unorthodoxchef

 My second obsession is coffee so it’s only fitting to throw in a
couple recipes that will keep you up for hours burning the midnight
oil writing,  like I was doing when I wrote this at 2:00 AM.

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Snap Crackle Espresso Bean Brittle

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup espresso beans
• 3/4 cup corn syrup
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 1/2 cup white sugar
• 3 Tbsp butter(unsalted)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 325 and toast beans for 12 minutes.
2. Remove from oven and place under plastic film or zip-lock bag and smash with a mallet.
3. Take a baking sheet, preferable with a 1/2 inch lip and foil.
4. Lightly oil the pan with vegetable oil. Spread the beans all over the pan.
5. In a sauce pan, take remaining ingredients and simmer until dissolved.
6. Cook liquid until sugars turn into a beige color.
7. Remove from heat and stir in butter.
8. Pour over beans and let cool until hard.

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Glazed Pears and Apples with Coffee Cream Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 Georgia Peach’s-peeled and not cored
• 2 Golden Delicious Apple’s-peeled and not cored
• 1/4 cup Amber Honey
• 1/4 cup strong coffee or espresso
• 3 Tbsp heavy cream
• 1/4 cup apple juice
• 3 Tbsp butter
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350°
2. Take the apples and peaches and place into a glass baking dish.
3. In a sauce pan, combine the apple juice, spices, honey, butter, and coffee and heat until butter melts.
4. Pour over fruit in dish and bake for 1 hour.
5. Remove from oven and place fruit on a serving platter.
6. Add the cream to the baking dish and stir to combine.
7. Pour over fruit and garnish with spices.

Also Check out:

Creative Coffees

Mrs Js International Recipe for the Perfect Apple Coffee Cake

Greek Coffee

Growing up with an Uncle that had dozens of restaurants, there was such a sense of adventure
and excitement in the field. Uncle Bobby never went to Culinary School and was completely self taught.
I envied his knowledge and passion and I strived to be a great as him if not better.

However, when I wanted to apply to Culinary School in New York I didn’t have the money
or the resources to get their so I had to settle for staying in Ohio and going to a school there.
I was disappointed although I knew in the back of my mind that my heart was in the right place
and it wouldn’t take a ridiculous amount of money to obtain the knowledge I needed to succeed.

What I learned in Culinary School is that they can’t teach you passion or excitement. They can teach you
how to chop onions, celery, and carrots for 2 weeks until they measure all the same length and width.

When I got out, I knew the basics but, I was so glad that I had previously worked in higher volume restaurants
and everything I had learned previously to entering Culinary School was from observation and implementation.

I stared experimenting with ingredients that just didn’t normally work together yet, I made them work. In every
visual sense I drew the art on the plate with colors, simple flavors, and height.

I knew that what I was doing wouldn’t exactly be favored by many people that were used to normal and bland
food so, I had to target my demographic and when I did, success.

Over the years, I have stumbled upon some self taught artists of the plate that have surpassed any overpaid
education from the top Culinary schools in the world. There is however, one in particular that changed my life
and made me the Chef I am today.

Charlie Trotter

I remember the first cookbook I ever read from Trotter and I was so immersed in the recipes
I couldn’t even fathom that he was self taught. I met with a fellow chef that I worked with and for 6 hours
we read through Trotter’s books obsessing about the ingredients and admiring his style. His
innovation and pioneering in the Culinary and Wine Industry has lead his restaurants
to be the best in the world.

“The taste of free-range and organic products is so much better than the alternative. It is
also good to know that you are eating unadulterated food and supporting farmers and
growers who are directly connected with the land.”

He is an inspiration and with every waking minute that he works and creates masterpieces
he continues to give back to the community to share his knowledge and gratitude.

“I do not want guests walking out of the restaurant feeling as if they over-indulged
because of excessive cream, butter, and alcohol. I want them to feel stimulated and alert,
knowing that they will be able to look forward to breakfast the following morning. Food
doesn’t have to be rich to taste good.” 

Awards & Accolades

When you grow up with everything Italian even though you have a Polish background, you tend to take the ordinary and
turn it around into something unorthodox and unusual.

My whole life has been spent breaking down simple recipes and rearranging them into masterpieces
that make them stand alone.

When I first worked in a large scale restaurant they stuck me on the pasta station and well, the rest was history.
Of course, most of us are happy with the same mundane Spaghetti and Meatballs but not me.

Like I always say”Life is to short to live the same day twice”, so mix it up a bit and try these recipe’s that I have
perfected over the years and they still remain my favorite.

Chicken Fra Diavolo with Fresh Spinach Leaves

Ingredients

• 1lb of pasta (Farfalle, Penne, Spaghettini, or your choice)
• 1lb of Grilled chicken (cook ahead of time and slice thinly)
• 18 oz of alfredo
• 6 oz of chunky tomato sauce
• 1 cup of chopped roma(Plum) tomato
• 1 Tsp Red Pepper Flakes
• 1 Tablespoon chopped garlic
• 2 Tbsp of Olive Oil (Extra Virgin is best)
• ½ cup of lobster butter (if you are cooking at home use a seafood base and whole butter mixed together) 1:4 Ratio
• Fresh Spinach
• Salt and Pepper

Method

1. Heat up large sauté pan with olive oil added on High Heat
2. Add garlic and roasted red pepper. Please remember that these red pepper flakes will burn quickly at high heat if you don’t complete the process correctly.
3. If you have to, remove the pan from the burner. Add the chopped tomato and return the pan to the burner. Sauté for about 2 minutes.
4. Add the grilled chicken and sauté until internally hot.
5. Add the alfredo and tomato sauce and heat until it simmers.
6. Add the lobster butter. Stir until the butter melts.
7. Now add the pasta. Toss the sauce and pasta until it’s all evenly coated. Add some salt and pepper for flavor.
8. At this point, you can add a large handful of fresh spinach. Toss the pasta with the spinach just enough to incorporate it.

Sicilian Style Penne Mediterranean Pasta

Ingredients

• 1 lb cooked penne pasta
• 2 cans vegetable broth
• 2 cloves chopped garlic
• 1 cup white cooking wine
• ¾ cup sundried tomato
• ½ cup black olives
• 1 cup chopped feta
• 1 cup fresh mushrooms
• 2 cups fresh spinach
• 3 Tbsp whole butter
• ½ tsp Oregano
• ½ tsp Sage
• ½ tsp Basil
• Sea Salt-dash
• White Pepper-dash

Method

1. Sauté the garlic with the wine until wine is reduced to half.
2. Add vegetable broth and bring to a boil.
3. Add sundried tomato, olives and mushrooms.
4. Simmer for about 1 minute.
5. Add butter, ½ cup feta, herbs, salt, and pepper. Heat until butter melts.
6. Add Pasta and spinach. Toss lightly.
7. Serve on a large platter and top with the remaining feta.

I remember a trip I took back in Culinary school to Jungle Jim’s in Cincinnati, Ohio. I stumbled upon the enormous fruit section that was
large enough to occupy an entire grocery store. I think when most of us are searching for fruit we stick to what we know because the unknown can be quite
disturbing when it resembles a porcupine or something even worse.

However, if you have the nerve to purchase these strange fruits from time to time in a specialty store or your local supermarket, there are so many recipes that
that will benefit if you replace the same old mundane apples and oranges with these exotic options.

These are 5 of the Strangest Fruit and their uses:

Rambutan

Known as the “Hairy Lychee”, the flesh has a similar taste to grapes and this
particular fruit is wonderful in salads, Asian fusion recipes, and with grilled
fish.  Fruit can be kept for up to 7 days in the refrigerator.

Kiwano

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This strange fruit, otherwise known as the “horned melon” is excellent in dressings for
salads, fish, and chicken.Kiwano can also we used in cocktails, fruit slushy, or martini’s.

Pitahaya

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Originally from South America, you can use the flesh for fruit salads, dressings, and trifle recipes.

Salak

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Salak is related to the coconut, is similar in size to  a plum, and
has scaly skin.This particular fruit has a nutty, strong flavor so it’s
an excellent accompaniment to fish, chicken, or beef.

Mangosteen

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Although it resembles the typical lychee, it is similar to a melon. Mangosteen
is great in fruit salads,fresh fruit pie,and also in jellies and jams.
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 The Unorthodox Chef Champagne Antipasto w/Pitahaya

Ingredients

• 1 cup Artichoke quarters
• 1 cup sliced Roma tomato
• 1 cup chopped Putahaya
• 1 cup Caramelized Red Onion
• 1 cup cubed Feta
• ½ cup sliced Red Pepper
• ½ cup sliced Yellow Pepper
• ¾ cup of Kalamata Olives, Manzanella Olives, or Black Olives

Dressing

• 1 ½ cup of Champagne Vinegar (I use the Brand Vilux)
• 1 cup of Amber Honey

Method

1. Toss all of your vegetables together and set aside in the frig.
2. Mix your dressing with a whisk until smooth. Add honey in a steady
   stream while whisking dressing.
3. Combine the two.

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Here are some Unorthodox Recipes for Strange Fruit :

Thai-style Mangosteen Clafouti by David Tinker
Kiwano and Lime Vinaigrette by Danilo Alfaro
Rambutan, Pineapple and Tofu curry by Missy Wombat