Mojito

10 mint leaves muddled
1 oz simple syrup
2-4 lime wedges
crushed ice
2 oz light rum
splash of club soda

Unagi Roll (Broiled fresh water Eel)

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8 ounces sushi rice
Sushi Su seasoning, recipe follows
1 full sheet nori (roasted seaweed)
1-ounce cucumber, julienned
1/2-ounce Kaiware (daikon sprouts), juilienne
4 ounces Unagi (broiled fresh water eel)
1 pinch sesame seeds
1 ounce Unagi Glaze, recipe follows
Gari (pickled ginger), to taste
Wasabi (Japanese horseradish), to taste
Soy Sauce, to taste
Special Equipment: Makisu (bamboo rolling mat)

To cook the sushi rice – wash rice well, drain and let stand for 30 minutes in colander. When cooking rice, for 1 cup of rice add just a little less than 1 cup water in a rice cooker. 45 minutes after rice has been started, remove into a big mixing bowl (plastic or wood is best, metal is also OK) to speed the cooling process. Add 1-ounce of sushi su seasoning and mix well into rice. Let stand to cool. Periodically turn your rice to cool evenly. Do this for about 20 to 30 minutes, then cover.
Place a full sheet of nori (rough side up), on the bamboo rolling mat. Cover the whole sheet except for about 7/8-inch at far end with rice, pressing rice with damp hands into an even layer. Sprinkle sesame seeds on rice from left to right. Place bands of Unagi, cucumber, and kaiware sprouts across leading edge of nori. Roll closest edge to you, up and away from you, very carefully tuck in the roll and continue until you reach the bare end, to seal your roll. Make sure when rolling all ingredients are tightly secured, this will help to keep ingredients intact when cutting. Compress the roll with the bamboo mat. You may shape your roll making it slightly oval or squared off. To serve, slice into 12 even slices. Place Unagi glaze on plate or serve as side dish. Fan out sushi on plate, garnish with pickled ginger and wasabi. Serve with soy sauce.

Sushi hints: Nori has 2 sides, 1 rough and 1 smooth and shiny. The rough side holds the rice better and the smooth side is more presentable on the outside. Also, water is your best friend when making sushi. Keep you hands wet when handling rice so the rice will not stick to your hands. This is important when slicing or cutting sushi rolls, keep your knife wet at all times so the knife can glide through the rice.

Sushi Su seasoning:
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon salt
1 cup rice vinegar
1- ounce sea kelp
Combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Cook just until sugar completely dissolves. Remove from the heat and cool completely.
Unagi Glaze:
4 ounces sake
4 ounces mirin
1-ounce sugar
1-ounce water
1/2-ounce soy sauce
Combine all ingredients and set aside.
This recipe was provided by professional chefs and has been scaled down from a bulk recipe provided by a restaurant. The Food Network Kitchens chefs have not tested this recipe, in the proportions indicated, and therefore, we cannot make any representation as to the results.

Lime Souffle

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2 to 3 tablespoons softened butter
Sugar, for sprinkling ramekins
7 tablespoons melted butter
1/3 cup sugar plus 2 tablespoons
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 cup warm milk
4 eggs, separated, plus 2 egg whites
1 tablespoon grated lime zest
1 tablespoon lime juice
Kosher salt
Toasted coconut, for garnish
Confectioners' sugar, for garnish
Lime slices, for garnish
Special equipment: 4 coconuts or 6 (1-cup) ramekins

For an impressive presentation, use coconut halves instead of ramekins for this recipe. To prep the coconuts, first drain the milk by using a corkscrew. Once drained, bake the coconuts in a 400 degree F oven for 10 to 15 minutes. Use a hammer to crack open coconuts to create halves. Create 4 foil rings and place them under the coconut shells for support.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Rub the inside of the ramekins or coconut shells with softened butter. Sprinkle granulated sugar into the molds, and twist so the sugar crystals coat the inside of the ramekins or coconut shells. Shake out any excess sugar.

In a saucepan, combine the melted butter, 1/3 cup sugar, the flour and cornstarch. Slowly whisk the warm milk into the mixture. Bring to a boil, and reduce to low heat, stirring constantly, simmer until thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. Slowly whisk the thickened mixture into the egg yolks a little at a time to temper them. Cover and allow to cool to room temperature. Stir in lime zest and juice.


In a large bowl, beat the 6 egg whites, remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and a pinch of salt at high speed with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Gently fold the whipped whites into the cooled egg mixture.

Divide the souffle batter among the ramekins or coconut shells. If using the coconut shells, use your finger to clear the inside of the coconut rims, giving space for the souffle to rise. Bake until puffed and lightly browned, about 35 to 40 minutes.

Top with toasted coconut, sprinkle with confectioners' sugar and garnish each a slice of lime. Serve immediately.

Coconut Shrimp with Orange Marmalade

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2 cups shredded sweetened coconut
2 cups bread crumbs
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups all-purpose flour
4 large eggs, beaten
24 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
Vegetable oil, for frying
Dipping Sauce:
1/2 cup orange marmalade
1 to 2 tablespoons dark rum

In a large bowl, combine coconut and bread crumbs and season with salt and pepper. Place flour, eggs, and bread crumb mixture into 3 separate bowls. Dredge the shrimp in flour and shake off excess. Next, dip the shrimp thoroughly in the egg and rub against the side of the bowl to lightly remove excess. Finally, coat the shrimp thoroughly with the bread crumb mixture. Lay out the shrimp so they do not touch on a parchment-lined baking sheet or platter until ready to fry. In a large Dutch oven, heat several inches of oil to 350 degrees F. Fry the shrimp in batches until golden brown and cooked through, about 3 to 4 minutes per batch. Be careful not to overcrowd shrimp in the oil while frying. Drain on paper towels.
For the Dipping Sauce: heat the marmalade in a small saucepan over low heat. Thin with rum as desired.

Panna Cotta with Caramel Sauce

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_30757,00.html

Super easy, elegant dessert. Do this at least a few hours ahead of time so that the panna cotta has time to set and to take away last-minute stress. Only thing that has to be done near the time of serving is the caramel sauce because you want the contrast of the warm sauce against the cold panna cotta.

1 cup confectioners' sugar
3 cups half-and-half
1 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/3 cup hot water
2 (1/4-ounce) packets unflavored powdered gelatin
Orange Caramel Sauce, recipe follows
Combine sugar and 1 cup of half-and-half in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, whisking until combined. Add remaining half-and-half, heavy cream, and vanilla and cook for 3 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together hot water and gelatin, whisking until gelatin dissolves. Whisk gelatin mixture into half-and-half mixture until thoroughly combined.
Remove from the heat and pour into ramekins or cupcake tins and chill for at least 2 hours or overnight until set.

Remove panna cotta from refrigerator. Dip the bottoms of the ramekins or cupcake tin into a warm water bath for about 15 seconds. Turn out the panna cotta forms onto serving plates. Top with Orange Caramel Sauce and let run down sides. Serve while sauce is still warm.

Orange Caramel Sauce:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1 small navel orange zested and juiced
1 whole star anise
Melt the butter and brown sugar together in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the orange juice and star anise and simmer until smooth and thick, about 5 minutes. Stir in the orange zest and remove from heat.

Curried Chicken Salad in Lettuce Cups

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_30311,00.html

4 whole chicken thighs
1 lemon, quartered
1/2 bunch cilantro leaves, chopped
1/2 bunch cilantro stems
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 scallions, thinly sliced
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
3/4 cup halved seedless red grapes
Butter lettuce leaves, for serving
Put the chicken thighs, lemon, cilantro leaves and stems into a skillet or saucepan. Fill with water just to cover the chicken and season generously with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce the heat to maintain a very gentle simmer. Cook until the chicken is tender and falling from the bones, about 40 to 45 minutes.
Remove the chicken from the poaching liquid and allow to cool. When cool, remove the skin and strip the meat from the bones, discarding the skin and bones. Reserve the meat.

In a bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, curry, honey, and lemon juice. Stir in the scallions, celery, and grapes until combined. Add the cooled chicken meat and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Serve heaping portions of the salad in butter lettuce leaves.

Orange Segments with Berries and Balsamic Cream

4 navel oranges
3/4 cup inexpensive balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup creme fraiche
1 teaspoon sugar
12 ounces fresh strawberries, quartered
Cut the peel and white pith from the oranges. Cut between the membranes to release the segments.
Whisk the vinegar, creme fraiche, and sugar in a heavy small saucepan over medium-high heat until it thickens and resembles a sauce, about 8 minutes.

Arrange the orange segments and strawberries decoratively on plates. Drizzle the warm balsamic sauce over the fruit and serve. Alternately, the balsamic sauce can be served at room temperature and spooned atop the fruit. This is great served with frozen yogurt or ice cream.

Anytime Vegetable Salad

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_30749,00.html

2 cups shelled edamame soy beans
8 ounces thin green beans, trimmed
8 ounces yellow wax beans, trimmed
1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons chopped fresh basil or tarragon leaves
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cook the edamame in a large pot of boiling water until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Drain. Rinse with cold water, then drain well and pat dry. Repeat with the green beans and yellow beans. Combine the vegetables in a bowl.
Add the vinegar, oil, herbs, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 3/4 teaspoon pepper to a glass screw-top jar. Seal the jar and shake vigorously to mix the vinaigrette.

When you're ready to serve, shake the jar again to re-mix the vinaigrette and pour it over the vegetables. Season with more salt and pepper, if desired.

Alternate Method: Whisk the vinegar, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 3/4 teaspoon of pepper in a large bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in the oil. Add all of the beans, tomatoes, basil, and thyme, and toss to coat. Season the salad, to taste, with more salt and pepper, and serve.

Parmesan-Crusted Pork Chops

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2 large eggs
1 cup dried Italian-style bread crumbs
3/4 cups freshly grated Parmesan
4 (1/2 to 3/4-inch thick) center-cut pork loin chops (each about 10 to 12 ounces)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 tablespoons olive oil
Lemon wedges, for serving
Whisk the eggs in a pie plate to blend. Place the bread crumbs in another pie plate. Place the cheese in a third pie plate. Sprinkle the pork chops generously with salt and pepper. Coat the chops completely with the cheese, patting to adhere. Dip the chops into the eggs, then coat completely with the bread crumbs, patting to adhere.
Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a very large skillet over medium heat. Add pork chops, in batches if necessary, and cook until golden brown and the center reaches 150 degrees, about 6 minutes per side. Transfer the chops to plates and serve with lemon wedges.

Creamy Red Pepper Soup

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4 tablespoons olive oil
2 onions, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
6 cups chicken broth
2 (12-ounce) jars roasted red bell peppers preserved in water, drained
1 russet potato, peeled and coarsely chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon sugar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
16 (3/4-inch thick) baguette slices, cut into 1/2 to 3/4-inch cubes
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions, carrots, garlic, and thyme and saute until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the broth, bell peppers, potato, wine, and sugar. Bring to a simmer over high heat. Decrease the heat to medium-low. Partially cover and simmer until the potatoes are very tender, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes. Cool the soup slightly.
Using an immersion hand blender, puree the soup in the pot until it is smooth. Alternately, working in batches, puree the soup in a regular blender, taking care while blending warm liquids. Season the soup, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the bread cubes and saute until they are crisp and golden, about 8 minutes.

Ladle the soup into bowls. Dollop a tablespoon of mascarpone in the center of each bowl and top with croutons. Sprinkle with pepper and serve.

Cafe Con Leche Shake

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_32138,00.html

3/4 cup strongly brewed espresso
3 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk
1 cup whole milk
1/4 cup coffee liqueur (recommended: Kahlua)
1 pint coffee ice cream
Freshly whipped cream, for garnish
Chocolate covered espresso beans, for garnish
Chocolate shavings, for garnish
Place espresso, sweetened condensed milk, whole milk, coffee liqueur, and ice cream in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into 2 tall glasses and top with a dollop of whipped cream, a few chocolate covered espresso beans, and chocolate shavings.

Black Beans and Rice with Cilantro Pesto

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_28545,00.html

1 pound black beans, picked over, soaked overnight and drained

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 Spanish onion, finely chopped

2 cups long grain rice

Salt and freshly ground pepper

2 cups chopped cilantro leaves, plus 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, for garnish

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 tablespoon pine nuts

3/4 cup pure olive oil

1/2 cup grated cotija cheese

Place soaked beans in a medium saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until cooked through, about 1 1/2 hours, adding more water if needed. Drain beans into a colander set over a bowl and reserve the cooking liquid from the beans.


Heat oil in a medium saucepan on the grates of the grill. Add the onions and cook until soft. Add the rice, toss to coat in the oil and onion mixture, and cook for 2 minutes. Add 3 3/4 cups of the bean cooking liquid (if there is not enough liquid, add some water to measure 3 3/4 cups). Season the rice with salt and pepper, stir well, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, place cover on the pot, and cook until rice is just cooked through, about 14 to 16 minutes.



While the rice is cooking, place cilantro, garlic and pine nuts in a food processor and process until coarsely chopped. With the motor running, add the oil and process until smooth. Add the cheese and process until incorporated. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.



Place rice and beans in a large bowl, fold in the cilantro pesto, and garnish with the additional chopped cilantro.

Cuba Libre

from
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_28547,00.html

2 cups dark rum
1/2 cup fresh lime juice

8 cups very cold cola (recommended: Coca-Cola)

Ice cubes, for serving

8 lime wedges, for garnish



Mix rum, lime juice, and cola together in a pitcher. Pour over ice into tall glasses and garnish with lime wedge.