Win $300 from TheChampReport.com and iwearyourshirt.com

On Youtube from iwearyourshirt, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FXCComxqu4

This is clearly off-topic for me, but because I am so into the power of social media, I couldn't resist posting this.

Hands On Gourmet Recipe: Chicken Empanadas (Peru)

Chicken Empanadas (Peru) RECIPE, originally uploaded by handsongourmet.

http://www.handsongourmet.com - Peruvian cuisine is one of the most diverse cuisines in the world, throw in a pinch of Africa, a dash of China, two tablespoons of Italy, ¼ cup of Japan and a kilo of Inca heritage and you get the food of Peru. Heaps of fresh seafood, indigenous peppers, chicken pastries, grilled beef, potatoes and caramel that make your lips tingle.

These chicken empanadas are featured on Hands On Gourmet's, Cuisine of Peru menu this season. What makes this dish so delicious is the flaky dough. It's just right, not too buttery not too dry.

Try our Chicken Empanadas de Peru recipe

Ingredients

For the Dough
3 ¾ cups AP flour
2 tsp salt
3 Tbsp sugar
1 ½ tsp baking powder
½ pound butter
½ cup water plus 1 Tbsp

Extra flour for dusting

Eggwash:
2 whole egg
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoon water
For the Filling
2 lbs chicken thighs, boneless
and skinless, fat trimmed
1 Tbsp paprika
1 tsp cumin
½ tsp chili powder
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 tsp flour
½ cup water
1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1.5 tablespoons sugar
1 Tbsp. rocoto pepper, minced
3 hard boiled eggs, chopped
1/2 cup green olives, pitted

Instructions

For the Dough
Sift the flour into a bowl. Add the salt, the sugar, and the baking powder. Dice the cold butter into small cubes. Add the butter to the flour and using your hands, rub the mixture between your palms until it resembles the consistency of coarse corn meal. Stir in the water, a little at a time, to make a soft and fairly sticky dough. *DO NOT OVER MIX* The dough will firm up after it chills. Remove the dough from the bowl and roll into a 1” slab and wrap with plastic wrap. Cover with ice packs in the refrigerator for a few minutes until it is hard. Turn chilled dough out onto a floured surface and cut into small portions. Take each portion and gently press them with a tortilla press until ¼ inch thick. Transfer these to a parchment lined baking sheet and separate them with additional sheets, if necessary. Keep chilled until ready to use.

For the Chicken Filling
Mix the paprika, cumin, chili powder, garlic and 1 tsp of salt together and rub over the chicken. Preheat your grill. Grill the chicken until it is cooked and let rest for 5 minutes. Dice your chicken in large cubes and pulse in a food processor until it is fine.
In a large sauté pan, cook your onions in the oil for 5 minutes. Add the flour and cook for an additional 3 minutes. Deglaze with the water. Add the chicken, lime juice, sugar and minced rocoto pepper. Cook until flavors meld, about 2 minutes. Then add your chopped hard boiled egg and green olives. Season appropriately, remove from heat and set aside.

To make the Empanadas
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. In a small bowl, mix your egg wash together. On a lightly floured surface, lay your round of empanada dough in front of you. Put a spoonful of filling in the middle and paint a half ring of egg wash around the dough. Seal the empanada by folding it over in a half moon shape making sure to get most of the air out as you close it. Crimp the edges of the empanada and set on a parchment lined baking sheet. Brush egg wash over your empanadas and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes until golden.

Special Equipment
Food processor
Tortilla press
Grill
Pastry brush

Hands On Gourmet Cooking Class: Biscuits and Gravy (Meatloaf Leftovers)

On YouTube from handsongourmet, http://bit.ly/a1ISR

Hands On Gourmet's Chef Stephen Gibbs follows up from his, "How to Make Meatloaf" video, with what to do with the leftovers. Using leftovers stretches your food budget and inspires creativity in the kitchen.

If you have any questions, leave a comment or email Chef Gibbs directly at, stephen @ handsongourmet.com

Hands On Gourmet Recipe: Homemade Tortillas

Homemade Tortillas RECIPE, originally uploaded by handsongourmet.

Hands On Gourmet Recipe for Homemade Tortillas

Serves 8-10 people

These are great to make for any type of taco. Grilled or braised meat, seafood, tomato or tomatillo salsa, avocado, sour cream, shaved cabbage, sautéed mushrooms, zucchini, scrambled eggs, beans or simply with cheese.

Nothing and I mean nothing is better than a thick warm corn tortilla hot off the presses!

*you can buy masa at any grocery store and the press you can buy on-line or in the Mission Neighborhood of San Francisco, for $10

Ingredients
2 cups masa harina
pinch of salt
1 cup warm water

Special Equipment
tortilla press
plastic wrap
ring mold (rim of a glass will work if you don’t have one)

Instructions
Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture forms into a ball.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface, such as a cutting board or your counter top. Knead the dough for 3 to 4 minutes until it becomes smooth and no longer sticky. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rest at for about ½ hour.

Divide the tortilla dough into 10 equal size pieces. Keep the dough covered as you work.
Take one piece and roll it between your hands to form a ball.

Open the tortilla press and lay a piece of plastic wrap on the bottom of the press. Sit the ball of dough on the plastic wrap and flatten the dough by pressing down on it with the palm of your hand. Now lay a second piece of plastic wrap on top of the dough. Close the press and press down firmly a few times until the tortilla is flattened. The tortilla should be thin and round.

Cook the tortillas in a cast iron or non stick skillet. You can cook them dry or use a small amount of oil.

Hands On Gourmet Cooking Lesson: How To Make Meatloaf

Hands On Gourmet's Chef Stephen Gibbs shows you how to make a basic meatloaf. Meatloaf origins are European. It is a food for tough economic times because it stretches meat a tad further, so I thought it was a timely dish to write about. The meatball is its cousin.

The recipe is included in the credits. If you have any questions, please email Chef Gibbs at stephen @ handsongourmet.com

Hands On Gourmet Cooking Lesson: How to Blanch and Shock

Chef Stephen Gibbs of Hands On Gourmet demonstrates a hot cooking tip, "how to blanch and shock". Blanching is cooking something in a hot liquid, typically water or chicken stock. Shocking is to stop the cooking process. The purpose of using the technique is to preserve the natural color of the food, such as asparagus and tomatoes.

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High above 3rd St.

High above 3rd St., originally uploaded by SF Emperor.

This photograph was taken by my friend, Bill Cendak. Much of his work is shaped by his construction worker's perspective. He is in the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), Local 6, which is how he has access to industrial locations.

See more of his photos here, www.flickr.com/photos/wjcendak/

Photo Caption:
Sheedy and Morrow. High above 3rd. Street
The front jib of the tower crane has just been connected to the cab. Dan is climbing past to string the load line.
Shot on fuji 400, F5 Nikon...... Film is still the only way to go kids!!

This photo ran in San Francisco magazine Sept. 2007 issue.

Glide Memorial United Methodist Church Rooftop Garden

On Thursday, July 2nd, Hands On Gourmet volunteered at Glide Memorial Church. We made over 1200 brown bag lunches for the holiday weekend when the regular free food program will be closed.

After, we went up to the rooftop garden. This is what we found. (see photos above)

I am so intrigued by urban farming. It's a delight to discover gardens in the midst of a concrete landscape. This garden was literally scrapped together using found materials, milk buckets, scrap wood, donated seeds and seedlings, among other things.

Glide Memorial United Methodist Church is in the Tenderloin neighborhood of San Francisco, CA. They offer over 50 social services programs that are dedicated to empowering the whole person.

The visionary behind this remarkable place is Reverend Cecil Williams. He joined Glide in 1963. And is recognized as a national leader on the forefront of change and in the struggle for civil and human rights. His ministry underscores his roots in liberation theology.

(excerpt taken from his bio on the glide.org site. Read full bio here, Reverend Cecil Williams)

Food Party FIRST EPISODE : part 1/5

from thutranthutran on YouTube: first episode of epic puppet cooking show created by Thu Tran and directed by zachariah durr.

Summary: Jay-Z and Beyonce are dropping in for dinner.

(This bizarre show works for some reason. It's that reason that I love it. "Food Party" was recently picked by IFC (International Film Channel))