Semiserious Chefs

It’s the rosemary that really makes this blend stand out, but don’t go thinking it will make everything taste like stuffing! Using Hungarian paprika, a mild and sweeter paprika, combined with hot cayenne, the blend of rosemary and oregano round everything out with a perfect harmony between green and red. As for the garlic, I […]

Perhaps a little monotone in color, don’t let the appearance of this pork chop fool you. It’s rich and delicious! One of the things I like best about pork chops, besides being the right price for my budget, is the versatility of marinade and topping choices. Pork blends well with a multitude of flavors, from […]

There are several names and styles for this kind of furikake. First, shiso, perilla, and beefsteak plant are all the same thing. It is a member of the mint family, with green to dark purple tooth-edged leaves. It has a very strong mint-basil flavor, with definite pepperiness and a bitter undertone. It can also be […]

Most everyone has heard of taro chips. Even if you’ve never cooked with taro and just know them from those bags of multi colored chips, the idea is pretty basic; super thin slices of taro root deep fried, just like a potato chip. Since this idea is nothing new, I wanted to come up with […]

This mashed plantain dish hails from Peru. Amazonian Peru. This is a relatively important note, as different parts of Peru produce different staple foods. For instance, in the mountainous Andes regions (Sierra) you are more likely to see crop based dishes with potatoes or quinoa, and slow roasted meats, commonly guinea pig. Along the coastline, […]

The world culture history in the name of this recipe is just outstanding! ‘Fufu’ comes from West Africa. It is the name for a sticky dough that has been made from a boiled and mashed starch, typically African yam, cassave/yuca, or plantain. In this instance it’s mashed Plantain Fufu, though not quite the same texture […]

This ‘sauce,’ mojo (MO-hoe), is ‘of the Creole Peoples,’ or those of Spanish decent, criollo (cre-OH-yo). You might find it bottled, but why bother, when you can make it yourself and have it taste SO much better? Traditionally made with seville oranges, also known as bitter orange or naranja agria. If you aren’t able to find […]

Kelewele (pronounced kay-lay-way-lay) is a West African street food that is particularly popular in Ghana. Commonly sold as cubed bits, people also like to slice them more like fries or potato wedges, and sometimes as medallions. These spicy seasoned and fried treats are great for parties, hors d’oeuvres, side dishes, and even tossed on salad. […]

This is the most basic of Furikakes. Simply unhulled sesame seeds and salt. It has been used in Japan for thousands of years over rice, fish, and a multitude of other dishes, but has gained some more recent fame as a lower sodium substitute to straight salt. Using a ratio anywhere from 15:1 to 5:1 […]

Not too long ago I spend considerable amount of time studying the Za’atar blends of various regions. Besides the most common use as a dip for olive oil and bread, Za’atar is also regularly used to season tomatoes. Although I don’t have the ability to get a hold of the true za’atar fresh herb I […]