the meatballs I made Israeli couscous with kebsa spices, fresh mint, toasted pine nuts, green apple and chives.


My friend, Faith from An Edible Mosaic, was nice enough to bring me back some fabulous spices from her Middle Eastern trip.  

• Kebsa, a Saudi spice mix consisting of lemon, cinnamon, cardamon, coriander, cumin, cloves, black pepper and galingal.

As you read through the recipes you will find a theme of citrus carried throughout the dish.  Fresh, vibrant, tangy flavors.

The ground yellowfin tuna held up quite well during the cooking process and the final product was moist and juicy.

Fun times playing in the kitchen with a different ingredient.

My kind of Saturday...

Tuna "Meatballs"

• 1 lb ground yellowfin tuna
• 1 whole egg
• 1 shallot - peeled & minced
• 2 Meyer lemons - zest & juice
• 1/4 bunch fresh marjoram - chopped
• 4 slices wheat bread
• 2/3 cup whole milk
• coarse sea salt
• ground black pepper
• safflower oil
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1. Soak the wheat bread in the whole milk.  Tip into a food processor.  Pulse to small crumbs.
2. In a glass bowl, combine the ground tuna, shallot, egg, marjoram, lemon zest, lemon juice and bread.  Stir to combine.
3. Season with salt & pepper.
4. Wet the tips of your fingers with water.  Form the mixture into "golf ball" sized, meatballs.
5. Place the Wondra flour in the small bowl.
6. Dredge the tuna meatballs in the flour, one by one.  Shake off excess.
7. In a saute pan, heat the safflower oil & red pepper flakes over medium heat.
8. Add the tuna meatballs.  Cook for 15 minutes.  Until browned on all sides and cooked through.
9. Remove to a wire rack to rest for 2 minutes.

Israeli Couscous:

• 2 cups Israeli couscous
• 4 1/2 cups homemade chicken stock
• 2 bay leaf
• 1 tsp kebsa spices
• 1 green apple - cored & diced small
• 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 tbs fresh mint - chopped
• 1/2 cup pine nuts - toasted
• chopped chives
• avocado oil

1. In saucepan, bring the chicken stock, bay leaf and kebsa to the boil.
2. Add the Israeli couscous.
3. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
4. In a small bowl, combine the diced green apple with the apple cider vinegar.
5. In a glass bowl, combine the cooked couscous, diced apple, mint, toasted pine nuts and chives.
6. Gently fold to combine.
7. Finish the dish with a generous swirl of avocado oil and chopped chives.

That's it for now...till we exchange a few words again...Peace!

Guest Post Spotlight: Pork Belly Rolls with Mint Dressing

This week I am proud to host one of my favorite people I've met during my time blogging.  Tanantha from I Just Love My Apron is a fantastic cook.  Her photos are consistently vibrant and eye-catching.  She's made the most guest post appearances on LC.

Apart from that, Tanantha is one of the smartest and sweetest people blogging.  She has an infectious personality and a radiant smile.

Please visit I Just Love My Apron, not only will you be inspired by a fabulous cook but you will make a great friend.

Enjoy...

Hi Lazaro Cooks' Readers!

My name is Tanantha from I Just Love My Apron. I'm honored to make an appearance on this talented blog. Lazaro has been a great friend to me. Although we haven't met in person, I feel like we know each other. He's a big supporter, good listener, rock dude, and cooking mentor! Sometimes I feel like I ramble about my problems to him too much. Oh well...(hehe).

Laz loves pork belly and I love rolls so pork belly rolls are a combination of our personalities!

I learned this cooking method of pork belly from him. So, it's perfect to incorporate this into a dish. I fried up pork skin to make fries. It's a little tougher than what I would have hoped for but all in all tasted great! Fresh rolls are great in Summer. They're light, cool, and can have several variations. These rolls are perfect for an appetizer idea if you want to host a party. They can be made one day ahead or on the day of.

If you plan to make these ahead of time, wrap them with plastic wrap (as shown in the picture before) and keep refrigerated. Before serving or cutting, please pop them in a microwave for 30 secs. Without further ado, let's get cooking!

Pork Belly Roll with Mint Dressing
Yield: a lot!

Ingredients:
 2 lb pork belly, skinned (we will need skin later)

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 Tbs oyster sauce

1 Tbs seasoning sauce (Golden Mountain brand)

1 Tbs soy sauce

1 Tbs sugar

Black pepper

Mint dressing recipe below

Rice paper wrappers and warm water

Cilantro

Shredded carrots

Red lettuce

Jalapeno, seeded, julienne

Mints

Vegetable oil to fry pork skin

Marinade

Directions:

• Mix all the seasonings except pork belly, its skin, and pepper in a bowl. Whisk until sugar melts.
• Place pork belly in a roasting pan or casserole dish that can hold the piece. Pour marinade over the meat. Marinate for 1 hour then flip the other side up. Continue marinate for another hour or over night.
• In a meantime, slice skin into matchstick. You really need a sharp knife to do this. The skin is tough.
• Heat up a sauce pan. Add oil. Wait until oil reaches 375 F or so. Place skin in a pan. Fry it until it's crispy. Be careful oil may splatter all over. I used paper towel to partially over the pan to protect myself from oil.
• When it's golden brown, remove them with a slotted spoon and place them in a prepared tray lined with paper towel. Season with salt and pepper.
• Pre-heat oven to 230 F.
• Roast pork in the oven for 2.5 hrs or so. Brush the juice in the pan on the pork at a halfway cooking time.
• When the pork is done, let it cook. Slice it lengthwise. Pour the juice in a small bowl.
• Let's make the dressing.

Fried pork skin

Mint Dressing:

• 3 Tbs mayonnaise
• 3 Tbs chopped mint
• 1 Tbs chopped basil
• 1 lime, juiced 

Directions:

• Put everything in a blender or food processor. Blend until mixed.

Mint dressing

 How to roll:

• Get ready to roll: put warm water in a big tray. Liner your working area with foil- shiny side down.
• Soak 2 rice wrapper 2 at a time. Soak until it's soft (about 1 min). Hold it up to get rid of excess water. Place one overlapping the other as shown in the picture. Place lettuce first, pork belly, drizzle roasted juice, carrots, cilantro, mints. 
• Roll it tightly and close the side; continue rolling. For more photo instruction, please check out my old post here.
• If you serve them right away, cut them to a bite size. Drop a teaspoon of mint dressing on top of each bite and serve on the side. 
• Garnish with small crispy pork belly and serve crispy skin on the side.

Cooked pork belly

Place everything on rice wrappers

and roll

Serve with fried pork skin and mint dressing

Wrap in a plastic wrap and keep them in a fridge for tomorrow lunch or dinner!

Blogcritics Article & My 3 Favorite Dishes

More hilarity and hi jinks today...

I wrote a piece for BC last week about sustainable coho salmon.  Here's the dish.  If you'd like to check it out and get the recipe, click on the linkage below...

Sustainable Coho Salmon, It's What's For Lunch

Another friend tagged me in a blogger game thingy.  This one is called My 3 Favorite Dishes.

Karen from Gourmet Food, whose blog aptly describes the food she produces, recently posted her 3 Favorite Dishes.  Stop by and check them out.  While there become a regular reader of her blog, you will not be sorry.

The "rules", which for me are just rough guidelines, are to

• Post 3 of your favorite dishes
• Tag 5 people to do the same

Simple enough.

Although, having just posted my 7 Links Challenge, it would stand to reason that probably three of my favorite dishes are there.  Piece of cake, Laz, just repost them.  Universe knows I am a busy dude!

No chance.

I could not do that to you, valued friends, for two reasons...

• I have so many fantastic dishes to choose from.
• I love looking at them.  Again & Again & Again.

Enjoy...

My 3 Favorite Dishes, That Aren't On My 7 Links Challenge

Honestly, I really have no clue where my lil bro' gets this strange propensity for incredibly long-winded tiltes and bloated sense of self importance.


1. Ropa Vieja con Risoni - My upscale version of a Cuban classic.  Grandma taught me to make it; I took it to another level.

2. Raspberry Risotto with Prawns & Rum Soaked Raspberries - I was challenged to make a creative dish with raspberries.  Could have made a dessert or custard.  Could have made some sort of muffin.  But I love to push myself.  Very happy with the result.

3. Fire & Ice Burger - Organic grass-fed beef rib eye, Florida Spiny lobster tail meat, pickled red chilies & sweet ripe plantains fried in DUCK FAT.  'Nuff said.

But wait.  You really didn't think I was just gonna post 3?  Did you?!

4. Le Fe & Le Fe French Toast - Here's two for one.  La Fe was an original libation creation of mine. With hints of banana, chocolate, citrus, and a lovely caramelized banana garnish it was a winner for all who tasted it during the summer party scene.

Then, for my lovely wife, I turned it into a French toast breakfast.  Vanilla infused custard French toast with La Fe Bananas & Pop Rocks.

In breaking with tradition, what a shocker, I will not nominated anyone.

Any food blogger who reads this and wants to play the game can go ahead and play it.

That's it for now...till we exchange a few words again...Peace!

Guest Post Spotlight: Dubliner Buffalo Burger with Avocado & Heirloom Tomatoes on Ciabatta

Welcome to Alex Cooks

It truly is a special day when I can have my little brother, Alex, grace us with his talent.

This time it is really, really special for three reasons...

• Well, he's my brother!
• He created a lovely original dish.
• He used Bison!

I am a big time supporter of organic grass-fed bison or American buffalo.  A fantastic beef alternative.

Here he put together a fabulous Stuffed burger with some posh items.  I mean, Pink Himalayan Salt?!  Who is this guy, Hubert Keller?  He even made his own ketchup recipe that he will not be sharing.  Sounds familiar?

You also may remember my bro's previous original creation on LC...

Stacked Fried Green Tomato with Plantains & Colossal Crab Meat

Alex has a propensity for incredibly long titles.  A bit long-winded & self-important.  No clue where he could have picked that up.  

With that said, have I ever regaled you with the time I...

Enjoy!

Dubliner Buffalo Burger with Avocado & Heirloom Tomatoes on Ciabatta

• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• fresh ground black pepper
• sea salt
• smoked paprika
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 pounds coarsely ground Buffalo, chilled
• 1/2 cup Dubliner cheese shredded
• fresh chives
• 1 ripe Hass Avocado
• 2 small Heirloom Tomatoes
• Ketchup
• Ciabatta rolls
• Pink Himalayan salt (Garnish)

1. In a large bowl, combine the buffalo meat, thyme, 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika. Using your hands knead the meat lightly to keep the texture light and juicy. Form the mixture into eight even sized balls. Make a small depression in half the patties and fill with a mound of the shredded Dubliner cheese. Top with the remaining patties and pinch together around the cheese filling making sure it is completely enclosed.
2. To cook, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Season the meat on both sides with sea salt & black pepper. Cook the burgers in the skillet without pressing down the patties turning once or twice for about three minutes. (Medium Rare) Add the unsalted butter and baste the burgers with a spoon several times while they cook in the pan.
3. While the burgers cook toast the ciabatta rolls lightly in the broiler.
4. When the burgers are done, remove them to a warm platter and let rest for several minutes while you dress the buns. Peel, pit and slice the avocado. Also slice the heirloom tomatoes.

To build the burgers:

• spread the bun bottoms with the ketchup. 
• Add several avocado slices, then a slice of the heirloom tomato. 
• Garnish the top with some Pink Himalayan Salt & chives.

Please do not stop by Alex's blog.  He don't have one!

That's it for now...till we exchange a few words again...Peace.

Awards & 7 Links Challenge

No food today.  This will be 2 Topics 1 Post.  Kind of like that family video 2 Girls...

Moving on.

LC was nominated for some awards.  Many thanks to Kymberlee from Free Spirit Eater for thinking of me and passing along two blogger awards...

I think we can all agree on the Cute Chef one, right?!  With that said, I really am not "little."

Kymberlee is a culinary school grad with a bright future in the food industry.  She's a freelance food writer and food photographer.  Please stop by her site and make a new friend.

Who wants to play a game?

I was tagged by 3 friends...

• Anna Johnston from The Hospitality Guru
• Alisha from The Ardent Epicure
• Faith from An Edible Mosaic

To play the 7 Links Challenge.  Sounds like a golf tournament.  It is basically 7 theme questions.  7 of your old "links" or blog posts.  Easy enough.

1. Most Beautiful:

Well obviously all of them.  I don't post the ugly ones!  This was from our 5 Star Makeover Cooking group's April '11 theme which was: White Asparagus.

White Asparagus Potage, Wild Rice, Prosciutto & Edible Garden

2. Most Popular: 

By far and not even close.  Not just for the traffic on LC but I submitted it to two other food sites and the reception was pretty amazing.

BLT: Bacon, Lettuce & Tomato Caviar

3. Most Controversial:

Most people in the blog world cannot wrap their heads around eating raw beef.  Enough said!

Bison Tartare with Shiraz Caviar

4. Most Helpful: 

I try and try to spread the word about the importance of supporting sustainable fish.  Most of the time I feel like I am farting into the wind but...This particular dish did turn out lovely and the post is loaded with useful links to educate yourself on Sustainable Seafood.

Caponata con Pan-Roasted Pacific Halibut

5. Surprisingly Successful: 

This recipe won a Magic Bullet on Natasha's blog, and was very very popular on LC.  A good dish, no doubt, but not one of my best.

Cuban Clam Fritters with Cilantro Mayo

6. Did Not Garner the Attention it Deserved: 

My most challenging dish to execute. Broth over Custard.  This was for our first 5 Star Makeover, theme was Bacon & Eggs.  Bacon & Eggs people. Bacon Dashi over White Truffle Egg Custard.  This course would be a hit in a fine dining establishment.  But clearly not in the blog world. 

White Truffle Egg Custard, Bacon Dashi, Soft Scrambled Egg, Roasted Pork Belly

7. Most Proud Of: 

The photo sucks.  The post is incredibly long-winded.  Does not sound anything like me. Actually sounds like someone doing something for the first time.  Which I was.  My first ever post on LC.  What a steaming pile of elephant crap!  That said, it was my maiden voyage in what has become a labor of love!

A Thigh Man: I Am

The game is 7 links, yes.  C'mon now, you know I play by my own rules.

8. Best Deconstruction or Reimagining: 

Something I do quite a bit in my cuisine.  Here is my Cuban spin on a British Pub Classic.  This dish won The 5 Star Makeover Summer '10.  Which was the precursor to our current cooking group.  I guess it was rigged.

Cuban Fish & Chips

I am supposed to tag 7 bloggers.  But, I am all inclusive.

Truly a man of the people.

So, I am nominating 12 talented bloggers who have fantastic content.

Friends absolutely NO OBLIGATION.  Take the awards and play the game.  Or not.  Fine by me!

• Jill from Mad About Macarons
• Lori from Taste With The Eyes
• Trixie from Tasty Trix
• Deana from Lostpastremembered
• Jessica from Bacon and Souffle
• Lisa from Lisa is Cooking
• Kymberlee from Free Spirit Eater
• Tanantha from I Just Love My Apron
• Catherine from Living the Gourmet
• Tammy from Il Dolce Bacio
• Kim from Foodin New England
• Linda from The Squashed Tomato

That's it for now...till we exchange a few words again...Peace!