Chef Michael Salmon - Join me in my Kitchen
Eggplant is such an integral part of Sicilian cuisine and can be found in many dishes from appetizers and pastas to sauces and main courses. On our Foodie Trips to Sicily, eggplant finds it’s way onto the menu most days. My stuffed eggplant is a rather rustic dish in which an eggplant is cut lengthwise in half and stuffed with an incredibly flavorful mixture of ground pork, spices, olives and raisins. My Fennel Spice Mix is also great on fish and shellfish.
I learned to make this dish from a Chinese Chef named Mr. Chang during my years working for Hyatt Hotels. The cuisine we served in that restaurant is what I refer to as “Haute Chinese,” in which a traditional dish is elevated in quality by using premium ingredients. This dish is made with tender pork tenderloin and fresh fruit. The sweet and sour sauce recipe is very simple to make (not thick and corn syrupy like the commercial ones) as is the batter.
Our favorite butcher shop in Tuscany is Macelleria Belli, located in Torrita di Sienna. During our foodie trips to Tuscany and Umbria, we purchase all of our fresh and cured meats from their shop located on a small side street in the village. We first met Roberta Belli in 2010 during our first organized trip to Tuscany and have gotten to be good friends over the years. She gave me a tour of their facility that I would like to share with you.
Saltimbocca in Italian translates to “Jumps in the mouth”, so it has to be good! Juicy pork, salty prosciutto, creamy provolone and pungent sage all add up to a mouth-watering experience.
Sous Vide is the perfect technique to use for creating pulled pork. Traditional slow roasting methods include long oven times and plenty of dirty equipment to clean up. My Mexican spice blend combines 7 spices with salt and is great on beef and chicken as well. Use the pulled pork to make tacos, nachos, quesadillas or sandwiches.
Join me in my kitchen as I prepare recipes from my two cookbooks, European foodie trips and explore new inspirations.
