Mr. Bijoy Writes

Fried chicken? I love it. Do you love it? I do. This is a recipe I concocted with the help of a friend who asked to be unnamed on the internet. I thought you might like it, so I'm sharing it! What you will need: 1 medium onion, roughly chopped 1 to 2 tablespoons mixed fresh herbs, like tarragon and sage 2 tablespoons tahini or peanut butter 1/4 cup olive oil, more for frying Flour for dredging 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs or 4 half-breasts Chopped fresh parsley leaves for garnish Lemon wedges for serving. Ok, so- In a blender or the container of a food processor, combine onion, herbs and tahini. As you purée the mixture, slowly add just enough olive oil through the feed tube to make a thick, smooth paste; do not let it get too thin. Put flour in a shallow bowl. Place chicken in another bowl. Rub puréed mixture over chicken, then dredge each piece in flour. Gently shake off any excess flour, coat again with paste and dredge once more in flour. Heat 1/4 inch olive oil in a ski...

The glass door, framed in old wood, never shuts completely. The Bacardi pours over ice like crystal water over diamonds, flushed with caramel-sweet cola, as I walk to the bar. Two emerald-green wedges of lime rest on the surface of the beverage. I'm quick to squeeze the wedges because the tart, citrus flavor pleases me. Bliss. Pure bliss.

I first had a variation of this dressing in a Chicago eatery. The flavors are very subtle, yet rich, while at the same time light. I know, that may sound a little contradictory, but that’s just how it works out. It took me a while to build a version of this dressing that suited my needs for ease and flavor, but it worked itself out. This works great on a salad but for a fresh twist, warm it up for a few minutes and drizzle it over some halibut or salmon. Ingredients: 10 Heirloom tomatoes 4 tablespoons of sea salt 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar 1 tablespoon of minced chives 1 tablespoon of minced shallots 1 teaspoon of ground fennel 1 clove of minced garlic Table salt and ground pepper to taste Ok, so: In a blender, puree the tomatoes and the salt until smooth. Strain this puree through cheesecloth, saving the water. In fact, the water that comes through the cheesecloth is...

On a trip to Georgia a few years back I cane across a portabella soup that sparked my interest. I remember walking into this small restaurant and wanting something warm to help ease the crisp night air. This soup looked good, so I ordered it. I tried for months to try and mimic the recipe and it finally came through. I suggest this soup for cooler days as part of a hearty meal. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. What ya need: ¼ cup of unsalted butter 5 chopped leeks (about 3 cups) 1 onion (roughly chopped) 10 ounces of portabella mushrooms (chopped – about 4 cups) ¼ cup of all-purpose flour 3 cups of chicken stock 4 tablespoons of dry sherry 2 cups of Half &Half ¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper ¼ teaspoon of ground black pepper (or white pepper, your choice) Ok, so: In a big pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the leeks and onion and sauté until the onions grow soft. This should take about ten minutes or so. Then add the mushrooms and...

Ok folks, so the holiday season always has people asking me to share recipes. As most of you may know, I'm not much for special recipes and traditions in food that don't revolve around Thanksgiving. But this year, I have a blog!!! So let's do some sharing, shall we? So ask me what you want to know how to cook. Or maybe there's something you want to prepare a little differently. Tell me! Tweet me if you like ( @mrbijoy )! Ok, but today, I'm going to go ahead and just give you one of my classic recipes. Enjoy!!!!! Oh, someone challenged me to make a recipe that was super-easy and super-quick, all in a short, concise manner. Here it is-- Mix 1 teaspoon of ground horseradish with 1/4 cup of sour cream. Throw that on a Triscuit and top with a small piece of smoked salmon. There you go. Easy appetizer. Look what I did there. Two sentences. It tastes great, I promise. Oh, and if you don't like Triscuits, use a kettle-cooked potato chip or a piece of bacon. Yeah, I said...

Someone asked me to write this post/recipe. Someone that I, for one, had no idea read this blog. So, it inspired me to take a second, as asked by said 'someone', and talk about aphrodisiacs and food. Technically, an aphrodisiac is something that increases sexual desire or drive. Also, there are a LOT of false aphrodisiacs. Many that aren't necessarily "false" can kill you. I don't know about you, but I really don't want to die in a situation that can't be told to my great aunt or my mother. I believe in only one science-based thought on aphrodisiacs: Oysters Oysters are great. Friggin great. Let's talk about oysters scientifically, of course, as well as sexually, duh. Oysters are high in zinc, which is necessary to properly produce sperm. Yeah, I went there. They are also high in D-aspartic acid and N-methyl-D-aspartate, which is thought to increase testosterone, therefore increasing libido. Sex food, yes . So let's get to the grit of it all. ...

Just because you may be on some restricted diet, doesn't mean that you're no longer entitled to good food and happy thoughts during this Thanksgiving season! So, here's a recipe that's not only gluten-free, but also vegan. You may have seen this recipe somewhere before. It's either because it's not really that unique, or because I've created this specific variation for a client. Pecan-Rolled Sweet Potato Balls 4 big sweet potatoes 2 tablespoons vegan "butter" 1 teaspoon fine sea salt 1 pinch freshly grated nutmeg 1 pinch fresh ground cinnamon 3 tablespoons real maple syrup 1 tablespoon orange juice cooking spray (Pam works just fine!) 1 1/2 cups pecans, toasted and crushed Ok, so: Clean the sweet potatoes of any excess dirt. Then bake them at 350°F for an hour or until soft. Once soft, set aside until cool enough to handle. When cool, cut the potatoes lengthwise, in half, and scoop the flesh out of the skin into a mixing bowl. Toss the skins in ...