Recipe of the Week (23)

Sweet-N-Spicy Chicken Wingettes

2 lbs. chicken wingettes, thawed
Salt
Pepper
Garlic powder
Sweet-N-Spicy Sauce (recipe below)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment or waxed paper. Season thawed wingettes with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Place the wingettes on the lined baking sheets and roast in the oven for 20 minutes. While the wingettes are roasting, divide the sauce into two separate bowls. Remove the wingettes after 20 minutes and brush with sauce from one of the bowls. When all the wingettes are brushed, discard the bowl and the sauce. Place wingettes back into the oven and roast for an additional 10 minutes. Remove wingettes and tossed with remaining sauce. Serve warm.


Sweet-N-Spicy Barbecue Sauce
1 cup apple cider vinegar
2 cups ketchup
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon molasses
1 tablespoon liquid smoke
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium red onion, sliced
2 jalapeno peppers, diced
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
Dash of Tabasco sauce
Salt
Pepper

In a large pot, simmer the apple cider vinegar and ketchup under medium heat for 3 minutes. Add the brown sugar, molasses and liquid smoke to the vinegar/ketchup mixture and simmer for an additional 3 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat oil under medium heat. Add red onion, jalapeno peppers, red bell peppers and garlic to the skillet. Sauté vegetables until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add the sautéed vegetables to the vinegar/ketchup mixture. Place mixture into a blender or food processor. Puree the mixture until smooth, about 1-2 minutes. Season to taste with salt, pepper and Tabasco sauce.


Yield 6 servings

The Restaurant?

As many of you know, my ultimate goal is to open a restaurant. With God's grace, I have the location, name, decor and menu already selected. However, the main question everyone has is when? When will the restaurant I've talked about for almost a decade open? Well, here's the story:

My family owns a storefront on Carnegie Ave., one of the main thoroughfares on the east side of Cleveland. My father purchased the six-unit storefront in 1982 and it has been a Cleveland fixture for the past two and a half decades.

The storefront, located directly across from another Cleveland fixture, The Lancer, has housed many businesses, from a pool hall to a barbershop to several restaurants. My father operated the pool hall for over 20 years until he was struck with the cancer that eventually took his life in 2007.

The restaurant that is currently housed in the storefront is called Bordario's, an Italian eatery that specializes in take-out cuisine. It was "implied" that I would take over the space early this year and open Skye LaRae's, a Progressive American eatery specializing in upscale cuisine at moderate prices. However, after my father passed away, the owner of Bordario's, Robert Borders, was signed to a three-year lease extension to remain in the space. Obviously, I was unaware of this.

So, now I wait. Again, I believe in God's grace and truly feel that this has been a blessing. With the economy in it's current state, opening an independent restaurant now would be suicide. So, I will spend the next two years continuing to build my name and reputation. And when Skye LaRae's opens, it will be a "real" story!

What this day means to me...

I just returned from watching the 44th President of the United States being sworn in during my lunch break. As I sat and listened to President Barack Obama's inaugural speech, I thought about my life. I thought about growing up in inner city Cleveland and, as a result of desegregation, being bused to school from the age of eight. I thought about my high school years and losing close friends as a result of senseless violence. I thought about being stopped and harassed by cops in 1991 simply for being Black and driving in the "ghetto". I thought about my wife giving birth to two beautiful girls and the fear I had of being a father.

Mostly, however, I thought of my parents, Paul and Nina Wells. I thought of the pride they would have felt by this moment. I thought about how they fought through the racism, bigotry and hatred of the 60's. I thought of how they instilled discipline, hard-work and respect in to myself and my siblings. I thought of their last days on this earth and how much love and joy they gave us.

Finally, I recall watching the 2004 Democratic National Convention with my father. I recall a young, African American senator from Illinois and his rousing, electric speech to the hundreds of Democratic delegates. I recall my father saying, "There's your next president of the United States." I recall thinking, "Keep dreaming, old man!" That dream: the dream of MLK, the dream of W.E.B. DuBois and the dream of my father, has been realized. Congrats, Mr President!

Recipe of the Week (22)

Low Fat Coconut Shrimp


Vegetable Spray
½ cup flour
2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 eggs
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1 cup shredded coconut
1 pound shrimp (31-40’s), peeled and deveined


Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray a sheet pan with vegetable spray. Combine the flour, brown sugar, salt and cayenne pepper in a small bowl. Set aside. In a second bowl, beat the eggs with the lime juice. Place the coconut in a third bowl. Dredge the shrimp in the flour mixture. Then, dip the shrimp in the egg mixture, letting the excess egg run off the shrimp. Next, coat the shrimp with the coconut and place them on the sheet pan. Bake the shrimp for 7-9 minutes. Serve warm with a dipping sauce of your choice.

Yield 4 servings.

Wonderful Dinner for 4!

On January 10th, I prepared a four-course menu for some wonderful people. Joe, Jane, Jay and Kate took time out on a snowy evening to celebrate Joe's birthday. Kate set up the birthday dinner for her brother. We had a great time and it was pleasure cooking in Jane and Joe's
beautiful home! Enjoy the pictures!

Clockwise from the top left: Chef Eric in the kitchen; Marinated Shrimp in a Champagne Buerre Blanc; Mixed Greens Salad with Raspberries and Blue Cheese in a Raspberry Vinaigrette; the table set up before dinner; New York Strip, Blue Cheese Mashed Potatoes and Wilted Spinach; Three-Layer Chocolate Cake, Strawberry and Whipped Cream.

Recipe of the Week (21)

Shrimp Stir Fry


20 medium (21-30’s) shrimp, peeled and deveined
Salt
Pepper
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
2 tablespoons fresh garlic, minced
1 cup low sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 ½ cup fresh broccoli florets
1 cup carrots, julienned
1 red pepper, cut into wedges


Place shrimp on a cutting board and season with salt and pepper. Combine the ginger, garlic, soy sauce and lime juice in a bowl. Set aside. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the broccoli, carrots and red peppers and stir fry for about 30 seconds. Remove the vegetables and set them aside. Add the remaining two tablespoons of oil to the skillet. Add the shrimp and stir fry over medium-high heat for about 3-5 minutes, or until the tails of the shrimp turn bright pink. Remove the shrimp and set aside. Add soy sauce mixture to the skillet and reduce, about 2-3 minutes. Add the vegetables and shrimp back to the skillet and toss in the sauce. Serve warm over brown rice, wild rice or wheat pasta.


Yield 4 servings.