Que hay para la cena?- S10E11

Hola and welcome to "What's for dinner?"

Today we're going to address a growing problem here in American kitchens... leftovers.  That's right, those darned leftovers, never as good as the first time, always sitting in your fridge, waiting for the trash bin.  Well today's Good Eats recipe deals with this issue and may I say it's been a long time coming.

After our so-so experience a few nights ago with a roasted chicken, we were left with, you guessed it, leftover chicken.  Now we could eat this by itself or alongside some vegetables, but where's the excitement in that?

So, Naris began trolling the interwebs, looking for a bit of guidance to help take care of our little issue and he stumbled upon a Good Eats episode all about leftovers!  The episode is titled "Tortillas Again" and sees Alton Brown (AB) faced with a striking crew, picketers outside his kitchen and an enormous stack of leftover tortillas.  When Naris spotted the recipe for Enchilada Lasagna, he knew it was the right vessel for our leftover chicken (we also had many of the other ingredients on hand).

So, the adventure began...

A Bird in the Pan - S1E5

Whenever poultry needs to be pan fried, sauteed, seared or anything else that requires the stove top, that's my specialty.  Whenever a whole bird needs to go in the oven, that's Jesse's specialty.  But tonight is my turn to change that: I'm going to attempt AB's Broiled, Butterflied Chicken.
<Jesse: Yes, I touch the raw meat but once per year, the Thanksgiving Turkey is mine, the rest is all his.>

Salmon Fillet en Papillote - S7E8

Ever wanted that quick healthy, home cooked dinner within 30 minutes? Are you always having trouble finding recipes to serve one?  Well look no further, for I have found it: Salmon Fillet en Papillote (French for "in pouch") from Good Eats Season 7 Episode 8, The Pouch Principle.


This simple recipe takes just 5 minutes to cook in the microwave (if you feel uneasy about cooking fish in the microwave, you may do so in the oven instead as well) and introduced me to some new vegetables I've never had.

Essential Knife Skills

Hi Internet,

Today Jesse and I took the fundamental knife skills class offered at Sur La Table.  The course description stated that they would be teaching and allow the practicing of fundamental cuts for vegetables--mince, dice brunoise, batonnet and julienne--as well as some advanced techniques.

Just like our date night class, this one was set up for 16 people.  Again it was a bit tight and cramped, but at least we all recieved out own equipment to use.  Each student was presented with an 8 inch chef's knife, a paring knife, a composite cutting board, a bar mop, a bench scraper and an apron.

But what's a meal without dessert :)

Since it was Valentine's Day yesterday, I wanted to make a special dessert for Naris, so I busted out the old favorite, Chocolate Dipped Strawberries!!  I use a few tricks to get stellar results each time, so read on for my secrets.

Your Pad (Thai) or Mine - S9E20

One of my favorite things about Good Eats was the exposure to recipes I would never imagine cooking at home. Case in point, Pad Thai. When we go out to eat at Thai restaurants Pad Thai is almost always on the table, with Panang Curry (Kaeng phanaeng), Three-Flavors Fish (Pla sam rot) and Crab Fried Rice (Khao phat pu). And what better to top off a spicy Thai feast than some sweet and creamy Thai Iced Tea (Cha yen), Thai Iced Coffee (Oliang) or an ice cold bottle of Chang Beer, but we'll cover making those another time.


So, what better for our first culinary experiment than Good Eats Pad Thai (Season 9, Episode 20).  Our resident Thai* pointed out that this was a very Americanized version of Pad Thai, but you've got to start somewhere!

Date Night: Valentine's Dinner for Two

Before the idea of Good Eat Revisited came up, I was interested in taking some cooking classes.  I scoured the internets and found cooking courses offered at the community college, Whole Foods, and Sur La Table.  The community college courses required I apply, Whole Food's classes were just demos where you sat and watch,while Sur La Table offered hands on learning, so we went with the later.

Our Mission

My girlfriend, Jesse, and I have decided to take on culinary education and experimentation via television cooking shows. We have chosen Chef Alton Brown from "Good Eats" as our guide and mentor.

"Good Eats" started airing in 1999 and ended its last show in 2011 after 14 seasons with 249 episodes on The Food Network. The show explores the science and technique behind the cooking, the history of different foods, and the advantages of different kinds of cooking equipment.  Focus is done on familiar dishes that can easily be made at home, and also features segments on choosing the right appliances, and getting the most out of inexpensive, multi-purpose tools.  I like to think of it as Bill Nye the Science Guy teaches cooking!

Our mission is to cook 3-5 meals each week, be it breakfast, lunch, dinner or desert, from one of the recipies shown on either Good Eats. Think "Julie and Julia" but with modern day chefs and I don't plan on having a change of career.