How to choose the freshest fish
Galor personal chef
www.galor.co.uk
In my experience as a Chef I have noticed that lots of people are a little hesitant about buying and cooking fresh fish.
Sometimes this is caused by a bad experience or just the fear itself. I hope this newsletter will help eliminate any reservations you may have about fish and will open up a world of wonderful tastes and smells you have never experienced before.
Sample of some of our fish dishes
For more menu ideas visit our website
Monkfish in Pistachio crust with shallot sauce and crushed potatoes.
Large variety of sushi dishes.
Steamed salmon with potato gnocchi, broad beans, peas & vodka tomato cream sauce.
Tiger prawns in a red fruits sauce and asparagus.
Tunisian fish tajene - sea bream cooked in a rich spicy tomato sauce.
Baked red snapper and garden vegetables with a herb sauce and olive oil.
Galor Top Tips for choosing wonderful fresh fish
Strong smell means that the fish is off and is not as fresh as it should be.
If the gills are brown in colour then the fish is not fresh, if the gills are red and vibrant the fish is fresh.
Fresh fish is covered in a thin layer of moist slime that's clear in colour, uncongealed and covers the fish smoothly. Any clouding or strong odour from this indicated the fish is not fresh.
Scales should be strong and firm.
If you leave finger print impressions on the fish after touching it, it means the fish is fairly old.
Eyes should be bright and shiny looking with a clear difference
between the white and the black.
At galor Personal chef services we use only the freshest fish and shellfish from the best suppliers in London
In my experience as a Chef I have noticed that lots of people are a little hesitant about buying and cooking fresh fish.
Sometimes this is caused by a bad experience or just the fear itself. I hope this newsletter will help eliminate any reservations you may have about fish and will open up a world of wonderful tastes and smells you have never experienced before.
Sample of some of our fish dishes
For more menu ideas visit our website
Monkfish in Pistachio crust with shallot sauce and crushed potatoes.
Large variety of sushi dishes.
Steamed salmon with potato gnocchi, broad beans, peas & vodka tomato cream sauce.
Tiger prawns in a red fruits sauce and asparagus.
Tunisian fish tajene - sea bream cooked in a rich spicy tomato sauce.
Baked red snapper and garden vegetables with a herb sauce and olive oil.
Galor Top Tips for choosing wonderful fresh fish
Strong smell means that the fish is off and is not as fresh as it should be.
If the gills are brown in colour then the fish is not fresh, if the gills are red and vibrant the fish is fresh.
Fresh fish is covered in a thin layer of moist slime that's clear in colour, uncongealed and covers the fish smoothly. Any clouding or strong odour from this indicated the fish is not fresh.
Scales should be strong and firm.
If you leave finger print impressions on the fish after touching it, it means the fish is fairly old.
Eyes should be bright and shiny looking with a clear difference
between the white and the black.
At galor Personal chef services we use only the freshest fish and shellfish from the best suppliers in London
Tuesday, 29 September 2009
Tuesday, 21 July 2009
Time to BBQ
Time to BBQ
Galor Peronal Chef Services
www.Galor.co.uk
It looks like this Summer will be a great one, with lots of sun. What could be better than a garden BBQ with fabulous food and cold drinks to celebrate with style any event, or just being with friends and family. At galor our BBQ Chef will make the perfect party.
Sample of our BBQ Menu
For more menu ideas visit our website www.galor.co.uk
Sirloin tagliata cooked rare and sliced thin on a bed of arugula salad.
Lamb cutlets marinade in olive oil, white wine, garlic and oregano.
Chicken wings marinated in honey, garlic, ginger and soy sauce.
Jumbo shrimps with pineapple chutney.
Fish kebabs on lemon grass skewers.
Chorizo and new potato skewers with paprika mayonaise.
Melon on the grill with feta and thyme.
Galor Top Tips for the perfect BBQ
Temperature is key, the high heat of the BBQ ensures that the meat is sealed with all the juices inside. During the cook the less playing with the meat the better. Use a tongs to turn the meat and avoid stabbing the meat with knives or forks.
Avoid putting the meat on the grill until the coals stop smoldering, the best time is when the coals are grey-white in colour.
Good BBQ meat needs to have a layer of fat on it. Lots of marbling helps the meat stay tender. When choosing your fillet of fish the rule is: nothing under 200g.
Never grill cold meet direct from the fridge, the meat should be at room temperature. This prevents shocking the meat.
Don't compromise on the quality of the meat, the roasting enhances the taste so when the meat is not of good quality the roasting will do it no favors!.
Galor Peronal Chef Services
www.Galor.co.uk
It looks like this Summer will be a great one, with lots of sun. What could be better than a garden BBQ with fabulous food and cold drinks to celebrate with style any event, or just being with friends and family. At galor our BBQ Chef will make the perfect party.
Sample of our BBQ Menu
For more menu ideas visit our website www.galor.co.uk
Sirloin tagliata cooked rare and sliced thin on a bed of arugula salad.
Lamb cutlets marinade in olive oil, white wine, garlic and oregano.
Chicken wings marinated in honey, garlic, ginger and soy sauce.
Jumbo shrimps with pineapple chutney.
Fish kebabs on lemon grass skewers.
Chorizo and new potato skewers with paprika mayonaise.
Melon on the grill with feta and thyme.
Galor Top Tips for the perfect BBQ
Temperature is key, the high heat of the BBQ ensures that the meat is sealed with all the juices inside. During the cook the less playing with the meat the better. Use a tongs to turn the meat and avoid stabbing the meat with knives or forks.
Avoid putting the meat on the grill until the coals stop smoldering, the best time is when the coals are grey-white in colour.
Good BBQ meat needs to have a layer of fat on it. Lots of marbling helps the meat stay tender. When choosing your fillet of fish the rule is: nothing under 200g.
Never grill cold meet direct from the fridge, the meat should be at room temperature. This prevents shocking the meat.
Don't compromise on the quality of the meat, the roasting enhances the taste so when the meat is not of good quality the roasting will do it no favors!.
Friday, 29 May 2009
Host An Unforgettable Canape Party
Host An Unforgettable Canape Party
Galor personal chef
www.galor.co.uk
Canape is all about cooking small, bite-sized, decorative food that can be easily hand held, eaten in one or two bites and is usually salty,spicy or sweet.
No event is a "true do" without spectacular nibbles, a canape party is a great way to entertain at home. A large number of guests can be accommodated for without having to worry about matching dinner service, tables or even chairs.
The key elements to take into account when planning a canape party is the type of events you are catering for, the tastes of your guests and the number of people.
Home cooked food always makes an occasion that bit more special. Below is a taste of Galor Personal Chef Services canapes:
Tuna ceviche-avocado, chilly, onion, coriander & lime in a cucumber cup.Read more
Roast beef in baby Yorkshires with a tomatoe confit, tapenade & gherkin.Read more
Jerusalem artichoke soup with mascarpone served in espresso cups. Read more
Galor Recipe Of The Month -
Sweet potato cakes with chive mayonnaise
For more menu ideas visit our website
Cake Ingredients:
1 kg peeled sweet potatoes
1 spoon soy sauce
3/4 glass of flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pinch of black pepper
Butter for frying
Sauce Ingredients:
1 glass creme fraiche
3 spoons mayonnaise
Chopped chives
Salt & pepper
Method:
Cook the potatoes until soft and then strain. Let cool, then
mash the potatoes and mix with in the soy sauce, flour, salt and pepper until everything comes together nicely.
Shape the mixture into walnut-sized balls, then flatten them into patties. Fry in a nonstick pan with a bit of butter on low heat.
Mix all the sauce Ingredients together and serve next to the cakes. Your done!
Bon appetite
Galor personal chef
www.galor.co.uk
Canape is all about cooking small, bite-sized, decorative food that can be easily hand held, eaten in one or two bites and is usually salty,spicy or sweet.
No event is a "true do" without spectacular nibbles, a canape party is a great way to entertain at home. A large number of guests can be accommodated for without having to worry about matching dinner service, tables or even chairs.
The key elements to take into account when planning a canape party is the type of events you are catering for, the tastes of your guests and the number of people.
Home cooked food always makes an occasion that bit more special. Below is a taste of Galor Personal Chef Services canapes:
Tuna ceviche-avocado, chilly, onion, coriander & lime in a cucumber cup.Read more
Roast beef in baby Yorkshires with a tomatoe confit, tapenade & gherkin.Read more
Jerusalem artichoke soup with mascarpone served in espresso cups. Read more
Galor Recipe Of The Month -
Sweet potato cakes with chive mayonnaise
For more menu ideas visit our website
Cake Ingredients:
1 kg peeled sweet potatoes
1 spoon soy sauce
3/4 glass of flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pinch of black pepper
Butter for frying
Sauce Ingredients:
1 glass creme fraiche
3 spoons mayonnaise
Chopped chives
Salt & pepper
Method:
Cook the potatoes until soft and then strain. Let cool, then
mash the potatoes and mix with in the soy sauce, flour, salt and pepper until everything comes together nicely.
Shape the mixture into walnut-sized balls, then flatten them into patties. Fry in a nonstick pan with a bit of butter on low heat.
Mix all the sauce Ingredients together and serve next to the cakes. Your done!
Bon appetite
Sunday, 19 April 2009
Minced Meat
Minced Meat:
Galor personal chef service
www.galor.co.uk
A common type of minced meat is minced beef. Minced beef is a staple in modern cooking, and is used in all types of recipes. Commercially prepared minced beef is made from pieces of various cuts of meat and discarded fat. It is one of the most problematic beef products and more prone to contamination. I usually don't use minced meat that is not grounded in front of me, like this I see exactly what I am getting. Ask your butcher to grind it for you.
So how to choose minced meat?
The colour of the meat is supposed to be red but not shining, the sparkle is a sign that the meat has been coloured.
In the case of the meat being cured, this will improve the taste of the meat and the colour will be dark red and the texture will be less elastic than the original fresh chunk of beef.
Beef that is minced not long ago has no discharge liquid on the
exhibition tray, beef that is defrosted has lots of red liquid discharge.
Which parts to use for minced meat?
Although any cut of beef may be used, chuck steak is one of the most popular choices, chuck comes from a cow’s neck and shoulder and has a balance of beefy flavor, tenderness, and fat content. Its fat content is just enough to keep the meat juicy and moist, round steak is also frequently used.
Galor recipe of the month - Pasta Ragu
For more menu ideas visit our website
Ingredients:
500g penne pasta
1/4 cup olive oil
1 onion, finely diced
4 clove garlic finely diced
5 celery sticks finely diced
1 carrot, finely diced
1 chopped chili
5 sage leaves
750g minced beef
1/2 cup red wine
1 can chopped tomatoes
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Method:
In a large heavy-based pan, fry the onion, garlic, chili, sage and all the vegetables for approx 5 minutes. Add the minced meat until browned, then add the red wine. Bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the wine evaporates. Add the tomatoes and bring to the boil. Season to taste, reduce the heat and simmer, stirring from time to time for approx 1 hour. Cook the spaghetti in plenty of boiling water with the remaining olive oil and heat the sauce. Serve together. Bon appetit
Galor personal chef service
www.galor.co.uk
A common type of minced meat is minced beef. Minced beef is a staple in modern cooking, and is used in all types of recipes. Commercially prepared minced beef is made from pieces of various cuts of meat and discarded fat. It is one of the most problematic beef products and more prone to contamination. I usually don't use minced meat that is not grounded in front of me, like this I see exactly what I am getting. Ask your butcher to grind it for you.
So how to choose minced meat?
The colour of the meat is supposed to be red but not shining, the sparkle is a sign that the meat has been coloured.
In the case of the meat being cured, this will improve the taste of the meat and the colour will be dark red and the texture will be less elastic than the original fresh chunk of beef.
Beef that is minced not long ago has no discharge liquid on the
exhibition tray, beef that is defrosted has lots of red liquid discharge.
Which parts to use for minced meat?
Although any cut of beef may be used, chuck steak is one of the most popular choices, chuck comes from a cow’s neck and shoulder and has a balance of beefy flavor, tenderness, and fat content. Its fat content is just enough to keep the meat juicy and moist, round steak is also frequently used.
Galor recipe of the month - Pasta Ragu
For more menu ideas visit our website
Ingredients:
500g penne pasta
1/4 cup olive oil
1 onion, finely diced
4 clove garlic finely diced
5 celery sticks finely diced
1 carrot, finely diced
1 chopped chili
5 sage leaves
750g minced beef
1/2 cup red wine
1 can chopped tomatoes
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Method:
In a large heavy-based pan, fry the onion, garlic, chili, sage and all the vegetables for approx 5 minutes. Add the minced meat until browned, then add the red wine. Bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the wine evaporates. Add the tomatoes and bring to the boil. Season to taste, reduce the heat and simmer, stirring from time to time for approx 1 hour. Cook the spaghetti in plenty of boiling water with the remaining olive oil and heat the sauce. Serve together. Bon appetit
Sunday, 8 March 2009
Puff Pastry the Queen of French baking
Puff Pastry the Queen of French baking
Galor personal chef service
www.galor.co.uk
Puff pastry is the most sophisticated of all the doughs. It is admired for its elegance and drama. With its buttery, flaky and rich texture it is light and tasty.
Consisting of hundreds of paper thin layers of dough, prevented from sticking together by thin layers of fat, usually butter. While the pastry is baking steam is caught between the layers to render them individual.
There are four main ingredients in puff pastry: flour, butter, salt,
and water. Puff pastry is used for making croissants, turnovers, beef Wellington and vol-au-vents to name but a few.
At galor we make the most delicious Bourekas from our secret recipe of butter based dough, filled with various fillings.
Order now www.galor.co.uk
Top Tips for baking the perfect puff pastry
Use butter instead of margarine, butter is best for flavour and baking.
If the filling is too wet the pastry will not bake properly, it is
better to dry the filling and to get rid of the liquid.
-
Not too much filling, put the right amount, because we went to
create a space for the pastry to rise properly.
It is important that the bourekas are going to be cold before putting them in the oven, like this the fat which is between the dough layers will be cold and not split all over. Instead
the butter is going to create nicely ordered layers.
-
Hot oven - The oven is to be really hot. 220C. After 10 minutes reduce head to 170C and continue baking until the layers become the same colour.
Be careful with the egg yolk, don’t put too much and don’t brush it on the edges. This can prevent the dough from rising.
Galor personal chef service
www.galor.co.uk
Puff pastry is the most sophisticated of all the doughs. It is admired for its elegance and drama. With its buttery, flaky and rich texture it is light and tasty.
Consisting of hundreds of paper thin layers of dough, prevented from sticking together by thin layers of fat, usually butter. While the pastry is baking steam is caught between the layers to render them individual.
There are four main ingredients in puff pastry: flour, butter, salt,
and water. Puff pastry is used for making croissants, turnovers, beef Wellington and vol-au-vents to name but a few.
At galor we make the most delicious Bourekas from our secret recipe of butter based dough, filled with various fillings.
Order now www.galor.co.uk
Top Tips for baking the perfect puff pastry
Use butter instead of margarine, butter is best for flavour and baking.
If the filling is too wet the pastry will not bake properly, it is
better to dry the filling and to get rid of the liquid.
-
Not too much filling, put the right amount, because we went to
create a space for the pastry to rise properly.
It is important that the bourekas are going to be cold before putting them in the oven, like this the fat which is between the dough layers will be cold and not split all over. Instead
the butter is going to create nicely ordered layers.
-
Hot oven - The oven is to be really hot. 220C. After 10 minutes reduce head to 170C and continue baking until the layers become the same colour.
Be careful with the egg yolk, don’t put too much and don’t brush it on the edges. This can prevent the dough from rising.
The new israeli cuisine
Galor Personal Cooking Services Newsletter
At Galor we design our menu around your unique culinary requirements, your individual tastes. In this newsletter I would like to tell you about my creations, how Galor makes the interesting and creative fusion of French, Israeli & Mediterranean style cuisine.
The new israeli cuisine:
Israeli cuisine is a very diverse cuisine brought to Israel by emigrants from around the world. This vast mixture of culture combined has lead to this unique Middle Eastern and European style cuisine. It is a young cuisine that develops each day by talented and creative chefs, using a great variety of local ingredients.
The spices identified with the Israeli cuisine are unique, well seasoned and with strong aroma.
Israeli food is a sensational style of cuisine that gives the ambiance of relaxation and restfulness.
A taster of Galor's Israeli inspiraed sample dishes:
Grilled organic aubergine
Grilled aubergine with a yogurt / sumaq sauce, roast peppers, poached egg and feta cheese.
Organic chicken schnitzel
Filled with sun dried tomatoes on a base of Israeli couscous accompanied by a herb sauce.
Beef kebab -
Warm humus, lemon juice, olive oil, tahini sauce, chick peas and matboucha.
Halve parfait & pistachio.
Read more
Galors Top tips:
One of the most popular vegetables in Israel is the aubergine. The aubergine has many secrets so to find the perfect one here are a few tips:
A good aubergine is relatively light irrespective of its size, it has a shiny colour with a smooth skin. When you press with your thumb there should be no impression left on the aubergine.
Think of an aubergine like a steak. The moment you are finished cooking it you must serve it immediately otherwise you will loose quality. All the stories about salting the aubergine is nonsense. Salt takes the life out of the aubergine. Follow the tips and simply find a good one.
If you can tick all the boxes then you are likely to have a sweetish seedless aubergine.
Steaming the aubergine opens new tastes and gives exciting results. Give it a try...
--
Yuda Galis
www.galor.co.uk
Tel: 07908858468
At Galor we design our menu around your unique culinary requirements, your individual tastes. In this newsletter I would like to tell you about my creations, how Galor makes the interesting and creative fusion of French, Israeli & Mediterranean style cuisine.
The new israeli cuisine:
Israeli cuisine is a very diverse cuisine brought to Israel by emigrants from around the world. This vast mixture of culture combined has lead to this unique Middle Eastern and European style cuisine. It is a young cuisine that develops each day by talented and creative chefs, using a great variety of local ingredients.
The spices identified with the Israeli cuisine are unique, well seasoned and with strong aroma.
Israeli food is a sensational style of cuisine that gives the ambiance of relaxation and restfulness.
A taster of Galor's Israeli inspiraed sample dishes:
Grilled organic aubergine
Grilled aubergine with a yogurt / sumaq sauce, roast peppers, poached egg and feta cheese.
Organic chicken schnitzel
Filled with sun dried tomatoes on a base of Israeli couscous accompanied by a herb sauce.
Beef kebab -
Warm humus, lemon juice, olive oil, tahini sauce, chick peas and matboucha.
Halve parfait & pistachio.
Read more
Galors Top tips:
One of the most popular vegetables in Israel is the aubergine. The aubergine has many secrets so to find the perfect one here are a few tips:
A good aubergine is relatively light irrespective of its size, it has a shiny colour with a smooth skin. When you press with your thumb there should be no impression left on the aubergine.
Think of an aubergine like a steak. The moment you are finished cooking it you must serve it immediately otherwise you will loose quality. All the stories about salting the aubergine is nonsense. Salt takes the life out of the aubergine. Follow the tips and simply find a good one.
If you can tick all the boxes then you are likely to have a sweetish seedless aubergine.
Steaming the aubergine opens new tastes and gives exciting results. Give it a try...
--
Yuda Galis
www.galor.co.uk
Tel: 07908858468
Thursday, 5 March 2009
The new israeli cuisine
Galor personal chef service
www.galor.co.uk
Israeli cuisine is a very diverse cuisine brought to Israel by emigrants from around the world. This vast mixture of culture combined has lead to this unique Middle Eastern and European style cuisine. It is a young cuisine that develops each day by talented and creative chefs, using a great variety of local ingredients.
The spices identified with the Israeli cuisine are unique, well seasoned and with strong aroma.
Israeli food is a sensational style of cuisine that gives the ambiance of relaxation and restfulness.
A taster of Galor's Israeli inspiraed sample dishes:
Grilled organic aubergine
Grilled aubergine with a yogurt / sumaq sauce, roast peppers, poached egg and feta cheese.
Organic chicken schnitzel
Filled with sun dried tomatoes on a base of Israeli couscous accompanied by a herb sauce.
Beef kebab -
Warm humus, lemon juice, olive oil, tahini sauce, chick peas and matboucha.
Halve parfait & pistachio.
Read more
Galors Top Tips
One of the most popular vegetables in Israel is the aubergine. The aubergine has many secrets so to find the perfect one here are a few tips:
A good aubergine is relatively light irrespective of its size, it has a shiny colour with a smooth skin. When you press with your thumb there should be no impression left on the aubergine.
Think of an aubergine like a steak. The moment you are finished cooking it you must serve it immediately otherwise you will loose quality. All the stories about salting the aubergine is nonsense. Salt takes the life out of the aubergine. Follow the tips and simply find a good one.
If you can tick all the boxes then you are likely to have a sweetish seedless aubergine.
Steaming the aubergine opens new tastes and gives exciting results. Give it a try...
Galor personal chef service
www.galor.co.uk
Israeli cuisine is a very diverse cuisine brought to Israel by emigrants from around the world. This vast mixture of culture combined has lead to this unique Middle Eastern and European style cuisine. It is a young cuisine that develops each day by talented and creative chefs, using a great variety of local ingredients.
The spices identified with the Israeli cuisine are unique, well seasoned and with strong aroma.
Israeli food is a sensational style of cuisine that gives the ambiance of relaxation and restfulness.
A taster of Galor's Israeli inspiraed sample dishes:
Grilled organic aubergine
Grilled aubergine with a yogurt / sumaq sauce, roast peppers, poached egg and feta cheese.
Organic chicken schnitzel
Filled with sun dried tomatoes on a base of Israeli couscous accompanied by a herb sauce.
Beef kebab -
Warm humus, lemon juice, olive oil, tahini sauce, chick peas and matboucha.
Halve parfait & pistachio.
Read more
Galors Top Tips
One of the most popular vegetables in Israel is the aubergine. The aubergine has many secrets so to find the perfect one here are a few tips:
A good aubergine is relatively light irrespective of its size, it has a shiny colour with a smooth skin. When you press with your thumb there should be no impression left on the aubergine.
Think of an aubergine like a steak. The moment you are finished cooking it you must serve it immediately otherwise you will loose quality. All the stories about salting the aubergine is nonsense. Salt takes the life out of the aubergine. Follow the tips and simply find a good one.
If you can tick all the boxes then you are likely to have a sweetish seedless aubergine.
Steaming the aubergine opens new tastes and gives exciting results. Give it a try...
We are a London based personal Chef and private catering service. At Galor we only use the best local ingredients for our cooking with emphasis on seasonal produce and natural juices. Galor makes the interesting and creative fusion of French, Israeli & Mediterranean style cuisine.
Each plate is a delicate combination of flavours designed and tailored around your culinary requirements. Hire a personal Chef or private Chef for an unforgettable dining experience. You may find that this service has saved you not only money but time and health.
Each plate is a delicate combination of flavours designed and tailored around your culinary requirements. Hire a personal Chef or private Chef for an unforgettable dining experience. You may find that this service has saved you not only money but time and health.
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