What are Clone or Copycat Restaurant Recipes?

Ever wonder what clone restaurant recipes are and whether they are really as good as the real thing?  As a personal chef I have.  They are supposed to be an exact duplicate or copy of the dishes you order from your favorite restaurant. My conclusion is that some are like the creations they represent and some are not.

Many home cooks replicate clone restaurant recipes in their own kitchens.  They are able to make the food taste like the real thing.  There are secret recipe cookbooks that are written by personal chefs or commercial cooks who have researched and tested various methods to come up with their own versions of dishes from famous eateries.

I, myself wondered about recipe secrets, so I invested in a couple of cookbooks that contain clone restaurant recipes from some of America's most popular eating places.  For the most part, they are simple and easy to make in your own kitchen.  Others are more complicated for new home cooks and take a great deal of time to prepare.

Even for more established cooks and personal chefs, demystifying these copycat recipe secrets can be a challenge.  However, there is great joy in having prepared a menu that includes a clone restaurant recipe that tastes like you would expect when you order it.

There is one e-cookbook that I swear by.  America's Most Wanted Recipes, written by Ron Douglas, has some of the best copycat recipes ever tried.  Check out this VIDEO where he talks about his book and, one of my favorite recipes, Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits.

Stop Treating Your Business Like a Hobby!

Stop Treating Your Business Like a Hobby!

Southern Fried Okra

Saw this recipe online and decided to post it here.  It is quick and easy and turns out a good product.  As I noted at the bottom of the recipe, I add a half cup of panko to the cornmeal-flour mixture for extra crispiness.
 
Southern Fried Okra


Ingredients:
1 pound fresh okra
2 eggs, beaten (OPTIONAL)
1 cup cornmeal (plain, not self-rising)
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup all-purpose flour (OPTIONAL)
½ teaspoon black pepper
Oil for frying (approx 4 - 6 cups)
~ If you'd like a spicier version, add ground cayenne pepper, onion & garlic powder to the cornmeal mixture or directly on the okra.

Preparation:
Wash okra; drain & cut off tips. Cut pods crosswise into 1/2-inch slices (another option, try cutting lengthwise too!).

Coat okra in salt, pepper & cornmeal mixture (should still be damp from just being washed). You can go straight to fryer at this point or continue with the next step & add egg if you'd like a thicker breading.

In a bowl, combine beaten eggs; add okra and stir to coat all pieces well. Then re-dip okra pieces into cornmeal mixture to coat well.

Heat oil in a frying pan or deep fryer to 350°-375°. Fry okra in batches until browned, about 4 to 6 minutes for each batch. Drain on paper towels and serve immediately.

Serves 4.

Okra is delicious food and I  add 1/2 cup panko to fry mine; makes it even better!

Best and Worst Halloween Snacks for Kids

Halloween is just around the corner.  I found this Reader's Digest article on what Halloween snacks are healthy for kids.  Thought I would publish it here since so many parents today are concerned aobout what their children are putting into thier bodies.  There are some great tips here,

By Chandni Jhunjhunwala

Healthy Treats

What may be the most frightening to you at Halloween is not ghosts or goblins but the thought of what all that candy can do to your kids' health and teeth. Here are some ideas for healthy treats, and recommendations for ones to avoid.

"Everything in moderation," says Connie Evers, registered dietitian and author of How to Teach Nutrition to Kids. "I tell parents to cut down on the amount of candy they hand out. In America we tend to do everything in excess and kids will go to a house and get a huge handful."

Think beyond candy: Trick-or-treating coupons from places like Dunkin' Donuts are always a hit with kids and they give parents control over what their kids eat. "I know a dentist who gives out floss or toothbrushes," says Evers. "And there's a new product, Oral Brush-Ups, which middle school kids love."

Even better, throw a party instead of sending your kids trick-or-treating. "You can have a variety of healthy snacks like mini sandwiches, nachos, and pizzas, so it's not all sugar and candy," says Evers.

Put aside your fears about being the not-so-cool parents on the block and try passing out some of these healthier treats:

• Sugarless gum
• Corn nuts, peanuts, or trail mix
• Small individual bags of pretzels or popcorn
• Packages of sugar-free cocoa
• Individual bags of roasted pumpkin seeds
• Pre-packed cheese and crackers
  

  Worst Treats

  Try to avoid or limit these unhealthy snacks:
• Sticky treats like gummy candies, jelly beans, raisins and caramels are bad for dental health.
  
  
• Full-sized candy bars. Some chocolate bars contain high amounts of saturated fat. The worst offenders are Mounds (11 grams of saturated fat in a two-ounce bar), Hershey's Milk Chocolate Bar (nine grams in 1.5 ounces) and Almond Joy (eight grams in 1.7 ounces).
  
  
• Chips Ahoy!, Oreos, Hostess HOHOs and other snack cakes, Keebler Club & Cheddar Sandwich Crackers, and Starburst Fruit Chews were all voted the worst vending machine snacks for kids by Center for Science in the Public Interest.

Don't forget to give your kids a nutritious meal before they go trick-or-treating. This will prevent sugar highs and nasty upset tummies!

Steamed Shrimp as a Main Dish

Usually steamed shrimp means peeling fresh cooked shrimp and dipping it in a tomato-like chili sauce.  This week, however, I decided to try something new from shrimp I had deliberately steamed in my own blend of spices.  So rather than having regular shrimp cocktail, I threw the steamed shrimp into a main dish. Generally, you would let the raw shrimp cook in the dish, however, I had already cooked them.

Always on a quest for new recipes, I search for new ones; yet end up many times having a "taste" for something familiar.  Like, curry, for example.  Curry has such a sweet and warm taste.  I suppose I feel like it is one of my comfort ingredients.  Adding curry to a fish stew or to chicken satisfies that craving.  Especially in the cooler months.

Shrimp curry is a favorite.  Several years ago, an Indian friend from Delhi turned me onto garam masala, a flavorful and fragrant blend of spices.  She used it in her curries.  I bought some and have been a fan ever since.

Here's my variation on her recipe, so it is not strictly South Asian or Indian. Serves about 2 or 3

• 3 Tbs canola or olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1Tbs curry powder
• 1 Tbs ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric (optional)
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes or to taste
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1cup water or low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
• 1/2 tsp salt (adjust if using broth)
• 1 lb large steamed shrimp

Directions

1. Heat the oil in large heavy saucepan over medium high heat. Add the onions; cook; stirring until soft. Add minced garlic and cook until soft about a minute. Reduce heat and mix in the next six ingredients. Cook and stir until well blended.
2. Add water or broth. Season with salt if needed. Cook on low for about  3 minutes.  Add shrimp and cook about 3 more minutes until everything is warm and flavors are blended. Taste and adjust salt and red pepper flakes if necessary. Stir and remove from the heat. Serve over rice.

What Makes a Good Glass of Wine?

There are so many varieties and flavors of wines.  I love wine.  Sometimes it's a white I prefer. Often, it's a red I want.  Other times, I want something bubbly and sparkly.  So what makes a good glass of wine?

How does it taste?  That's pretty much my personal criteria.    Do I feel like a Pinot Noir even though I'm cooking fish?  Is the Italian sparkling Prosecco more to my taste when I am eating a steak?  I have found that some reds really are too intense or heavy for fish or shellfish and that some whites are perfect for meats.

Cork or no cork?  Initially, I had the wrong idea. Now, after trying several, that does not deter me from trying a wine for taste.  Yes, I feel happy when I don't have to grapple with a corkscrew, especially if I am somewhere without my easy to use gizmo.  However, I have found some really good wines in screw-cap bottles.  Like anything else, you just have to experiment to see what you like.

Even with a good corkscrew stuff happens.  There is nothing less fun than having the cork break and leave little bits cork floating in your wine.  When that happens, I just push the cork down into the bottle and strain the wine into a glass or pour the whole thing into a decanter.  Hardly the professional way, I am sure.

In any case, I try different kinds of wines.  At times, I also let my budget determine what I am going to drink or cook with.  So I have had anything from 3 buck chuck to something a lot more expensive. 

One rule I stick to is that if the wine is not fit to drink, like so-called "cooking wine" you can buy in the grocery store, I do not cook with it.. Not only that, if I by a high-quality pricey wine; I would rather drink it than cook with it.

The main point is that you are the one who determines what makes a good glass of wine.  Don't be afraid to try the different varieties out.  Do not be governed only by price.  That does not always work.  Also, what may taste good to someone else may not be to your liking.  That is alright.  Get your own style and have confidence in what you decide.

What are Clone Restaurant Recipes?

Ever wonder what clone restaurant recipes are and whether they are really as good as the real thing?  As a personal chef I have.  They are supposed to be an exact duplicate or copy of the dishes you order from your favorite restaurant. My conclusion is that some are like the creations they represent and some are not.

Many home cooks replicate clone restaurant recipes in their own kitchens.  They are able to make the food taste like the real thing.  There are secret recipe cookbooks that are written by personal chefs or commercial cooks who have researched and tested various methods to come up with their own versions of dishes from famous eateries.

I, myself wondered about recipe secrets, so I invested in a couple of cookbooks that contain clone restaurant recipes from some of America's most popular establishments.  For the most part, they are simple and easy to make in your own kitchen.  Others are more complicated for new home cooks and take a great deal of time to prepare.

Even for more established cooks and personal chefs, demystifying these copycat recipe secrets can be a challenge.  However, there is great joy in having prepared a menu that includes a clone restaurant recipe that tastes like you would expect when you order it.

Do you have some favorite restaurant dishes you wish you could have without going 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.  Ready to try your own clone restaurant recipes at home?  Click the image below and order the Secret Restaurant Recipe cookbooks now.