Peugeot Pepper Mill

One of the essential tools in the Amateur Chef's kitchen is our Peugeot Pepper Mill. Over the years friends have given us acrylic pepper mills, stainless steel and electric pepper mills but in the end we always come back to our old faithful, Peugeot.

Freshly ground pepper is a key ingredient in many of our recipes, and a top quality reliable pepper mill is essential for getting the most flavor out of the peppercorns (we love the 5 peppercorn blend).

As we are always so fond of saying at the Amateur Chef, we love everything French and the Peugeot Pepper Mill is no exception. Peugeot has been manufacturing Salt and Pepper mills since the 1840's, and still today the Peugeot mechanisms are considered one of the most reliable in the market. But not only is this pepper mill a reliable and practical tool, the elegant design and classic styling of this Paris style Peugeot Pepper Mill make it a stylish addition to any table. Plus the tapered neck provides an easy grip while turning the knob for grinding, making it easy to use.

If you still prefer an acrylic or electric pepper mill, by all means buy what is most comfortable for you. We just think you will be pleasantly surprised by the Peugeot Pepper Mill and we believe it is an investment you won't regret.

Amateur-Chef.net Website

We are thrilled to announce the launch of our new Amateur Chef website at www.amateur-chef.net.

Our goal at the Amateur Chef is to provide you with a collection of our all-time favorite recipes, (such as Bacon-Wrapped Water Chestnuts, Bacon and Egg Pies, Strawberry Salad with Poppyseeds, Grilled Sweet Potatos with Bacon, Chicken with Honey Tarragon Sauce and Mini Dark Chocolate Cups, to name a few), valuable Chef's Tips and Tricks, and must-have-on-hand Pantry Staples for the Amateur Chef in you.

On a weekly basis we will showcase the best-of-the-best of the Chef's Tools that we use and will provide the shopping information on our Amateur Chef Store were you can purchase these items on-line from some of the best Kitchen stores in the business. On an ongoing basis we will also feature our favorite gourmet food items, and anything else we think may interest you.

We hope you enjoy our new website and look forward to your feedback.

Don't forget to bookmark the site www.amateur-chef.net and check back often for weekly updates and showcased items.

Enjoy!!

Best Strawberry Daiquiri

The Strawberry Daiquiri has a rich and colourful history. It is believed that the original daiquiri consisting of rum, lime and sugar, was invented in Cuba in the late 1800’s by an American mining engineer, Jennings Cox, who ran out of gin while entertaining American guests and had to ‘make do’ with rum instead. Since rum based drinks were generally frowned upon as the drink of sailors and commoners, it wasn’t until the wartime rationing days of the 1940’s when it became popular in the USA. At that time, whiskey, vodka etc were difficult to obtain, but due to the ‘Good Neighbor policy’ with Latin America and Caribbean, rum was easy to come by. From that time onward, rum-based drinks became fashionable, and the Daiquiri increased in popularity.

Nowadays, the ‘de facto’ cocktail if you order in a restaurant is the strawberry version of the daiquiri, and we believe our recipe is by far the easiest and best strawberry daiquiri recipe out there. Of course, you could stay true to the original recipe and mash and strain your strawberries, but if you want to make a great strawberry daiquiri recipe with minimal effort, this is the one to follow.

Best Strawberry Daiquiri

2 oz white rum
½ oz fresh lime juice
¼ oz sugar syrup or 1 tsp castor sugar
6 fresh strawberries, washed & hulled

Mix with ice in a blender until smooth. Pour into a chilled cocktail glass and enjoy!!

For more great recipes, visit www.amateur-chef.net

Crepe Suzette

At the Amateur Chef, we have a passion for all things French -French cookware, French cuisine, French wine and French desserts - and without a doubt, our favorite entry in this last category is the Crepe Suzette!!

Crêpe Suzette is a traditional French dessert consisting of a thin crepe and a hot flambed sauce of caramelized sugar, orange juice and peel, and Grand Marnier.

Take your time to make this classic French dessert as haste makes waste, and with both cognac and Grand Marnier in the mix, waste can be expensive! And whenever flambing food, be certain to have a fire extinguisher nearby!

Crepe Suzette

Crepe Ingredients:
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup flour
2 oz melted butter
1 tsp sugar

Crepe Method:
1. Beat all ingredients together and if necessary strain through fine chinois or cheesecloth to remove any possible lumps.
2. Let rest for one hour.
3. Cover saute pan with some vegetable oil and cook on medium heat. Place 2 oz of batter into pan and cook until bubbles form on top side. Flip and finish cooking.

Sauce Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
2 tsp butter
1 orange rind
1 lemon rind
1/2 orange juice
2 tsp lemon juice
1 oz cognac
2 oz Grand Marnier

Sauce Method:
1. In a hot pan pour sugar and butter. Make a caramel.
2. Prepare grated orange and lemon rind.
3. When the caramel is set, add the orange juice and juice of one lemon (2tsp).
4. Place crepe in pan, allow to heat and when heated, fold each in four.
5. Add orange and lemon rind.
6. Allow sauce to reduce and flambe with cognac and Grand Marnier.

Enjoy!

For more great recipes, visit www.amateur-chef.net

Mock Hollandaise Sauce

Hollandaise Sauce is the perfect accompanyment to everyday vegetables and eggs, turning the ordinary into the extraordinary. But making a Hollandaise sauce recipe can be intimidating for most beginner chefs (and advanced for that matter) as the authentic version of this famous French sauce can be a bit tricky to make.

Our solution is this easy Mock Hollandaise Sauce which goes perfectly with vegetables such as broccoli and brussel sprouts, or egg dishes such as Eggs Benedict. And if you are watching your calories you no longer need to sacrifice taste as this great recipe is a low fat hollandaise sauce alternative. Giving credit where credit is due, this recipe was originally posted on the Cooks.com site.

Mock Hollandaise Sauce

This is very similar to a light Hollandaise sauce. It is excellent on a variety of cooked vegetables and especially fine for making deviled eggs.

1 egg yolk
3/4 c. plain low fat yogurt
2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. dry mustard

Beat egg yolk slightly in a heavy saucepan with 1/4 cup yogurt, lemon juice, salt, and mustard. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until thick and smooth. Remove from heat. Slowly stir in remaining 1/2 cup yogurt; blend well. Serve warm over vegetables or store in a covered jar in refrigerator. Reheat gently over low flame. 1 serving: 1 1/2 tablespoons.

Enjoy!!

For more great recipes, visit www.amateur-chef.net

Welsh Rarebit

One of the recipes that I still use from my high school home economics days is for a dish called Welsh Rarebit. What is Welsh Rarebit? The name originates from 18th century Britain and is generally used to describe a savoury sauce made from melted cheese and served hot over toast. Legend has it that the poor Welsh peasants were not allowed to eat rabbits caught in the hunts on the lands of the nobility so they substituted melted cheese instead.

Of course, you can serve this meatless dish for any meal but we generally serve it for breakfast.

There are many variations on the original Welsh Rarebit recipe (also called Welsh rabbit, or rarebit), often including ale, ground paprika and Worcestershire sauce, but we prefer the simplier version below.

Welsh Rarebit

Ingredients:
1/2 lb grated cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp butter
1/4 cup milk
1 egg
dry toast

Directions:
1. Place cheese in double boiler. Mix seasonings. Sprinkle over cheese.
2. Add butter in pieces. Slowly add milk.
3. When cheese begins to melt, stir till smooth.
4. Beat the egg and add a little of the hot cheese mixture to the egg. Blend well and return to cheese mixture. Cook 1 minute.
5. Serve immediately on toast slices or cubes.

Enjoy!!

For more great recipes, visit www.amateur-chef.net

Campbell's Green Bean Casserole

At the Amateur Chef, we are all too aware that weeknight meals are often a rushed affair and it is difficult to balance a healthy, homemade meal into those few precious hours between the end of your work day and the beginning of your sleep time.

With these time constraints in mind, we have compiled a number of easy side dishes that can be prepared quickly using ingredients you already have in your pantry.

One of our family's favorites is this quick and easy recipe for Campbell's Green Bean Casserole (if we don't have beans in the house, we often substitute frozen peas):

Campbell's Green Bean Casserole

2 cans green beans or 2 cups frozen beans (we prefer frozen)
1 can French's french fried onions
1/2 cup milk
1 10-oz (284 ml) can cream of mushroom soup
Pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in an oven proof casserole and bake at 350F for 30 minutes.

For more great recipes, visit www.amateur-chef.net