Mr. Bijoy Writes

One of my very good friends asked me if I could help him with a recipe for a white alfredo sauce that incorporates bacon. Obviously, this is something I am more than happy to do. On pulling this recipe from my files, I thought I'd post it for all of you as well. I think you guys may enjoy it! What ya need: 10 slices of bacon (applewood smoked is best) 6 tablespoons of butter   2 tablespoons of cornstarch   1 pint of whipping cream   1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon of oregano   1/2 teaspoon of basil Ok, so: In a large skillet, fry the bacon until crispy. Set it aside on a paper towel to absorb the excess grease. In the same skillet, melt the butter. Once it is lightly browned, throw in the cornstarch and whipping cream and let it simmer while constantly whisking. Toss in the oregano, garlic powder and basil while whisking and allow the sauce to thicken. Finally, add the bacon and serve on top of whatever pasta you may choose. Enjoy!!

(guest post from Chef JD Barrow of ICG America) So when Bijoy approached me about doing this guest post, I had no idea what to do. So after some browsing and reading, I went to my files and found that this recipe might be up your alley! I hope you enjoy it! 1.75 cups pitted Kalamata olive 1/4 cup walnuts, toasted & chopped 1/4 cup olive oil 2 teaspoons coarse-grained Dijon mustard 1 clove of garlic 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped 1 teaspoon fresh oregano, chopped 1 teaspoon fresh sage, chopped 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper Finely chop the black olives and 3 tablespoons of toasted walnuts in a food processor. Add the olive oil, mustard, garlic, thyme, oregano, sage, and cayenne pepper and continue to process until everything is a coarse, chunky puree. Stir in the rest of the walnuts and serve on toast. I hope you guys enjoy it!

I was at brunch with my friend Katie today and she brought up how she missed eating biscuits and gravy after she went vegan. Mainly for the lack of any really great vegan gravy recipes. Now, I love biscuits and gravy. I really do. So, when I was in the lab working this recipe out, I wanted to make something that actually works and actually tastes great. So, here's something yo may want to try! What ya need: 1/2 cup all purpose flour 4 cups of vegetable broth 1 medium white onion, diced small 2 tablespoons of olive oil 12 ounces of cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced 4 ounces of shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced 4 cloves of garlic, minced 2 teaspoons of dried thyme 1 teaspoon of dried sage 1/2 teaspoons of kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon of fresh-ground black pepper 1/2 cup of chardonnay 2 tablespoons of quality nutritional yeast Ok, so: Grab a dry skillet. Emphasis here is on it being bone dry. Throw the flour into this skillet, lightly toss it, and let it lightly toast o...

  Avocados are pretty great.  In an attempt to put them on everything, a friend asked me to find a recipe for a simple avocado sauce. Since I'm a good friend, and all, I happily obliged. I also had the recipe tested for tastiness in my test kitchen. Yeah, I have one of those. Jealous? I would be. What ya need: 1 ripe avocado, seeded and gutted 1/3 cup of fresh cilantro 2 cloves of garlic, peeled Sea salt, to taste Black pepper, to taste 1 tablespoon of olive oil 1/2 tablespoon of red wine vinegar Juice of 1 lime Ok, so: Ready? Ok. Put all of the ingredients in a blender or a food processor and blend until smooth. Add more salt and pepper, to your liking. Oh hey, you're done.  Treat yourself to a cookie.