The Appetizer is the Meal
by
Book Cover & Preview Text
Chapter 5 Beef & Lamb "My favorite animal is steak." ~Fran Lebowitz
Mary's Other Lamb Tools: Hot Grill or Grill Pan
(Australian Rack of Lamb with Curry Cream Dipping Sauce)
Through the years I've come to understand why so many of my friends have shied away from lamb. I've concluded that they simply had not had lamb prepared properly. Typically, lamb can have a gaminess which many dislike and that can happen for a couple of reasons. One the lamb cut has too much fat and secondly the lamb has been overcooked. This dish has converted the shy to lamb loving extroverts. This is a fun and festive appetizer with the appeal and richness of a full meal; combined with the simplicity of a finger food. Simply grab a grilled chop and dip it into the creamy curry sauce. One bite will leave you longing for another. Serve with medium to heavy bodied red wine (Pinot Noir to Cabernet Sauvignon). Costco or Trader Joes both offer very good quality rack of lamb at a fair price.
Ingredients:
1 Rack of Australian Lamb (Frenched and fat Removed)
4 Cloves Garlic Finely Chopped
2 Sprigs of Rosemary (Fresh) finely chopped
1-Teaspoon Kosher Salt
Fresh Ground Black Pepper
½ cup heavy Cream
1teaspoon Curry powder
1 tablespoon Olive oil
1 pat of butter
Serves 3 (liberally)
Remove excess fat and silver skin (sinew) from rack. Remove as much fat as possible. Too much fat will leave meat tasting a little “gamey” and will cause flare-ups that will char or burn the chops
Next, with a sharp knife cut rack into evenly sized chops. Place chops in flat casserole dish or platter. Season each of the chops with a sprinkling of salt, pepper, chopped garlic, and Rosemary. Use an electric chopper if you're not so handy with a knife. Drizzle with olive oil. Turn Chops and repeat seasoning. Seal platter with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about an hour or overnight.
Bring meat to room temperature prior to cooking. While meat temperature is rising to room temperature, bring grill or barbeque to high temp.
Before grilling, be sure lamb chops are evenly coated with olive oil. Place on Grill for 1-2 minutes, turn and grill for another minute. Turn and Repeat. Do not overcook. Lamb should be pink to rare in the center. Remove and serve immediately
Curry Cream Sauce
Sauce making doesn't get any easier than this. Pour cream into a small saucepan on medium to high heat. Add curry powder and allow cream to reduce by half. After reduction is achieved whisk in pat of butter and pour into dipping bowel or bowels.
Plating: Place 2-3 chops on a small appetizer plate with a small bowl filled with curry cream dipping sauce.
Serves 3 liberally
Beverage Suggestion: Pinot Noir, light Cabernet sauvignon or Zinfandel
Chapter 8 A Word About Bread Making
A three-year-old gave this reaction to her Christmas dinner: "I don't like the turkey, but I like the bread he ate." ~Author Unknown
Chapter 3 Traditional Appetizers "We should look for someone to eat and drink with before looking for something to eat and drink..." ~Epicurus Smoked Chicken Ribs
Tools:
hours
"What…” you say? Unquestionably there's not all that much meat on the rib of a chicken. But, what if you got a chicken to taste like a pork rib? Well I did it. Like many great creations this one was came about by complete accident. I was at my sister's home for a family gathering. My dear brother-in-law had been grilling some frozen “tequila-lime” chicken wings. They were fantastic! I couldn't get enough. I thought to myself why don't I use my pork rib dry-rub on the wings and smoke them? I passionate about smoked BBQ ribs. I make my own dry rub for ribs and one day had some left over. I coated a batch of prepared chicken wings and smoked them for about two hours on my Weber kettle smoker. Then threw them on a hot grill long enough to cook through. Wow! Their great off the grill! No need for dipping sauce
Formats
Book Details
About the Book
The Appetizer is fast becoming the alternative to costly and uninspiring entrées. Many of us love to seek out those perfect, tasty bite sized, morsels as the means of satisfying our primal urges to eat with our hands. This is the "cut to the chase" manual for gastronomic satisfaction. The Appetizer is the Meal delivers that and more. Whether or not you're attending a football or evening party or family barbeque, you will get 27 easy, tried and true appetizers that you'll want to make over and over. This book comes loaded with variety of delights, and enough real substance to satisfy your caveman and cave-lady needs. Forget the scanty thumbnail sized canapés which offer little more than a single bite and continued longing, The Appetizer is the Meal gives you full permission to double that order in less time that it would take to drive to your favorite pricey restaurant. This is a book designed to be fun and at the same time discards the common precept that enjoyable dining must necessarily include the entre and its accompanied accoutrements. Each recipe is replete with beautiful photographs depicting the final product. The misperception of appetizer preparation and the supposed difficulty will be dispelled as you take the journey through entrée independence. We learn to swim to be refreshed and cool so why jump into the deep in end when dipping your feet, wading and flopping around is just as refreshing and in any given instance, all you may need; or imagine being told that a gentle passionate kiss is not enough. No longer! The Appetizer is the Meal is the metaphoric kiss and refreshing pool wrapped into one.
About the Author
David Nunez describes his culinary interests as a "love born out of necessity." While in college he began cooking for himself as living and school expenses left very little to eat, or, even for that matter, to pay for a date. His cooking skills developed while preparing simple dishes for family and friends at his then rather scanty abode. His interest was fueled further upon receiving positive reactions, in fact time and again. Even though David worked full time during under grad and postgraduate studies, he always found time to engage in his favorite pastime, making great items for friends to relish. He voraciously investigated those specters that seemed to be true culinary mysteries, and dispatched them by developing enough confidence and skill to begin cooking for larger groups. In 1995, while celebrating his primary victory as party nominee for the U.S. House of Representatives he met his wife-to-be Cindy. After they married, he and Cindy discovered that they both enjoyed the freedom of staying at home to enjoy David's gastronomic creations. Tragically, only 11 years into their marriage, Cindy was diagnosed with terminal breast cancer, and, in the week prior to her passing, she made David promise to finish the book. The message is simple, "A handful of good appetizer standbys are ultimately the meal." David lives in Seal Beach, California with his two daughters Sheridyn and Jordan, both of whom want to make sure you know: The appetizers ARE the meal!