Food Wishes Video Recipes (2024)

There’s no way to prove that corporate pizza chainrestaurants got the idea for stuffing their crusts with cheese from Khachapuri,but that’s definitely the story I’m going with.

Nevertheless, this Georgiancheese bread is such an amazing treat, it’s probably only a matter of timebefore these things are being delivered all over the country, right along sidethe usual pizza, garlic knots, and chicken wings.

Besides working with the wet, sticky dough, the only realchallenge here is not over cooking your eggs. In fact, I have it on goodauthority that some folks don’t even place these back in the oven after theeggs are introduced, but rather just stir the raw egg into the molten hot,cheesy center, and “cook” it that way. That’s up to you, but the point is, wewant…we need, a runny yolk here. Anyway, since you can’t get this deliveredquite yet, I really do hope you give these gorgeous Khachapuri a try soon.Enjoy!

Ingredients for 2 Khachapuri:

For the dough:

1/2 cup warm milk

1/3 cup warm water

1 package dry active yeast (2 teaspoons)

1 1/2 teaspoons sugar

2 teaspoons olive oil

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus about 1/4 to 1/2 cup extra forfinal kneading

1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (3/4 teaspoon fine salt)

For the cheese blend:

4 ounces mozzarella cheese

4 ounces Monterey Jack cheese

8 ounces feta cheese

For the rest:

1 tablespoon butter, cut in 4 slices

2 large eggs

sea salt for the top

cayenne, optional

- Bake at 475 F. for 15 minutes, fill with egg, and bakeanother 3 or 4 minutes, until the egg is almost, but not quite set.

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This Cuban braised beef dish literally translates to, “oldclothes,” because apparently some people thought it looked like old, tatteredclothing, but as I touched on in the video’s intro, don’t make this because ofthe cool name. Make this because it’s one of the most delicious dishes ever,and will most definitely spark joy.

Of course, you have to be into big, bold flavors, sincethere’s nothing subtle about the seasoning here. Above and beyond a warning,that also should serve as a reminder to adjust the amounts below to match yourpersonal preferences. Compared to some recipes, my version is actually fairlysubdued.

Ingredients for 6 portions:

1 flank steak (about 1 1/2 to 2 pounds)

2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

cayenne to taste

2 tablespoon olive oil

1 large red onion, sliced

4 cloves garlic, sliced

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons paprika

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

1/8 teaspoon ground allspice

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 cup white wine

1 1/2 cups tomato sauce, or finely crushed tomatoes

1 1/2 cup chicken broth

2 bay leaves

2 or 3 bell peppers, sliced (I also used a poblano chili)

2 tablespoons capers, drained

1 cup pimento stuffed green olives, sliced

1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

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If you have a bunch of cold, leftover rice around, youshould probably just use the classic method, but if you don’t, this easy ovenmethod for making fried rice will not only produce something very similar intaste, but the texture of your rice comes out perfectly every time.

That’s because we’re using the same method as we do for rice pilaf, where the grains of rice get coated in fat before absorbing the cookingliquid. This ensures plump, tender, separate grains, and never sticky clumps ofrice. By the way, this technique will work no matter what you include in yourmixture, as long as you’re using long-grain rice, and cooking it in a similarlysized pan.

Ingredients for 4 large portions:

(I used a 11.5” x 8” x 2.5” pan, but your standard 9” x 12”casserole dish will work the same)

2 cups white long grain rice

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 tablespoon sesame oil (mine was mild, so you may need toadjust this down)

optional 1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt, depending on the saltinessof your broth and ham.

3 cloves crushed garlic

1/2 cup sliced green onions

1/2 cup diced peppers

1/2 cup diced carrots

1/2 cup green peas

3 cups boiling hot chicken broth

3 tablespoons soy sauce

2 teaspoons chili paste, optional

- Bake at 400 F. for 32 minutes, and let rest for 10 minutesbefore unwrapping and fluffing.

- To brown the top, place in a 475 F. oven for 7 to 10minutes, or under the broiler for a few minutes until the surface is nice andcrusty.

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I’ve wanted to do another “one-pan” pasta video, where wecook everything right in the sauce, like we did in our famous Orecchiette with Sausage and Arugula recipe, but then I happened to see someone eating mac andcheese on TV, and those plans changed.

I decided to adapt the same approach, and see what wouldhappen if I cooked the macaroni right in the milk, before making the cheesesauce, and what happened was something just as creamy, cheesy, and delicious asrecipes using more traditional techniques. Besides loving the taste, andtexture, the whole procedure only took a few minutes longer than the boxedstuff; not to mention we avoided about a dozen ingredients we probablyshouldn’t be eating.

This is a simple procedure, but there are a couple things tokeep in mind. Be sure to turn your heat off as soon as the cheese has melted,or almost melted in. If you continue to cook the cheese it will separate andget grainy. Also, please buy high-quality cheddar, and grate it yourself. Pre-gratedcheeses are of lower quality, and the shreds are coated in a cellulose powerthat can give the final product an odd texture.

Thanks to being a little arrogant, and a lot delusional, Iassumed I had stumbled on to some new, game-changing recipe here, only to findout that literally thousands of people had discovered this great trick way beforeme. Which is fine, since deep down I know I could’ve invented it, but simplydidn’t need to. Regardless of who gets the credit, or which high-trafficYouTube chef eventually claims to have invented it, the technique works quite well,as so I really do hope you give it a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 2 portions:

2 cups whole milk

1 teaspoon kosher salt (1/2 teaspoon fine salt), plus more totaste

pinch of cayenne

pinch of dried mustard, optional (I didn’t add, but manypeople do)

very small pinch of nutmeg
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 cup small elbow macaroni

2 packed cups freshly grated cheddar cheese (about 6 to 8ounce by weight)

For the panko topping:

1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs

2 tablespoons butter

- Cook crumbs in the butter over medium heat until goldenbrown.

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One of my earliest “exotic” food experiences was eatingpotato knishes with my Dad when we’d visit Coney Island. There were the squarevariety, and we’d buy them from a hot dog cart, and since potatoes were myfavorite food growing up, I was in heaven. I mean, mashed potatoes in a warm,flaky pastry? I’ll have two, please.

Back then they were still made with copious amounts ofchicken fat, also know as “schmaltz,” which was the real secret behind theirawesomeness, but you can make a perfectly fine version without that, especiallyif you have some leftover corned beef around. Regardless of how you fill these,the technique seen herein will work, and half the fun is trying new versions. Aslong as the base is mashed potato, spiked with onions fried in lots of fat,anything goes.

Ingredients for 16 Knishes:

(Please Note: I only used half the dough in the video, andonly made enough filling for 8 knishes, but the following ingredients will make16 total)

For the dough:

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more as needed

1 teaspoon kosher salt (or 1/2 teaspoon fine salt)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 large egg, beaten

1 teaspoon white vinegar

1/2 cup canola oil

1/2 cup warm water

For the filling (might make extra):

2 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled, quartered, and boiledin salted water until tender

1/2 cup melted butter, and/or rendered chicken fat

2 cups diced yellow onion

2 teaspoons kosher salt (or 1 teaspoon fine salt), plus moreto taste

freshly ground black pepper and cayenne to taste

8 ounces diced corned beef

1 cup finely chopped cooked cabbage

- Bake at 375 F. for about 40 minutes, or until golden-brown

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Every year I try to post at least one Irish recipe, and thistime around I decided to do something a little out of the ordinary, and try myhand at Barmbrack. I love corned beef and cabbage as much as the next guy, butyou can only film it so many different ways. Anyway, the thought of a nice,moist, dense, fruity tea cake for breakfast, with a cup of hot, black tea,sounded just about perfect, and so I started researching this ancient loaf…andresearching…and researching, until I had seen and read so many recipes that Ididn’t know which direction to go.

There are a huge variety of styles, from light, yeast-raised versions, to super-dense ones, similar to the often-maligned holidayfruitcake. So, I decided to just wing it, and use the force, which usually worksout well, but this time, not so much. This is traditionally a Halloween treat,and my experience was equal parts trick and treat.

I’m hearing from my Irish friends on YouTube that I shouldhave probably used baking soda, plus more tea to get a little more rise. Theyalso say that using half wholegrain flour will inhibit the verticality as well.Notwithstanding my results, at the very least, I’ve hopefully made some of youaware of barmbrack, and maybe you’ll give it a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for one 9” x 5” loaf pan:

2 cups warm black tea

1⁄2 cup golden raisins

1⁄2 cup dried cherries

1/4 cup dried currants

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup whole grain flour (I’m told this makes the loaf a lotheavier, so maybe use all regular flour)

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder (I’m told I should’ve probablyadded a teaspoon of baking soda)

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1⁄2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ginger

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1⁄4 cup light brown sugar

1 large egg

1⁄4 cup milk

2 tablespoons reserved black tea

1 tablespoon Irish whiskey or any whiskey

1 tablespoon lemon zest

1 tablespoon orange zest

1/4 teaspoon vanilla
6 tablespoons melted butter

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Sorry for the late upload, but I had some mysterious modemissues, and this German potato dumpling video took over 5 hours to upload! Iwas having flashbacks to those good, old dial-up AOL days, and they weren’t goodflashbacks. I do miss that cool modem sound, but that's about it.

Anyway, it’s late, but I wanted to post theingredient amounts, and maybe I'll add some more info tomorrow, although these areso basic that’s probably not necessary. The only tip I’ll give is that Ithink baking the potatoes works better than boiling them whole. Peeling, quartering,and boiling until tender will also work, but don’t overcook them, otherwisethey'll absorb too much water.

Ingredients for 8 to 10 German Potato Dumplings:

2 large russet potatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds)

salt, freshly ground black pepper, and cayenne to taste

pinch of nutmeg

2 large eggs

1 cup flour

fresh chives to garnish

For the croutons/crumbs

1 stick unsalted butter (1/2 cup)

2 cups fresh bread cubes

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The fact that Kouign-Amann (Pronounced “Queen-a-mahn”) havebecome a popular item in bakeries across America is quite a tribute to just howincredible they really are, since to stock something that no one can spell or pronounceis generally considered a retail sales no-no. As you may know, I pride myselfon mispronouncing things, but even I don’t like to be corrected by asalesperson, and their judgmental, I can’t believe you just said “kooeegan-aman”look.

Yet, despite the difficult name, they’ve thrived for thevery simple reason that this is one of the world’s great pastries. Maybe thegreatest. I guess that depends on who you talk to, but the irresistiblecombination of sweet, salty, sticky, buttery, crispy, flaky, and tender, ishard to beat.

I guess you could just buy some frozen puff pasty, orcroissant dough, and skip to the last step, but unlike many of those, the basehere is a fairly lean bread dough, which I think is one of the secrets. Aricher milk-based dough, which already contains lots of butter and sugar, won’tnecessarily provide the same contrast.

Part of me hopes you have a bakery that does these nearby,so you can easily taste them for yourself, but another part of me hopes youdon’t, so you’ll try to make them. Either way, you’re in for a huge treat.Enjoy!

Ingredients for 12 Kouign-Amann:

For the dough:

1 cup warm water

1 teaspoon dry active yeast

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon melted unsalted butter

2 1/2 cups bread flour, plus more as needed

1 teaspoon kosher salt

For the seasoned sugar (mix, taste, and adjust):

2/3 cup white sugar

2 teaspoons of sea salt or kosher salt (less if you’re usinga fine table salt)

For the rest:

8 ounces ice cold unsalted butter (2 sticks) for the pastry

1 tablespoon melted butter for the muffin pan

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As I may have mentioned on Twitter several times, Micheleand I have both been sick all week, so please pardon the lateness, and brevityof this post. The good news is this Greek-style baked beans recipe is verysimple, and there’s not a lot of extra info I need to pass along.

One thing I will mention is that while these are baking, besure to peek once in a while to see if you need to add more liquid. You canbake covered, but then you don’t get the crustification on top, so I prefer tobake uncovered, and stir in a splash of water, or two, if it looks like it’sgetting too dry.

If you can find gigante beans, they really are the best, butConona beans also work great, as will any other large dried bean. Just be sureto soak them properly, and simmer them until tender before proceeding to thebaking step. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m climbing into my big, fat bed.Enjoy!

Ingredients for 12 portions:

1 pound dried Gigante, Conona, Lima, or other large dried bean (soakedovernight)

3 quarts cold fresh water to boil in

2 bay leaves

1 large red onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, sliced

2 cups tomato sauce or finely chopped fresh tomato

2 tablespoons tomato paste

3 tablespoons clover honey

1/2 cup chopped fresh dill, plus more for the top

1 tablespoon kosher salt (2 teaspoon if using fine tablesalt)

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

cayenne to taste

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

2 cups water, plus more as needed while baking
4 ounces feta cheese for the top

- Bake at 350 F. until beans are soft

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