Fish and Seafood Cooking Tips from A Former Personal Chef

When I was a personal chef, the overwhelming request I got from my clients was for my seafood recipes. No matter what dietary challenges they faced, most could eat some kind of seafood. Many of the clients wanted tips for fish and seafood recipes so they could cook them on their own. Here are some general tips.

1. One of the most important things to keep in mind is that fish are very delicate and can spoil easily and quickly. Keep your seafood in the refrigerator until you are ready to cook it.

2. No matter what you may see on TV, keep cooked and raw fish separate when you are preparing a meal to avoid cross-contamination. And, make sure you wash your hands after handling raw seafood.

3. Fish will continue to cook even after you take it off the heat, so remove it just before it is done.

4. As I mentioned fish is very delicate, so turn it over only once so it will not fall apart. Fish cooks quickly and can dry out, so do not overcook.

5. Fish and seafood are versatile. They can be baked, broiled, sautéed, grilled, poached, made into stews and soups or cakes and salads. They can be pan fried or deep-fried and even smoked.

6. When frying fish, make sure to use a good quality oil that will not burn quickly. Many cooks use peanut oil because it has a higher heat rate. It does not burn as quickly as others and you can use it several times if you keep it refrigerated. I also use canola oil, however, it cannot be used more than once or twice, because it burns very quickly. Vegetable oil is my last resort.

7. Shell fish such as oysters, mussels and clams, should be cooked until the shells open, and then generally only about 30 seconds more. If they do not open, throw them away!

8. Shrimp should be cooked only until they turn pink. If using in a stew or soup, add them last. If they turn pink before the dish has finished cooking, remove them, because they will get rubbery.

I love seafood. My favorite fish of all is catfish. I love them fried, in a stew or sauteed with bell peppers, onions and tomatoes. You can cook your favorite seafood, too. I hope these tips will help.

America's Secret Recipes: Cook Your Favorite Restaurant Dishes At Home

I am not a famous chef, yet I re-create many of America's secret recipes right at home in my own kitchen and stay within my budget. So can you. Right now that is very important for many of us. For those with children and families you have all the more reason to want to save money. Secret Restaurant Recipes are contained in 2 volumes chocked full of some of the best restaurant dishes in the world.

Last week I was able to bake the Red Lobster Cheddar Biscuits. These little gems are so delicious; it is hard to describe how good they are, except that they remind me of the biscuits my mom used to make, without the cheese. It was so hard waiting for them to cool; actually I did burn my tongue a bit because I tried to eat one just out of the oven. To add my own little spin, I use extra sharp cheese instead of the mild cheddar the recipe calls for. It is so satisfying to be able to cook meals that I go to a restaurant and buy. It had not entered my mind that I could do this until I saw this Americas Secret Recipes being offered online.

I love eating out. Unfortunately I have had to "cut down," so to speak, so having this cookbook with recipes from Olive Garden, Cheesecake Factory, PF Chang's and even KFC makes up for the lack. All I can say is "yumm-eee." Making these dishes is a real budget stretcher. Especially since many of these same restaurants are raising their prices at this time where many people are having to carefully follow their budgets.

I happen to love cooking and have taken some cooking classes; however, most of these recipes can be done even if you have never taken a cooking class. When you hear the raves from your family and friends, like I have, you will be convinced you made the right decision.

In fact, I wish I had owned these cookbooks when I was a personal chef. They would have been great for my business. My home clients would have loved the variety and uniqueness of the recipes. The Olive Garden's Chicken Crostina would have been a winner. Chicken breasts are marinated in olive oil and rosemary then lightly breaded. The chicken is sautéed with fresh garlic and diced Roma tomatoes in a creamy garlic-butter sauce and served over linguine pasta. Then you make a crust of breadcrumbs, shredded potatoes herbs and 3 different kinds of cheeses. It tastes so good. Just like at Olive Garden.

Ready? Click here for ordering instructions.

Secret Recipes from Your Favorite Restaurants: Review

I love food and cooking. I am a big collector of cookbooks, old and new. I have hundreds of them and have to give some away from time to time to make room for more.

There is a series of e-cookbooks that I will not give away, however. They contain some really neat recipes from some of the most popular and well-known restaurants in the US. If you are economizing, you eill lovre the fact that there are several diffent cookbooks

I have tried many of these recipes myself. Frankly, there are so many, I haven't gotten to all of them. I continue to make my favorites. And, those that I know my guests love.

The instructions are very simple and easy to follow. Even if you are an amateur cook or totally challenged in the kitchen, most of these recipes are set out for ease of cooking and preparing.

If you like Olive Garden and you also like chicken, you will enjoy the recipes here. One of my favorites is the Olive Garden™ Chicken Marsala. The fruity taste of the brandy-infused wine gives this dish a really rich flavor.

You will probably find recipes from your favorite resurants, too. Some of the featured resaurants include: Cheesecake Factory, Olive Garden, Outback Steak House, TGI Fridays and Red Lobster. You really will get reveiws as if you were a gourmet chef. Don't tell them your secret.

America's Secret Recipes

Do You Know What You Can Do With Anchovies

Did you know that anchovies are one of the most misunderstood fish to be on a menu? Most of the people I know have varying degrees of dislike for anchovies. It is amazing to me that so many people do not give certain foods a chance because they may have had one bad experience with them.

I think of some of the foods I rejected. If I had not given them another chance, I would not have the joy of enjoying some very tasty recipes. Anchovies were initially not on my list of favorite foods. I did not like them the first time I tasted them. They were too salty and fishy. Then, I tried them again. I love anchovies with a passion.

At first, I only ate anchovies on pizza, then later, in Caesar salads. I'm glad I experimented with them. I never dreamed there were so many things you can do with anchovies. Now I try them in many recipes and they are a mainstay in my kitchen cabinet. When I see I am down to one tin, I make it a point to buy some.

Sometimes, I get fresh anchovies from my favorite Italian deli. They are packed in heavy salt and need to be rinsed well before using in recipes. They also have to be filleted and the bones removed. I also use canned anchovies for many of my dishes. You can find them either flat or rolled with capers.

One of my favorite recipes is spinach pasta with anchovies, thinly sliced onion and garlic. Although, I love the salty and intense taste of the small fish, for this dish, I mash the anchovies in olive oil in a cast iron skillet and then saute the galic and onions till they are nice and soft. I then add the cooked pasta and mix together. Sprinle with fresh ground pepper and parmesan.

I also use anchovies in salads, deviled eggs, green beans and even in potato salad. They are delicious with vegetables and in stuffed peppers. I find great recipes in the many cookbooks I have.

Do you have some favorite restaurant dishes you wish you could have without having to go out? Maybe it is the Tequila Lime Chicken from Applebee's or the Olive Garden Sangria or T.G.I. Friday's Mocha Mud Pie. Always wonder what their secret ingredients are?

Checkout this unique cookbook with these daring recipes and see what you have been missing.

Secret Restaurant Recipes

Get jealously guarded secrets from restaurants like Cheesecake Factory, Olive Garden and PF Chang, Red Lobster and KFC. You can re-create your favorite restaurant dishes at home for a fraction of the cost by following the easy step-by-step instructions in the best-selling book, Secret Restaurant Recipes.

How about that yummy Boston Market Meatloaf or the Pulled Pork from Hard Rock Cafe? You can wow your family and friends with the Red Lobster Deep Fried Catfish or the Tequila Lime Chicken from the famous Applebee's Restaurant.

Uncover the cooking techniques used by world class chefs from famous restaurants. The best thing is you do not need special training to cook like they do. You might not consider yourself a good cook, yet you will be pleasantly surprised with how easy this detailed instructions are to follow.

Learn to cook comfort foods, meals kids love and the best sauces from these restaurants. Get started right away. you will be so happy with yourself. Secret Restaurant Recipes.

Anchovies: A Mediterranean Essential

Many people turn up their noses at the thought of anchovies. Either they have had a bad experiences with the fishy taste or someone did not know how to use them to bring out their delicious flavor.

I am an anchovy lover from way back. The first time I had them was when I was in college and had them on a pizza. I thought the taste was pretty weird at first. However, I tried them again and just loved them.

They add so much flavor to meats and poultry. They are just great in mashed potatoes and in sauces. They are extremely popular in Mediterranean cooking and especially in Italian and Spanish cooking and recipes.

Here is a delicious recipe from the cookbook, Mediterranean, published by Hermes House

Olive and Anchovy Bites

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup chilled butter
1 cup finely grated cheese, such as
Manchego or Gruyere
2-ounce can anchovy fillets in oil,
drained and roughly chopped
1/2 cup pitted black olives, roughly chopped
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Sea salt

Makes 40-45

1. Place the flour, butter, cheese, anchovies, olives and cayenne pepper in a food processor.
2. Wrap the dough loosely in plastic wrap. Chill for 20 minutes
3. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Roll out the dough thinly on a lightly floured surface.
4. Cut the dough into 2-inch-wide strips, then cut across each strip diagonally, in alternate directions, to make triangles. Place on baking sheets. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until golden. Cool on a wire rack. Sprinkle with sea salt and serve.

Discover the secret recipes from your FAVORITE restaurant and easily cook them yourself in Your Own Kitchen!

3 Smoked Salmon Breakfast Sandwiches

You do not have to always follow a recipe exactly. There are times when I want to try out a recipe, yet, there are ingredients I do not have on hand. So, I improvise, because there is a certain taste I want. ( I rarely do this with baking unless I am just testing)

For example: When I have smoked Salmon available and I do not have bagels, I use what I have. I mix up a Dijon dressing or I may use store-bought creamy Horseradish sauce.

So, for breakfast this morning, I had this smoked Salmon sandwich:

Smoked Salmon Breakfast Sandwich #1

Smoked Salmon pieces or slices.
Sliced tomatoes
Laughing Cow Swiss
A fried egg
A Dijon mustard dressing (See below)

Toast the bread
Spread one slice with Laughing Cow Light Swiss
Pile on Salmon pieces
Add sliced tomatoes
Fry an egg in olive oil
Add to sandwich
Slather Dijon dressing on remaining slice of bread
Cut in half
Enjoy!

Dijon Dressing

3 TB Light or Low Fat Mayonaise
2 TB Dijon Mustard (More or less to taste)
Mix until smooth

Smoked Salmon Breakfast Sandwich #2

Whole Wheat Mini Bagels
Smoked Salmon pieces
Brie cheese

This one is so easy. For budget concerns, use Trader Joe's Smoked Salmon pieces and Trader Joe's brand Brie. They also have packages of wheat and white mini bagels. This little sandwich is also a simple lunch to carry to work or to a pot-luck brunch. Guests devour them!

Smoked Salmon Breakfast Sandwich #3

Bagel or Whole Wheat Toast
Smoked Salmon
Brie or Laughing Cow Light Garlic & Herb Cheese
Thin slice onion
Tomato slice
Dijon Dressing (See above)

Try These Famous Restaurant Recipe Secrets