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Saturday, January 31, 2015

Men Pa'w Gourmet Hot Sauce Green Peppa Madness

Men Pa'w Gourmet Hot Sauce Green Peppa Madness

Men Pa'w gourmet Hot Sauce Green Peppa Madness
Florida based Men Pa'w Gourmet Hot Sauce Green Peppa Madness is one of our new favorites. Owner Carline Phanor has come out with this exciting new sauce and it is fantastic! Men Pa'w is a small batch, hot sauce company that uses organic and all natural ingredients. I recently topped Men Pa'w Gourmet Hot Sauce Green Peppa Madness over a Chicken and Jack Cheese Quesadilla and it was perfection. I love the heat level and the balance of flavor. The ingredients shine through and feature three peppers: Green Habanero, Jalapeño and Datil and the three peppers are a great combination. The flavor is robust and packed with heat and that is a great thing. The taste is refreshing and very Caribbean.

Men Pa'w Gourmet Hot Sauce Green Peppa Madness over Chicken and Jack Cheese Quesadilla
Carline was born in Haiti, raised in New York before moving to sunny Florida and it comes through in her ingredients. I would recommend Men Pa'w Gourmet Hot Sauce Green Peppa Madness over dishes like Rice and Black Beans, Tostones, Sweet Plantains, and cook it with Chicken, Fish, Pork and Steak. The ingredients are: Apple Cider Vinegar, Canola Oil, Olive Oil, Onions, Green Habanero Peppers, Jalapeño Peppers, Salt, Garlic, Spices, Datil Peppers, Monosodium Glutamate.

To order Men Pa'w Gourmet Hot Sauce Green Peppa Madness and for further information, please visit: http://www.menpawhotsauce.com/

-Allen/Two Frys

Sweet & Spicy Hot Alaskan Umami Sauce

Sweet & Spicy Hot Alaskan Umami Sauce

Sweet & Spicy Hot Alaskan Umami Sauce

Alaska based Sweet & Spicy Hot Alaskan Umami Sauce is an Asian style hot sauce. This all natural sauce is available in mild and extra hot. Sweet & Spicy Hot Alaskan Umami Sauce is soy free and vegan. I baked Chicken Thighs with the sauce and it was so amazing! The taste is sublime with a very rich flavor and the perfect balance of heat. The spicy kick from this sauce was just right and the ingredient profile comes through. Allen said the combination of sweet and the spice level is excellent. Sweet & Spicy Hot Alaskan Umami Sauce is also recommended on meat, fish, vegetables, stir fry and as a glaze and dipping sauce.

I plan to make Beef Stir Fry with this sauce soon and Allen will be cooking with the Extra Hot Alaskan Umami Sauce so look for more posts in the very near future. Allen loves it as a dipping sauce as well and used it on French Fries, Chicken Fingers, Fish Sticks and Steamed Cauliflower. We highly recommend this sauce and look forward to cooking with it again. The ingredients are: Brown Sugar, Cayenne Pepper Sauce (Cayenne Peppers, Vinegar, Water, Salt and Garlic Powder), Vinegar, Minced Garlic, Pure Sesame Oil, Cayenne, Unsulphured Molasses, Granulated Garlic, Granulated Onion, Pepper, and Sea Salt.

See the recipe below to make Baked Chicken Thighs with Sweet & Spicy Hot Alaskan Umami Sauce.

Ingredients
Chicken Thighs

Olive Oil

Kosher Salt

Parsley

Sweet & Spicy Hot Alaskan Umami Sauce

Directions
Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

With a brush, lightly coat Chicken Thighs with Olive Oil.

Season with Kosher Salt.

Liberally coat Chicken Thighs with Sweet & Spicy Hot Alaskan Umami Sauce.

Cook for 45 minutes turning over after 25 minutes.

Let Chicken Thighs rest for 5 minutes when you take them out of the oven.

Sprinkle some Parsley over the Chicken Thighs.

To order Sweet & Spicy Hot Alaskan Umami Sauce and for further information, please visit: www.alaskasweetandspicy.com

"Like" Sweet & Spicy "Alaskan Umami" Sauces and Dressings on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sweet-Spicy-Alaskan-Umami-Sauces-and-Dressings/111936958835102

Enjoy!

-Sophia/Two Frys

Friday, January 30, 2015

Buffalo Tom's Gourmet Hot Sauce

Buffalo Tom's Gourmet Hot Sauce

Chicken Legs with Buffalo Tom's Gourmet Hot Sauce
Based in Buffalo, NY Buffalo Tom's Gourmet Hot Sauce is the perfect accompaniment to your Chicken Wings and all Chicken dishes. This sauce is versatile enough to add as a topping to all your favorite foods. I used a generous amount on Chicken Legs I baked in the oven. The flavor profile is robust and bold and will make you say "Yeah Baby!" as written on the label. You will lick your fingers dry from the yumminess of this sauce! This is the perfect sauce if you want a medium hot heat level that is not overpowering but tastes amazing and will have you craving for more. It is really that great. This sauce is all about the flavor! Allen and I are big fans of Vinegar and Cayenne based sauces and Buffalo Tom's is made with all natural ingredients. The ingredients are: Cayenne Pepper Sauce (Aged Cayenne Red Peppers), Distilled Vinegar, Water, Salt, Garlic, Lemon Juice, Celery Salt, Garlic, Onion, Spices, Cayenne Pepper. See below for my quick and easy Chicken Legs with Buffalo Tom's Gourmet Hot Sauce.

Ingredients
Chicken Legs

Olive Oil

Kosher Salt

Buffalo Tom's Gourmet Hot Sauce

Parsley

Chicken Legs with yummy Buffalo Tom's Gourmet Hot Sauce
Directions
Heat the oven to 375 degrees.

Using a brush, coat the Chicken Legs with a little Olive Oil.

Season with Kosher Salt.

Coat the Chicken Legs with lots of Buffalo Tom's Gourmet Hot Sauce.

Cook for 40 minutes, turning Chicken Legs after 20 minutes.

Let Chicken Legs rest for 5 minutes after you take them out of the oven.

Top with chopped Parsley.

To order Buffalo Tom's Gourmet Hot Sauce and for further information, please visit: buffalotoms.com

"Like" Buffalo Tom's Gourmet Hot Sauce on Facebook: facebook.com/buffalotoms

Enjoy!

-Sophia/Two Frys

Al's Chupa Kabob-ra's with Chupacabra Rub

Al's Chupa Kabob-ra's with Chupacabra Rub

Al's Chup Kabob-ra's with Chupacabra Rub

San Antonio, Texas based 2 Gringo's (Alton & Bettie Paris) make a variety of Rubs (Season-All), Sauces, Salsas, Chips and even ready to eat Dried Sausage. Their motto "It's Chupalacious" is comical, yet true. I have been following the brand on Facebook for some time now and became very interested in their company. In seeing some of the great  food they make with Chupacabra from the recipes they post, I was very excited.

The Chupacabra Rub is real versatile when it came to both grilling and cooking with it in general. Chupacabra was first created to use in BBQ competitions and friends of the 2 Gringo's convinced them to make it for sale and available to the public. This they did and now Chupacabra Rub is available for both the home cook and also used by other BBQ teams and competitive cooks.

In the straight taste test I did, I was pleased with the flavors the rub provided. 2 Gringo's claim the rub is great for BBQ and Grilling and good on Steak, Briskets, Fajitas, Ribs, Chicken, Fish and Vegetables. I can vouch for this as the first dish I decided to make with 2 Gringo's Chupacabra Rub was my signature Shish Kabobs. The Rub performed excellent on my Kabobs of Steak and Vegetables. It was not too spicy, but loaded with flavor. My wife is a flavor fan but not an extreme heat fan and she enjoyed the wonderful flavors and mentioned it was just a little spicy. I cooked the Shish Kabobs with just a brushing of regular (non-infused or flavored) Olive Oil and a generous yet not thick coating of Chupacabra Rub. I did not add Salt and Pepper as I usually do as I wanted the true taste of the rub to shine through.

Al's Chup Kabob-ra's with Chupacabra Rub ready to be cooked
Ingredients
4 Bamboo Skewers

1 Yellow Bell Pepper

1 Green Bell Pepper

Yellow Sweet Cherry Tomatoes

Red Cherry Tomatoes

1/2 White Onion

Sirlion Steak

Pure Olive Oil

Directions
Simply cut all the Bell Peppers, Onion into chunks and Sirlion Steak to same size cubes or chunks.

Skewer all the Steak and Veggies with different items next to each other for better mix of flavors.

I made 4 hearty Kabobs but this can be doubled of course if you need to make more.

I cut my Veggies and Steak medium size as I cook on a Foreman Grill indoors.

Chupacabra Rub is a great addition to an urban cooks pantry (We live in NYC so we use electric grills and the oven broiler a lot) as well as a condiment for grilling outside.

Cook on Foreman Grill for 7 minutes and then rotate once so the sides cook evenly for another 3 to 4 minutes. Cooking times vary so keep an eye on your Kabobs. Cook until desired (medium or well). The Vegetables should be soft, but not overcooked. These Kabobs could also be made in your oven broiler or right on your BBQ Grill.

The results were fantastic. We love Chupacabra's flavors on the Steak and Vegetables. I even sprinkled a bit of Chupacabra on my side dish of Mashed Potatoes and it was really tasty as a straight season-all. If you want more flavor just sprinkle a bit more of the Chupacabra Rub after you grill while the Kabobs are moist so the rub will stick. I highly recommend Chupacabra Rub and it will become a staple in our blog pantry.

I tried Chupacabra Rub on various foods: Steak Kabobs, Chicken, Salads, Pickles, Avocados, French Fries, Tacos, and Hamburgers. This is a true season-all due to its versatility on just about anything as well as a great meat rub. My biggest fear is running out of this amazing pantry and BBQ item. Get Some...

Product ingredients are: Salt, Spices, MSG (an MSG Free version is also available), Garlic, Sugar, Brown Sugar, Chili Peppers, Bell Pepper, Butter Flavor, Lemon Powder, and more.

To order Chupacabra Rub and for further information, please visit: www.2Gringossalsa.com

"Like" 2 Gringo's on Facebook: www.facebook.com/ChupacabraRub

Allen/Two Frys

Thursday, January 29, 2015

Siam Square Thai Cuisine

Siam Square Thai Cuisine
Left-Allen's spicy soup Tom Yum Koong, right-(top) Chicken Satay and (bottom) Allen's Kanom Jeeb dumplings
Tonight we had dinner with family to celebrate our nephew's upcoming study abroad six-month trip to South America. We are so very proud of him! Allen and me have never eaten here and were looking forward to it. Siam Square has received excellent ratings from Zagat, and the restaurant is cozy and very well known in Riverdale. The food did not disappoint and we loved everything we ate. The cuisine is authentic Thai and you can adjust your food to have a little or lots of heat. We will surely return here and I grabbed the takeout menu on the way out.

For an appetizer, my brother ordered us all a large order of Satay, skewered chicken tenders marinated in Thai spices with peanut sauce and cucumber ajad on the side. I had one and it was yummy. The peanut sauce had a nice creamy texture and the cucumber ajad was refreshing.

Allen shared his appetizer Kanom Jeeb with his nephew. These are steamed Thai dumplings with ground pork and shrimp. They both loved it. Allen ordered Tom Yum Koong, a spicy soup with shrimp, mushrooms and onions seasoned with lemongrass and lime juice with a spicy shrimp broth. Allen loved the heat level and robust taste of the soup.

My Pad Preow Wham and Allen's spicy Drunken Chicken
For my main course, I stayed on the mild side and ordered Pad Preow Whan with beef and pineapples, cucumber, tomatoes and assorted vegetables in a Thai sweet and sour sauce. What I loved was the combination of all the ingredients and the beef was perfectly seasoned. The sauce was not too sweet either and had a perfect balance of flavor. It was served with steamed jasmine rice.

For Allen's main course, he ordered a spicy dish Drunken Chicken. It was minced chicken breast sauteed with string beans, sweet peppers in a spicy chili-basil sauce with jasmine rice. Allen loved the heat level and asked the waitress for some Thai Chili Sauce and we both ate some with our food.

I ordered a mild dish for my Mom Pad Kana, pork sauteed with broccoli, sweet peppers and garlic in a mild garlic sauce. She really liked it. Everyone enjoyed their dinner course. For dessert, I ordered Coconut Mousse for my Mom and we ended up sharing it. It was refreshing and very light and creamy. The fruit was a great pairing and nice way to end the meal.

It was great to have dinner time and great food with my family.

For further information, please visit the Siam Square Thai Cuisine site: www.siamsq.com

Siam Square Thai Cuisine
564 Kappock Street
Bronx, NY 10463
Tel: 718.432.8200

-Sophia/Two Frys

Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Spaghetti Squash

Spaghetti Squash

Spaghetti Squash
My wife and I wanted to make Spaghetti Squash for a long time. It is very simple to do and you can play around with different flavors and even make a sauce for the dish. We just kept it simple since the Squash has a great taste on its own and had ours with Chicken on the side. The color of Winter Squash can range from a light yellow, to bright yellow or orange. The taste is great and not as sweet as Butternut Squash, but a little like Acorn Squash and it really looks like Spaghetti.

Close-up of Spaghetti Squash right out the oven

Ingredients
1 Spaghetti Squash

1 tablespoon Olive Oil + 1/2 teaspoon at the end

Kosher Salt

Cracked Black Pepper

Spaghetti Squash out of the oven

Directions
Heat the oven to 375 degrees.

Trim off top and bottom of Squash.

Cut lengthwise through Squash (in half).

Using a spoon, gently scoop out all seeds and the pulp in center.

Brush with Olive Oil, and season with Salt and Pepper to your liking.

Line a sheet tray with parchment paper and place Squash skin side up.

Cook for 35 to 45 minutes depending on the size of the Squash.

Remove and let cool for 2 to 3 minutes.

Scrape the flesh with a fork to make long strands.

To remove all the strands down to the skin sprinkle a little more Olive Oil, and season with a little more Salt and Pepper.

You can eat it just like this with your favorite Meat and/or Veggies or make a Garlic Sauce with minced Garlic, Butter and Olive Oil and/or sprinkle a little Grated Parmesan Cheese over it.

-Allen/Two Frys

Friday, January 16, 2015

Red Velvet Cake

Red Velvet Cake

Red Velvet Cake with White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
I love Red Velvet Cake and have baked this recipe with different frosting over the last few years. The original recipe from Redbook is Red Velvet Snowball Cake. This year, I made Red Velvet Cake omitting the coconut since I consumed lots of coconut the last few months. I used the White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting in the recipe. The frosting is sublime with a tangy taste from the cream cheese and is perfectly balanced with white chocolate. It is a creamy and rich frosting and I love it. This Red Velvet Cake has the perfect texture. It is moist and has that signature Red Velvet taste from the buttermilk and white distilled vinegar. To celebrate the New Year, I baked two Red Velvet Cakes, one for work and the other for Allen and me. If you love Red Velvet Cake, please give this recipe a go!

Cake Ingredients
2 ½ cups Cake Flour (not self-rising)

¼ cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

1 ounce Grated Semisweet Chocolate

1 teaspoon Baking Powder

½ teaspoon Kosher Salt

1 tablespoon Pure Vanilla Extract

1 cup Buttermilk

1 ounce (1 bottle) Red Food Coloring

2 teaspoons Distilled White Vinegar

1 teaspoon Baking Soda

½ cup (1 stick) Unsalted Butter, softened

1 ½ cups Granulated Sugar

2 Extra Large Eggs

My slice of Red Velvet Cake 

Directions
Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease 2 9-inch round cake pans with baking spray. Line pans with parchment paper and spray with more baking spray. Dust with cocoa powder and tap out excess.

Grate Chocolate.

In a medium size bowl, combine with a whisk flour, cocoa powder, grated chocolate, baking powder and salt. Put aside.

Place 2 paper towels under the measuring cup to prevent red color from staining your counter top. Using a 2-cup measuring cup such as Pyrex, stir together buttermilk, food coloring, vinegar, vanilla extract and baking soda.

Using a handheld or stand mixer with paddle attachment, in a large bowl beat butter and sugar on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.

Beat in eggs one at a time until well incorporated.

Reduce mixer speed to medium-low, and slowly beat in flour mixture alternating with the buttermilk mixture until incorporated.

Pour batter into prepared pans. Tap on counter to get rid of bubbles.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool in pans for 15 minutes.

Run knife around the edge of the pans and invert onto wire rack. Remove parchment paper and carefully flip cake right side up. Cool completely, about 1 hour.

Red Velvet Cake

White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
4 ounces (½ cup) White Chocolate, roughly chopped

¼ cup Heavy Cream

2 packages (8 ounces each) Cream Cheese, softened (I used Philadelphia)

½ cup Unsalted Butter, softened

1 tablespoon Pure Vanilla Extract

2 ½ cups Confectioners' Sugar

Directions
In a small microwave safe bowl, place white chocolate and cream. Microwave on high for 15 to 30 seconds; whisk until smooth. Let stand for 3 minutes; cover with plastic wrap and chill in fridge.

Using a handheld or stand mixer with paddle attachment, in a large bowl beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla extract on medium-high speed, until light and fluffy; about 2 to 3 minutes.

Beat in cooled white chocolate mixture until blended; about 1 minute.

With mixer on low speed, slowly add confectioners' sugar in batches and beat until combined.

Increase speed to medium-high and beat until fluffy; about 1 to 2 minutes.

Add a dollop of frosting on cake turntable or platter to prevent cake from moving as you frost it. Place the first layer top down and with an offset spatula frost top. Place second layer with the top facing up; frost the top and then the sides of the cake. Add red sugar sprinkles around the edge of the cake and snowflake sprinkles on the top and around the sides of the cake if you wish.

Visit Redbook for the Red Velvet Snowball Cake recipe:

For my Red Velvet Snowball Cake, please see the following Two Frys posts:

Enjoy!

-Sophia/Two Frys

Thursday, January 15, 2015

Trifecta Original Barbecue Sauce

Trifecta Original Barbecue Sauce

Chicken Wings with Trifecta Original Barbecue Sauce
Louisville, KY based Trifecta Gourmet Sauces Original Barbecue Sauce is a true gem of a sauce. I made chicken wings with this sauce and my yummy potato salad on New Year's Day. Wings and potato salad are two of my favorite foods to eat any day of the year. Allen was very sick with bronchitis and I thought this dinner would cheer him up. It was summer on a plate in the midst of freezing weather and the wings and potato salad made us both very happy. Trifecta does not disappoint and the tangy, sweet Kentucky style sauce is one of the best I have tasted.

Yummy Chicken Wings with Trifecta Original Barbecue Sauce
Trifecta Barbecue Sauce has no heat, but the taste is robust, full of flavor and great with chicken. The combination of tangy and sweet is perfectly balanced. The ingredients are: brown sugar, tomato puree, vinegar, white sugar, red onions, salt (less than 2%), jalapeño peppers, hot pepper sauce (from aged hot red peppers, vinegar and salt), lemon juice, garlic powder, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, natural mesquite smoke flavor, onion powder, etc… This sauce is gluten free and features all natural ingredients.

Close-up of Chicken Wings
To make Trifecta Chicken Wings, heat the oven to 375 degrees. Take a sheet tray and line it with parchment paper. Coat chicken wings lightly with canola or vegetable oil and season with kosher salt. With a brush, coat the wings on both sides with Trifecta. Be sure to cover the wings entirely (the more sauce the better). Cook for 40 minutes, flipping after 20 minutes.

We finished an entire bottle in one week. It is that good! The bottle says Kentucky Perfection and I agree. If you are a BBQ Sauce aficionado, you should give Trifecta Gourmet Sauces a try.

To order Trifecta Gourmet Sauces and for further information, please visit:

"Like" Trifecta Gourmet Sauces on Facebook:

-Sophia/Two Frys