Welcome back!  Today, we have a delicious Tex-Mex and barbecue fusion: Brisket Queso! We have made Queso  in the past but as noted in the past recipe, it takes a little bit of experimenting to get the right texture. So this time, we used a new technique by incorporating a little bit of chemistry and simplifying the queso part of the recipe. Specifically, the key is to use sodium citrate, which is a compound that can be created by combining an acid like lemon or lime juice with baking soda and helps to keep the cheese evenly smooth. Another important factor is the ingredients used: American cheese actually has sodium citrate already; the Colby that we used is a similarly good melting cheese. Brisket Queso Ingredients: 40 milliliters lemon or lime juice 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 pound cheese, cut into cubes or grated (we used half cheddar and half Colby) 1/2 cup heavy cream Some Pico de Gallo, Habanero Salsa, or just fresh diced tomatoes and onions Brisket Directions: Create ...

Welcome back!  Today, we have a convenient version of a crunchy classic: Coconut Shrimp! These is a delicious dish that everyone enjoys because the combination of the crisp, fried shell and the fresh, juicy shrimp inside. In this recipe, we remove the hassle of having to fry these in a pot of oil by instead using the air-fry setting on our Breville Smart Oven Air, as we've done with chicken wings in the past. These coconut shrimp work great as an appetizer or with salads, just be sure to prepare your sauce! Air-Fried Coconut Shrimp Ingredients: 1 pound shrimp 1/4 cup flour 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 2 eggs 1 cup shredded coconut 1/2 cup breadcrumbs Some oil spray Directions: Peel the shell from the shrimps, but leave the tails on. If using jumbo shrimp (like we did), butterfly cut the shrimp and flatten them out in order to get a more even coating/cooking area. Take three bowls. In the first, pour in the flour, salt, and pepper. In the second, crack in and whisk the egg...

Welcome back!  Today, we have a unique recipe that comes from Central China: Pearl Meatballs! The name is quite interesting but makes sense: they're meatballs, but the translucence of the sticky rice that coats the meatball mirrors the luster of a pearl. It's often served on special occasions, like Lunar New Year, where everyone gathers for a feast and can enjoy this delicious dish. Plus, it's not even that difficult to make! Pearl Meatballs Makes about 30 meatballs Ingredients: For the meatballs: 1/2 pound ground pork 1/4 pound shrimp 80 grams (about 1/2 can) water chestnuts, finely chopped 2 tablespoons green onion, finely chopped 1/2 teaspoon ginger, minced 1 teaspoon soy sauce 1 teaspoon sugar 1 teaspoon rice wine 1 teaspoon sesame oil 1/4 teaspoon white pepper 1/2 egg white For the rice: 1 cup glutinous (sticky) rice Directions: Rinse the glutinous rice and soak in water for 2 hours. In a bowl, place all the ingredients for the meatballs and mix until even. The mixture...

 Welcome back!  Today, we have a delicious holiday roast! This is another prime rib roast , but this time, we cooked it in a different way - using a technique called reverse-searing. In contrast to traditional searing, this method has the meat cooking at a lower temperature for a long time before finishing with a sear so that the meat has evenly cooked across the whole cut, kinda like sous vide . It makes for a very tender and delicious dish that is a perfect centerpiece for a holiday feast! Reverse Seared Prime Rib Roast Ingredients: 1 standing rib roast (note the weight, it varies and significantly impacts the cooking time) 1 tablespoon salt 2 tablespoons oil 1 tablespoon ground black pepper 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary and thyme, chopped (optional) For the gravy: 1/4 cup drippings 2 tablespoons flour 2 cups broth Some pepper Directions: Pat the ribs dry. Rub the ribs with the salt. Let the ribs rest for 3-4 hours on the counter. You can loosely cover it up with some foil or...

Welcome back!  Today, we have another chicken recipe! Chicken is something that is so prevalent across cultures and cuisines, so it's great to explore all the different ways to prepare the poultry. This is a oriental style, but it's very accessible in terms of ingredients and flavor. Plus, it's easy to make, and you can also make several servings at one time, so it's great for meal planning! Honey Drumsticks Ingredients: 12 drumsticks 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/3 cup soy sauce 1/4 cup honey 2 tablespoons rice wine/sake Sesame seeds or green onion for decoration (optional) Directions: Prepare the marinade by combining the garlic, soy sauce, honey, and rice wine. Marinate the chicken in the marinade at least 4 hours in the fridge. Take the chicken out of the marinade, but keep the marinade for later. Sear both sides of the drumsticks in an oiled pan, for about 2 minutes on each side. You'll probably need to do two batches.  Take the reserved marinade and pour it into t...

Welcome back!  Today, we have a traditional Filipino dish: Chicken Adobo! Adobo is a very classic Filipino flavor involving vinegar, peppercorns, and bay leaves. It's used for many different types of meat; pork is another very common choice. The dish should not be confused with a Spanish variety of adobo, which has a similar concept but different ingredients - there's a heavier emphasis on spices like paprika and oregano. Filipino Chicken Adobo Ingredients: 2 pounds chicken drumsticks 1/2 cup rice vinegar 1/3 cup soy sauce 6 cloves garlic, minced 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns 3 bay leaves 2 tablespoon sugar Directions: Prepare the marinade by adding in all the ingredients except for the chicken. Mix this together. Put the chicken in and let it marinade for a few hours, preferably overnight so the flavor really soaks in. Take the chicken out. Keep the marinade! In an oiled pan, sear the chicken for 2 minutes on each side (imagine that the drumsticks have two sides). Remov...

Welcome back!  Today, we have another recipe for a stuffed pork tenderloin! This one has a different filling as well as a special sauce on top. After last time , we decided to experiment a little, and so we got this. It's nice and cheesy, and because of the simplicity of ingredients, you really get all the flavors. Stuffed Pork Tenderloin II Ingredients: 2 pork tenderloins (about 1 pound each) Stuffing: 8 ounces baby spinach 6 ounces prosciutto 6 ounces shredded cheese (we used Gruyere) Sauce: 4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 4 tablespoons honey 1 teaspoon garlic puree Salt and pepper Directions: Prepare the meat: Butterfly cut the tenderloin, and fold it out so that it's one big flat piece of meat. Pound it evenly. Saute the spinach in a pan. Drain this once you're done. Prepare the sauce by mixing together all the ingredients listed under "Sauce". Assemble: Put a layer of prosciutto on top of the tenderloin. Try to make this layer as even as possible. Put the spin...

Welcome back!  Today, we have another recipe for chicken wings (yes, there's already been a co uple , but this one has completely different ingredients - besides the chicken). It uses a very popular Korean flavor that makes it spicy and delicious! This once again uses the air-fry setting on our oven to cook the chicken just right, and it always comes out nice and juicy. It's a delicious adaptation of a classic American dish! Hot Korean Chicken Wings Ingredients: About 2 pounds of chicken wings Some flour Sesame seeds Marinade: 1 tablespoon soy sauce 1 tablespoon rice cooking wine 1 tablespoon mirin 1 teaspoon sugar Sauce: 4 tablespoons gochujang 2 tablespoons soy sauce 1 teaspoon minced ginger 2 teaspoons minced garlic 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar 3 tablespoons honey 3 tablespoons water 2 teaspoons sesame oil Directions: Prepare the marinade by mixing the ingredients listed under "Marinade" above. Put the chicken in with the marinade and let rest for at least 1 ho...

Welcome back!  Today, we have a delicious Japanese dish: Tonkatsu! This literally means "pork cutlet", since that's what it is: a pork loin cutlet, breaded and fried. It's one of the most popular dishes in Japan; it's also a symbol of good luck, so students like to eat it before big tests. It's often served with a special tonkatsu sauce, as described below, but there are other varieties, like with curry or with an egg on rice: a katsudon.  Tonkatsu Ingredients: Pork loin cutlets (about 1/2" thick) Salt and pepper Some flour An egg Breadcrumbs (panko) Sauce: 4 tablespoons ketchup 2 tablespoons soy sauce 1 tablespoons worcesterschire sauce 2 tablespoons mirin 1 tablespoon sugar Directions: Pat dry the pork chops and pound them evenly with a meat tenderizer. Sprinkle on some salt and pepper on both sides. Dip each pork chop in flour, then in egg (beat the egg, obviously), and then in the breadcrumbs. Put these on a baking pan and spray some oil on them. Air-...

Welcome back!  Today, we have another recipe for chicken wings, but this time, we're using the air-fry setting on our oven! This one is super easy to prepare, just throw the wings in the oven/air-fryer and cook! Of course, since we're using the air-fryer, we made these wings more like fried chicken wings, less like the ones we made with the Instant Pot . But this is a much healthier alternative to truly fried chicken wings because you don't bathe them in oil. Air-Fried Chicken Wings Ingredients: Chicken wings Salt and pepper Some flour Optional seasonings (Italian seasoning, thyme, garlic powder, paprika, etc.) Directions: Mix the salt and pepper with the flour. If you want to have other seasonings, add them in too. Coat the chicken wings with a thin layer of the flour mixture. Airfry at 375°F for 15 minutes. You could also just bake it at 425°F for the same amount of time. Flip the wings over. You should also change the parchment paper to get rid of the juices. Put it back...

Welcome back!  Today, we have another recipe for the barramundi fish! This time, it's with a delicious lemon-caper sauce. It's very simple to cook and makes for a quick and tasty meal. As mentioned in our previous recipe for  barramundi , the barramundi is a soft and mild fish that can pretty easily pair with various flavors because of its lack of strong taste, so the range of recipes you can make with this fish is quite large, as seen in the contrast between this and the previous recipe. Baked Lemon Caper Barramundi Ingredients: 2 1-pound barramundi fillets 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 tablespoons butter, melted 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 tablespoon capers 1/4 cup dry white wine Salt and pepper Directions: With a paper towel, pat the fish dry. Cut each filet up into smaller serving sizes. Combine the garlic, butter, lemon juice, capers, and white wine to make the sauce. Mix it together. In a baking dish, put in the fish and pour the sauce on top. Bake in the oven at 375°F for 1...

Welcome back!  Today, we have a nice and convenient recipe for homemade buffalo wings! These wings are so soft and juicy because of the Instant Pot, and it really isn't hard to make at all. Plus, the cook time is really quite short: the final boil in the oven is only 6-10 minutes. They're honestly so good that you don't even need any more sauce when you're eating them! Instant Pot Buffalo Wings Ingredients: 3-4 pounds chicken wings Salt and pepper Garlic powder Buffalo sauce (you can even make your own) Directions: Season the wings with the salt, pepper, and garlic powder. In the Instant Pot, pour in 1 cup of water and put in the trivet. Place the wings in vertically. Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes. Let it sit for 5 minutes and then release the pressure. Take the wings out. On a baking pan, put the wings on a piece of parchment paper. Apply buffalo sauce to all sides of the meat. In the oven, boil until golden, about 3-5 minutes on each side. This recipe actually ...

Welcome back!  Today, we have a delicious barbecue classic: pulled pork! This is a great recipe that, thanks to the Instant Pot, anyone can conveniently make in their own homes while still enjoying the barbecue taste of the pork. The sauce and seasonings can also be adjusted to fit your own taste; perhaps you could add some liquid smoke to give it a nice, smoky flavor. Instant Pot Pulled Pork Ingredients: 4 pounds pork butt/shoulder 2 tablespoons oil Seasoning Rub: 3 tablespoons brown sugar 2 teaspoons paprika 2 teaspoons garlic powder 2 teaspoons onion powder 1 teaspoon black pepper 1 teaspoon ground mustard 1/2 teaspoon cayenne Sauce: 1 cup chicken broth 1/4 cup white wine 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar (optional) 1 teaspoon hot sauce (optional) 1 cup barbecue sauce Directions: Cut the pork into strips that are about 2-3 inches thick. Sprinkle the seasonings on the pork and rub all around. Put in the fridge and let sit for 1-2 hours or overnight. In the Instant Pot, sear the pork wi...