John Peppin is a physician with over 30 years of clinical experience. John has published over 90 articles and books in the medical field. He has also been a home cook for most of his adult life, taking a great interest in a variety of cuisines and cooking techniques. He is a voracious cookbook reader with an intense curiosity about cuisines around the world. Wrapping and the stuffing of foods has become an overwhelming focus for John, and he has researched recipes from around the world. A self-taught home cook who loves new ways of cooking. Food, good wine and friends, la dolce vita!
This is a fairly simple recipe, but putting it all together can be a bit challenging. Wrapping the date in the shrimp and then in the bacon requires at least 2 toothpicks. Also you want to bake these enough that the bacon is a crisp as possible, without burning the shrimp and date. These can…
These are easy to make, impressive and your guests will love them. They are finger food, easy to pick up, and just a small bite each, an amuse bouche. The crepe batter is from my blog on sweet crepes, so it is a all-purpose flour crepe without the sweetness. The filling here is savory not…
Beignets are the Louisiana official state Doughnut. The beignet usually uses a choux dough, a moist dough that allows steam to puff up the beignet, a choux pastry. Making a choux pastry is a bit of a challenge and the recipe below is a fairly simple moist yeast dough. In the 17th century Settlers from…
The origin of spring rolls is distinctly Chinese. The roll, as all of us have come to understand it, originated during the Jin Dynasty, 266-420 D. Originally the term “spring roll” indicated a wrapped roll filled with spring vegetables and was a celebratory dish when spring arrived. The concept has spread around Asia and most…
Recently I spent a week in Dublin at a conference. The conference was a major European meeting that occurs every 2 years, a schedule completely messed up by the COVID response. A wonderful city, and one I have visited in the past. Pubs, pints, friendly people, and pretty good food seem to sum up this…
Stromboli is a stuffed Italian bread that originated in the USA. Romano’s restaurant in Philadelphia claims to be the first to provide Stromboli on their menu. The Stromboli is similar to the Calzone, which was invented in Italy in the 1700s in Naples. The basic difference between the two is how they are shaped and…
This is a great recipe for a side or appetizer. I was not able to fold over the dough and make an appetizing looking round packet, see pictures below. The skills of Chinese chefs are beyond my expertise. I found that using my pasta maker make a uniformly thick dough and using two rounds made…
This blog will be a bit long, which doesn’t match the simplicity of making these onigiri. These rice balls, which come in many different sizes and shapes, different fillings, and different preparations are simple and delicious. As you can see from the featured image, you can be very creative in shape, design, filling and just…
OK, for those of us who are not used to green bananas, this doesn’t sound that appetizing, but hold on! You really must try this salad, it is savory and sweet, mildly spicy, and delicious. This salad can be made for a Tailgate at Keenland Race Track, or a picnic, or just an interesting salad…
In making the Puerto Rican Pasteles I was intrigued as to what dishes are traditionally used as side dishes when serving the pasteles. This dish is delicious and makes a great side for any meal. The rice is savory and vegetarian. this recipe works extremely well with cooked in a rice cooker. I recenly purchased…