Jesse Sartain Baking Recipes

By: chuck Machado

We just returned from the Fiery Foods Show, held again in Albuquerque, New Mexico and I had a lot of people asking for the hottest chile pepper we offered. I smiled, not at their extreme passion for scoville units, but because I couldn’t supply them with anything hotter than our Coyote Trail Green Chile Sauce. Sure, the Green Chile Sauce has some heat, but nothing like what these guys were looking for. I thought back to our departure from a sound business plan-the time we were also in search of the heat.

We embarked on the path to heat with fury. Could we also create the world’s hottest sauce? Habanero chiles flooded my desk. The test kitchen had the chile cloud hanging low, enough to cause sneezing and coughing through cloth masks. People wanted the heat and by golly we were going to give it to them. Perhaps I would be like my buddy, Dave Hirschkop, creator of Dave’s Insanity Sauce, who is rumored to have once been banned from the Fiery Foods Show because his sauces were so deadly hot.

We were on the road and my stomach was converting intestine cells into a mamma would be proud, chile pepper cast iron vault. I tasted a dozen or so formulas. Raspberry chipotle habanero relish. And then there was a peach zinger with enough firepower to launch a missile. Roy, our product analyst was especially proud of a tomatillo and jolokia chile spread that was supposed to be spread gently on toast. The morning bite, like fishing I guess.

With all the options, two stood out, but still I was uneasy. Not just my stomach lining, but my instincts. The market is full of hot sauces with appropriate names referring to body parts and functions. Where did we fit?

When I started New Mexico Chile Company, I wanted to provide gourmet cooking sauces and our tag line was immediately established-Coyote Trail Sauces-Making Everyday Gourmet. I was adamant about the fact that every sauce had to marry well with food and wine. If the sauce was too hot or overpowering it wouldn’t compliment food. Now, here I was branching off into the hot sauce business. Very soon, I’d have to have some intestine work done so the deadline was approaching.

I came to my decision one day while flying to California and appropriately enough I was reading Herb Kelleher’s story describing how he had started Southwest Airlines. The book is titled Nuts and in this business classic he tells the story of staying the path to success.

Despite the distractions, he put on the corporate blinders and ventured forth with a plan set in stone. Southwest, he wrote, did not fly international because it wasn’t what they did well. Their airline was a short distance carrier catering to business people. The five hundred mile journey is their expertise. And for years, at board meetings, he fought the urge to expand and conquer airwaves beyond what they did well.

It seems that other airlines disagreed and once they solidified their local position, they opened international routes. If they could fly around California, surely they could set their wings toward Europe. Many tried and most filed bankruptcy and all eventually lost money.

This struck me las profound and about that time the flight attendant walked by, inquired about beverages and dropped two packages of roasted nuts onto my tray.

I decided then that the morning bite wasn’t for us. We would stay the course of prosperity, watch the Chile Heads delve into the insanity that concentrated levels of capsicum will deliver. Dave could rest easy. I kicked myself out of the Chile Heads society.

We’ll continue to make the world’s best enchilada sauce and we truly do understand the world is a better place because of our Green Chile Sauce. It may not be the morning bite, but Santa Fe Chicken is a staple among many of our customers and that’s good enough for me.

Santa Fe Chicken An Easy Chicken Recipe

Ingredients

2 lbs boneless chicken breasts
1 cup br onion
2 cloves garlic
2 tsp olive oil
16 oz Coyote Trail Green Chile Sauce
8 oz grated cheddar cheese
cilantro or parsley to garnish

By: Rahul Chauhan

Sbiten, the traditional beverage for wintertime in Russia, is a drink with a long, colorful history. Research shows that sbiten has been around since the fourteenth century. Traditionally, Sbiten was served from oft-heated copper samovars by the sbitenshchik, who served it up until the beginning of the twentieth century on Russian street corners.

I have always loved all things Russian. For the past twenty years, I have collected stamps from Russia and outlying territories, and have an extensive collection in 2 large Scott’s Standard books. One of my favorite composers and pianist is Kostia, whose haunting music of his Russian homeland is a beautiful listening experience. If I am particularly stressed out, it is Kostia I turn to. His albums include Suite St. Petersburg and 10 Pebbles, among others.

Sbiten is made in different ways, both non-alcoholic and alcoholic. It is the perfect antidote for long cold winters, something Russia is famous for. Here in Michigan, it is a real treat for us old folks that hate winter.

The word Sbiten comes the from the verb sbit–to beat or to pound. The herbs and spices are ground in a mortar, and then mixed with honey or molasses. It is allowed to ferment for a short period, and then mixed with water to make a slightly alcoholic drink. Replacing the water with a good Cabernet Sauvignon makes for a more lively drink, one to be appreciated by all. It is also fortified with brandy or vodka for a more potent libation.

The basic recipe for Sbiten:

3 1/2 cups water
2 cups honey
3 cinnamon sticks
2-3 cardamom pods, seeds removed, toasted and crushed
1/3 Tsp ground ginger 1 TBS whole cloves
2 dried chili peppers (optional)
2 TBS raspberry or apricot jam

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a slow boil over medium heat. Whisk continuously to insure honey is well mixed. Remove from heat and allow to come to room temperature. Strain liquid through cheesecloth into an airtight container for storage and refrigerate until ready to bottle.

NAPA, Calif., February 14, 2008 – Nonni’s was selected as a superior product in the “Traditional” and “Non-Traditional Biscotti” categories for both foodservice and retail.  Superior Gold winning products included their “Traditional Cioccolati”, “Originali”, “Decadence”, “Turtle Pecan” and “Mint Cioccolati Biscottis” as well as their “Non-Traditional Limone”, “Cinnamon Dolce”, “Caramel Latte” and “Toffee Almond Biscottis”.  The judging was conducted “triple blind” in Napa, California by a panel of Masters of Taste. The Chef du Jury was famed Mâitre du Goût (Master of Taste), Jesse Sartain.

“We commend the culinary commitment of the staff of Nonni’s for the excellence and innovation of their product lines. We applaud them,” commented Jesse Sartain.

The protocols of “triple blind” judging include the following ground rules to ensure accurate and fair judging results.  Evaluators do not know:
Who the manufacturer is.
What the product variety or appellation is.
What the other evaluator’s scores and comments are.

The judging was a part of the ongoing U.S.A. Taste Championships founded in 1989 with the establishment of the Chefs In America Awards Foundation, whose professional Board Members gather weekly to conduct taste tests on a myriad of foodservice and retail grocery products.

Author: Yvonne Windsor

Cake decorating has come a long way since the ultimate in cake design consisted of smoothing some frosting from a can on to the cake with a butter knife, sticking a candle in the middle (which you thought was a nice decorative touch) and you were done.

Create a decorative cake that’s that little bit more special is a lot more difficult these days as there are higher standards to be met. To produce a more impressive cake you are going to have to be a little more creative.

Cake decoration has skyrocketed recently in popularity as more and more people are trying to hone their cake decoration skills to a new level. Here are some tips to take your cake decorating skills to a higher level.

Cake Decorating Instructions & Tips

Rule # 1 - Don’t Panic

Maybe you may have decided to bake and decorate your own cake from scratch,you have felt inspired lately to experiment in the kitchen. How hard can it be right?

Before you know it you have told a few people that you are going to bake a cake. Filled with new found confidence you even promise to share your cake at dinner or to bring your creation to the next dinner party. Then the doubt sets in, but whatever you do don’t panic.

In fact, when it comes to baking and decorating your first cake, it is best not to give your cake away to other people. If it is the first time you have baked and decorated your own cake, just do it for yourself.

If you think you would like to bake your first cake for a really special or big occasion on your first attempt then I have one word for you,don’t. This just puts you under extreme pressure to create the perfect cake.

Rule # 2 - There Is No Such Thing as the Perfect Cake

When you are starting out in the world of baking and cake decorating, you may begin to wonder why your first efforts are not perfect.

You can forget baking the perfect cake, it’s just not possible, even the best bakers cannot control the baking process to that extent.

Each time you bake a cake it will end up slighty irregular or a bit off. This cannoy be helped as the baking process cannot be predicted. Amateur and professional chefs alike all agree this is whet makes it so challenging, not to mention interesting and exciting.

Mistakes and irregularities will happen with your baking endeavours. The most experienced pastry chefs understand that this will happen,the only difference between them and you is that they have the necessary experience to quickly mask their mistakes.

Rule # 3 - Start Off Slowly Toward Your cake Creation

Don’t choose to make your first cake too elaborate an affair. when you are baking and decorating your very first cake try to start small don’t let it get complicated.

If you try to create something too elaborate for your first attempt You will just be setting yourself up for disappointment. Keep it simple with just a few little touches of decoration.

You could start out by using ingredients that you have never thought of before. Use nuts and dried fruits or even edible flower petals for your cake decorating. Just remember to keep it simple with your first cake.

Rule # 4 - Look Through Books and Magazines But Don’t Become Intimidated

Looking through books and magazines can give you some inspiration for your first baking and cake decorating creation. Sometimes you can find all this information intimidating, just don’t let it get to you.

Cake decorating and baking has come a long way since the old ways of just using butter cream.

NAPA, Calif., March 27, 2008

Caffe Sanora was selected as a superior product in the “Premium Coffee” category for both foodservice and retail.  Superior Gold winning products included their “Signature Roast Coffee” and “Antioxidant Coffee”.  The judging was conducted “triple blind” in Napa, California by a panel of Masters of Taste. The Chef du Jury was famed Mâitre du Goût (Master of Taste), Jesse Sartain.

“We commend the culinary commitment of the staff of Caffe Sanora for the excellence and innovation of their product lines. We applaud them,” commented Jesse Sartain.

The protocols of “triple blind” judging include the following ground rules to ensure accurate and fair judging results.  Evaluators do not know:
Who the manufacturer is.
What the product variety or appellation is.
What the other evaluator’s scores and comments are.

The judging was a part of the ongoing U.S.A. Taste Championships founded in 1989 with the establishment of the Chefs In America Awards Foundation, whose professional Board Members gather weekly to conduct taste tests on a myriad of foodservice and retail grocery products.

Author: Glen D. Williams

Soup, properly made, is one of the healthiest and most enjoyable styles of cooking. While most canned soups are way too high in fats and salt, when you make it yourself, you can get the nutrition without much of the bad stuff. You can create hundreds of tasty and healthy meals using this outline of the basic steps for making healthy soups. Learn the basics and enjoy the rewards for life.

The Base: We’re going for simple and easy, here, so, instead of figuring out all the perfect soup base ingredients, let’s just use bouillon cubes. They’re cheap and easy to use. Just add 3 cubes to a gallon of water in a 6 quart Dutch oven or large pot. Use Chicken cubes for poultry soups and beef cubes for beef, lamb or pork. Get the water to start boiling before adding anything but the cubes. Your ingredients determine when to start the base. For example, a meat and vegetable soup can cook for 1 hour, but if bony meats and dried beans are included, it could take 2.5 hours. Actual prep time is about 30-60 minutes…the rest is simmering time.

The Bones: For bones (like left-over turkey, ox tails, etc.), start the base 1/2 hour early and boil the bones, then cool and remove edible parts to return to soup. Bones and shells are O.K. in soup if you warn people when serving.

Dried Beans, Rice, Noodles, etc: The dried stuff determines how long your soup will take to cook. Over 2 hours for dried beans, one hour for lentils, dried peas or rice, 45 minutes for noodles. I keep a variety of all that stuff in the pantry because I never know what I want to add until I’m cooking…it’s usually 3-4 different things. A total of one cup of dried stuff usually gives the soup a solid quality. If you like thinner soups, this is where to do the thinning.

Meat: 1 pound of meat is usually plenty for this size soup. cut in 1/4″ by 2″ strips. Some meats can be cooked ahead and shredded using 2 forks, for a different texture. Raw meat should be added to the soup to cook about 45 minutes.

Vegetables: Make sure to include 8-10 cups of raw vegetables. My main 3 vegetables are carrots, celery and onions. Any vegetable will work, so be creative. Always press and chop 3-6 buttons of fresh garlic to add. It’s a great flavor and aroma enhancer and it is very good for you. Fresh vegetables should be added to cook the last 30 minutes, except green beans (45 min) and leafy vegetables (10 min).

Spices: Most people add spices way too early, cooking off all their flavor. Spices should be added the last 15-30 minutes if you want to notice their contribution to the flavor of the soup. I use a lot of dried basil, fennel seeds, parsley flakes and fresh ground black pepper. This is an area of personal taste, though, so, follow my Mom’s advice. “It’s easier to put it in than to take it out.” Because the Bouillon cubes have enough salt, you should not add more.

Author: Sherry Frewer

There are so many different delicious crock pot recipes available now days. You can feed your family well, and with variety too. If your family loves Mexican dishes, but you’re tired of the same old tacos for dinner, try one of our simple Mexican recipes. Start your meal in the morning and come home to an easy evening of dinner with the family.

These easy Mexican style crock pot recipes are ones your family will love and ask for over and over again. There are three different types: Beef, Chicken and Pasta crock pot recipes listed below. Try one this week and treat your family and yourself to a great meal together.

Mexican Shredded Beef Crock Pot Recipe

4 lbs chuck roast
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 onion, chopped
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 - 4 oz cans green chilies, undrained
3/4 cup hot pepper sauce or to taste
Water

Season chuck roast with salt and pepper. Place in crock pot. Mix together remaining ingredients except water, and spoon over meat. Pour water down along the sides of the crock pot until roast is 1/3 covered. Cover it and cook on high 6 hours. Reduce to low 2-4 hours, until meat falls apart. Shred with forks if needed. Sauce can be thickened with a little flour. This is perfect as a burrito dinner or on buns.

Mexican Chicken Stew Crock Pot Recipe

2 lbs skinless boneless chicken breasts cut into 1 inch pieces
4 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cut small
1 -15 oz can mild salsa
1 -4 oz can diced green chilies
1 -1 ¼ oz package taco seasoning mix
1 -8 oz can tomato sauce

Mix all ingredients together in a crock pot, cook 8 hours on low. Serve with warm flour tortillas, and corn or add it to the finished stew.

Mexican Macaroni and Cheese Crock Pot Recipe

5 to 6 cups hot cooked macaroni, drained -12 oz dry
2 tbs butter
1 can 12 oz evaporated milk
1 can nacho cheese soup
2 cups shredded Mexican Cheddar cheese
1 - 4 oz can chopped green chilies
1 - 4 oz can sliced black olives
3/4 cup thick medium salsa
salt and pepper to taste