cookbook – Page 3 – THE DUDE OF FOOD

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec’s cookbook

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec was not only a patron and contributor to the arts but he also collected recipes with a friend. This collection is titled L’art de la Cuisine and was published months after his death by his friend Maurice Joyant. The book includes Lautrec sketches and interesting menu selections. (read more https://news.artnet.com/art-world/art-bites-henri-de-toulouse-lautrec-chef-cookbook-recipes-2466779) Lautrec enjoyed culture and liked to cook, drink and celebrate. He liked to dress up as a samurai or flamenco dancer at his parties and once served a Degas painting for dessert. Lautrec also was known to add goldfish to the water pitchers encouraging his guests to imbibe alcohol fueled concoctions instead of water.

More can be read about this fascinating character, his life and his circle of interesting friends at the following sites and on wikipedia.

http://www.lautrec.info/

http://www.toulouse-lautrec-foundation.org/

Delicious Catfish Po’ Boy

New Orleans has much history and many things cultural to share that a creative human can appreciate and enjoy.

The city has flavored many musicians, jazz and otherwise as well as helped season many top chefs.

Another gift of New Orleans is the Po’ Boy sandwich. (www.poboyfest.com/history)

Pictured here is my homemade tribute to the Catfish Po’ Boy with pepper jack cheese. Ingredients procured and fish fried at Ralph’s market seafood section.

https://www.ralphs.com/stores/grocery/ca/venice/venice/703/00281?cid=loc_70300281_gmb

Easy Lasagna Recipe by the Dude of Food

One of histories oldest dishes, that many folks refer to as Italian food, is actually from Greece. Early layered pasta creations existed in ancient Greece and were mentioned as early as 146 B.C. Later, in the Naples region of Italy, this dish became a staple and grew in popularity becoming what we now know as lasagna. Motto bene.

Come share the secrets of easily creating a delicious lasagna as the Dude of Food prepares lasagna before your eyes.

The Dude of Food prepares Kale

“Follow your grandma’s directions and eat your greens. She’s right, they’re good for you. Besides, blanched kale sauteed in olive oil and garlic tastes good.” the Dude of Food

Champion Breakfast Sandwich

Roast Beef with Tomato, Egg and Cheese is tasty.

Toast some bread or a bagel in the toaster.
While it’s toasting heat up a pan for some sliced roast beef.
When the toast pops, spread mayo on the bread and add some sliced cheese on one side and some sliced tomato on the other.
When the pan gets warmed up, put some sliced roast beef in it and heat it for a minute then flip it and heat the other side for a minute.
When the roast beef is warmed up stack it on top of the cheese that’s on the bread.
Then while the pan is still hot cook a scrambled egg in it and put the egg on the sandwich too.

This is a delicious and easy way to get a good start to your day.

Homemade Tomato Soup is good.

Delicious winter favorite.

I found that creating this recipe and making this dish really made me feel like a kitchen artist.

In the summertime some friends and I had some ambitious plans to make an urban garden and planted some tomato plants. We thought we had green thumbs as the plants yielded an abundant supply of lovely red ornaments. We had so much harvest that we began to put tomatoes into plastic bags and freeze them. When winter came I pulled the bags of tomatoes out of the freezer and let them thaw so I could work some kitchen magic.

After the smoke cleared there was a delicious brew of home made tomato soup. This was the kind of thick and zesty home made tomato soup that warms your bones after a good winter surf and leaves you with that cozy love feeling.

Serve with crackers.

Thank you faithful eaters and readers. Since it is that time of year when all of the urban gardens around town are exploding with tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, corn, broccoli, squash and more it is time to explore this fun and delicious recipe among others.

Using fresh grown produce is satisfying and makes the gardening experience come full circle. The flavors are robust and the freshness is unbeatable even by your local farmers market. Also the nutrition factor is at a premium when your food is vine ripened at home. (My home grown white potatoes have great flavor.)

TIP: A cool thing I learned about the tomato soup was freezing the tomatoes and then peeling them easily as they thawed. Great time saving trick.

I’m a bit of a story teller, as I have had some great experiences, but as i sit in the kitchen with my beer in one hand and a wooden spoon in the other while telling stories of fighting off spiders and pulling weeds with 3 inch roots with just my left hand while the aroma of cooking goodness permeates the kitchen, I feel the joy Shakespeare must have experienced.

Live long and prosper.

Dude out.

Buddhist Delight Stir Fry

Easy, quick and delicious.

Take bok choy, grape tomatoes, broccoli, green or white onion and other desired veggies from the fridge, wash and dice to desired size. Crushed peanuts or shaved carrots would go well in this dish.

Warm some olive oil in a pan on medium heat. You can add soy or teriyaki sauce later.

If adding chicken, add to the oil first and let cook up a bit. If adding shrimp they can wait.

Add veggies with a couple tablespoons of water and cover, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking and promote even heating. Add soy or whatever sauce you like with any dry spices about 6 minutes in after the veggies have had a chance to soften up a bit in the simmer. Continue to simmer for 10 minutes depending on heat level.

When it looks ready to eat, scoop a heap on a plate over some warm rice and serve. For a lovely extra flavor, stir in drained pineapple chunks to the pan about 5 minutes before removing from heat.

Be thankful. Eat. Enjoy and be happy. Be thankful some more.

Spicy Tuna Tofushi

This is an awesome Dude of Food original creation.

Take some tuna and spicy it up. The scoop some tofu cubes out and fill them with spicy tuna goodness. Then wrap the base of the tofu cube with seaweed, garnish and serve.

The cubes here are shown with the tuna mixed with rice, but i found this extra step is not needed. Just add the spicy tuna and you’ll be stoked. Rice can be served on the side with miso soup, kim chi or seaweed salad.

Sushi party at your house. Steamed rice not shown.

FISH TACOS

Fish tacos are easy and delicious. Crack open your favorite Mexican beer. Put the other 17 somewhere cold. At the cabin I like to stick them right into the snow outside the front door.

Next grate some cheese, chop onions, lettuce, tomato, avocado and a jalapeno and put the chopped piles in separate small bowls. Pan fry some red snapper, halibut, cod or shrimp in light oil.

Heat up some tortillas so they are warm and soft, but be mindful not to dry them out. I like them warm but not too steamy or sweaty.

Once all the ingredients are prepared and laid out, create a conga line along the taco prep area and enjoy creating your colorful meal. Add salsa and a squeeze of lime per taste if so desired. Be sure to say ‘gracias’ to your host and chef.

Fiesta y salud!