Michael Jackson – This Is It – Directed by Spike Lee from 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks on Vimeo.

The editors over at Rolling Stone have released their list of the “25 Best Songs of 2009″ and I must say, I have no idea who half of these artists are and some of the ones I do, I have never even heard the song!  So I must ask, what do YOU think about this list?  Who is missing off of it?  With all of her popularity, I’m suprised Tayor Swift didn’t make the list.

1 | U2 — “Moment of Surrender”
2 | Jay-Z feat. Alicia Keys — “Empire State of Mind”
3 | Bruce Springsteen — “Outlaw Pete”
4 | Miley Cyrus — “Party in the USA”
5 | Phoenix — “1901″
6 | Pearl Jam — “The Fixer”
7 | Dirty Projectors — “Stillness is the Move”
8 | The Big Pink — “Dominoes”
9 | Yeah Yeah Yeahs — “Zero”
10 | Lady Gaga — “Bad Romance”
11 | Avett Brothers — “I and Love and You”
12 | Wilco — “Wilco (The Song)”
13 | Animal Collective — “My Girls”
14 | Black Eyed Peas — “Boom Boom Pow”
15 | Kid Cudi — “Day and Night (Crookers Remix)”
16 | Franz Ferdinand — “Ulysses”
17 | Drake — “Successful”
18 | Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band — “Slowly (Oh So Slowly)”
19 | Miranda Lambert — “White Liar”
20 | Miike Snow — “Animal”
21 | Bat For Lashes — “Daniel”
22 | Peter, Bjorn and John — “Nothing to Worry About”
23 | Dawes — “That Western Skyline”
24 | Girls — “Hellhole Ratrace”
25 | La Roux — “Bulletproof”

Post a comment below with your thoughts!

Recently I’ve had several calls on “how to cook” a piece of tenderloin of beef. “I need a quick recipe and what can I do with the left over’s”?!  Although there are several quick recipes to sputter out, the most important one is to cook beef tenderloin properly. Then you can also stuff it, tie it, add a sauce, and roll it in a concoction you created for a crust to top it & roast it in and baste it while it cooks. Tenderloin of beef is as good as a perfectly cooked rib roast for this time of year. It’s also a family tradition in some households to create a menu that is built around a great piece of meat!

If you’re not good with the professional’s guide of touching the meat to see if its “done” to your likening, use a thermometer for accuracy, it’s that simple. Starting at room temperature is helpful when roasting a piece of  meat and please note: when you remove it from the oven after cooking your selection, its best to remove it to another pan, loosely wrap it in foil and understand the internal  temperature of the meat will rise about 5-10 degrees F as the meat rest. It’s best to wait & carve it after about 12-15 minutes (depending on the size and selection) once you remove it from the oven, otherwise the natural juices (flavor) will run off when you slice it. So the recipe I gave out was for Peppercorn Crusted Beef Tenderloin:

Ingredients:

• A – 2 ½ # piece of meat (cleaned and trim by the local butcher) with serve 8 people with the right side dishes.
• 1 T. olive oil
• ¼ cup tri-color peppercorns cracked/smashed
• 1 t. sea salt
• 1 cup thin sliced sweet onion
• 1 T minced garlic
• 1 T chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 cup cabernet – red wine

Directions:

1. Rub the beef with the olive oil then roll or pat the peppercorns into the beef. Season with the salt.
2. Roast in preheated 425 degree F oven until the internal temperature reaches 135 degree F. About 35 minutes, (if you sear it on the stove in a pan first, it reduces your cooking time & seals in the flavor).
3. Remove from the oven, then from the pan you roasted it in and loosely wrap it in foil.
4. Heat your roasting pan on the stove on medium heat and add the onions and cook until translucent, then add the garlic and cook both until golden brown. Be careful not to over season, you should have some remnants of the peppercorns in the pan.
5. Add the rosemary and cook for 1 min then add the wine and stir with a wooden spoon to loosen the flavorings in your pan. Bring to a boil then reduce to simmer for about 5 minutes.
6. Slice the Tenderloin against the grain in medallions and serve your red wine onion sauce on the side.

Last week we had the bruschetta appetizer as a featured recipe. If you thinly slice the meat and place it on your Crostini then top with the diced tomato mix, you have another great recipe to add to your repertoire

ciao, Bernard

Take action to make something basic, yet creative, for the holiday get together. A student recently asks for some guidance on what to make for a Holiday party. I first inquired what type of group would be attending, the time, beverage selection available and her skill level in the kitchen. These are some basic considerations when you are requested to bring something to a get together this Holiday season. Sometimes digging into your recipe repertoire doesn’t always fit the scene; you want to impress your friends or co-workers and the prepackaged dip doesn’t work. So the key is to think fresh, what can be made ahead and doesn’t need to be assembled on site-that’s my job!

So we came up with these selections:

Crostini with Roasted Garlic & Prosciutto

Ingredients

• 2 whole garlic bulbs
• aluminum foil to cover bulbs
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 baguette, cut into 1/2-inch slices
• 8 slices Parma Ham / Prosciutto
• Fresh black pepper

Directions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Slice 1/2-inch off the pointed end of the garlic bulb to expose each clove. Place garlic on aluminum foil. Pour 1 teaspoon of olive oil over the top of each bulb and let it sink into the cloves.
• Wrap foil around garlic bulbs and bake for approximately 1 hour, or until exposed cloves are golden brown.
• In a sauté pan over medium-high heat, add prosciutto cook until slightly brown.
• Toss baguettes with olive oil and toast baguette slices on a sheet pan in the oven until crispy, 5-7 mins. Remove from the oven to cool.
• Spread a ½ clove of garlic over each toasted bread slice, garnish with crushed fresh black pepper and sautéed prosciutto.

BRUSCHETTA AL POMODORO / “Tomato bruschetta”

• 4 medium tomatoes, finely diced
• 1 t. roasted minced garlic
• ½ cup fine sliced basil leaves
• extra-virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper

In a bowl mix tomato, garlic, basil, extra-virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper.

Black Bean Dip

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds cooked black beans – or 2 cans rinsed
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped garlic
• 1 1/2cup roasted onion
• 1 1/2 teaspoons toasted cumin, ground
• 1/4 cup cilantro leaves
• 1/4 cup soft tofu
• 1/2 jalapeno pepper, chopped
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Place the ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. If the mixture is too thick add some reserved liquid from the cooked beans or if you are using a canned product (use a little vegetable stock ½ cup or water) can be added to thin out your dip. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve with toasted bagel chips.

The black bean dip is easy and you can make it 2-3 days ahead, the flavors in both recipes blend well.

Thanks and enjoy your parties but be safe always…

ciao Bernard

Weezer singer Rivers Cuomo was hospitalized after his tour bus crashed in upstate New York Sunday morning on its way to Boston for a show that night at Boston University.  The driver lost control of the bus after hitting a patch of ice which sent it across the highway median and into a ditch on the other side.  Rivers was taken to the hospital with 3 cracked ribs and is still receiving care.  An assistant to the band received two fractured ribs and a fractured lower vertebrae, but was released. Rivers’ wife and his two-year-old daughter were also on the bus, but they weren’t injured. The band has cancelled the rest of their Raditude tour, but will try and reschedule.