March | 2009 | Eric Rivera's Cooking Blog

Sun Dried Tomato Pesto

March 28, 2009 by ericriveracooks

(Click each picture to make it larger) No sun outside today, it’s raining as always. Just typing the word “sun” makes me feel a little better. Ingredients: -2 cups sun dried tomatoes -1/4 cup pine nuts -2 garlic cloves -1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil -2 basil leaves -1 tsp fresh cilantro -1 tbsp. white peppercorn -1 tsp. salt In a food processor pulse together the sun dried tomatoes, pine nuts, and garlic cloves. Run the food processor on a […]

Categories: Dip, Sauce, Vegetarian • Tags: Cooking, Pesto, recipe, Sun Dried Tomato

Hey, we’re back on Serious Eats!

March 28, 2009 by ericriveracooks

Obviously not this picture. That’s my dog, Blue. http://photograzing.seriouseats.com/ Check out their site and see if you can find my food. One of these things is not like the other, one of these things just doesn’t belong………wait.

Categories: Random Rants • Tags: Serious Eats

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Heston Blumenthal’s Crispy Skin Concept

March 27, 2009 by ericriveracooks

(Click each picture to make it larger) Heston Blumenthal is one of my favorite chefs. He’s incredibly smart, like’s to take educated chances, and is self-taught. Self-taught!!! He runs the Fat Duck which is currently the #2 ranked restaurant in the world. I don’t really agree with rankings for restaurants because if I were to eat at the Fat Duck I wouldn’t say “well, this is ok but I’m feeling like a #1 restaurant in the world dinner”. It’s more […]

Categories: Chicken, Technique • Tags: Chicken, Cooking, Crispy, Heston Blumenthal, recipe

Stir Fried Vegetables Served on Sticky Flour Noodles

March 26, 2009 by ericriveracooks

(Click each picture to make it larger) I have no idea what the noodles are called, I couldn’t read the packaging. I don’t even know what language it is. Oh well, it was awesome! Ingredients: Chicken 2 chicken thighs. Take the skin off and cut the chicken thigh into thin slices 4-5 drops sesame oil 1 1/2 tsp. rice vinegar 1/4 cup soy sauce 1/2 tsp. sesame seeds 1 tbsp. fish sauce 1 cup beef broth 6 cloves garlic Take […]

Categories: Asian, Chicken • Tags: Cooking, Noodles, recipe, Stir Fry, Vegetables

Feta Pita Chicken Pizza (Say that three times fast)

March 26, 2009 by ericriveracooks

(Click each picture to make it larger) Oh there you are, Pita (click) Ingredients: Chicken -2 boneless skinless chicken breasts -1/4 cup olive oil -1 tsp. crushed red pepper -1 garlic clove, minced -2 tbsp. white wine -1 tsp. balsamic vinegar -small amount of fresh oregano, minced Mix all ingredients together and marinade for 35-45 minutes Marinated Olives -5-6 Green Olives -10 Kalamata Olives -1 tbsp white vinegar -3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil -pinch oregano -pinch thyme -pinch basil […]

Categories: Chicken, pizza • Tags: Chicken, Feta, Pita, pizza

The Best Feta Cheese I Have Ever Tasted:

March 26, 2009 by ericriveracooks

Not another advertisement, I promise! I was at Metropolitan Market yesterday and I asked one of the cheese experts for their opinion on Feta Cheese. She pointed me to this Valbreso Feta cheese and let me just say, it’s amazing. It crumbles a lot softer than most other feta cheeses I’ve ever had and it has a nice bitter to mild sweet taste. If you can find this where you live then I suggest you give it a try. Eric

Categories: Random Rants • Tags: Cheese, Feta Cheese

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New site friend:

March 26, 2009 by ericriveracooks

Hellllllllllllllllloooooooooo Jerky.com! I am going to start doing a few reviews for Jerky.com and their extensive line of awesome dried meats. They have a few new products coming out that I will get a chance to showcase before they are available to the public so I’m really excited about that. They even have a new product that isn’t meat (pineapple jerky) for all you non-meat-eaters so joyous day for that. I’ll be posting my reviews and I spoke with Doug […]

Categories: Random Rants • Tags: Jerky

Custom Made Spice Rack. Family Is A Good Thing

March 25, 2009 by ericriveracooks

(Click each picture to make it larger) My wife’s dad is a genius with his hands. While he was here I told him about an idea I had for a spice rack that I wanted one day. I checked my mail today and lo and behold, there it was…..the perfect spice rack. I really am a lucky guy. There are so many people that are behind the scenes for this blog that are giving me encouragement and positive words that […]

Categories: Random Rants, Utensils

Watch out world!!! We’re about to be a top 1,000,000 site!

March 25, 2009 by ericriveracooks

(Click each picture to make it larger) Me celebrating!!! Not really, this was taken a week or so ago while I was visiting the China Clipper in Olympia, WA…..so many good memories from that place when I was a little kid. Greg at Sippitysup.com alerted me about my ranking going up on the Alexa Scores. I had no idea what he was talking about so after a little bit o’ googling I found out what he was talking about and […]

Categories: Random Rants

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Fried Spaghetti with a Roasted Tomato Sauce

March 24, 2009 by ericriveracooks

(Click each picture to make it larger) Labor intensive, different, and a kick in the face for traditional Italian meals. This is what happens when I’m bored. Ingredients: Tomato Sauce -Use my roasted tomato sauce recipe CLICK Flour Mixture -1 1/2 cup flour -1/4 cup paprika -2 tbsp. garlic salt -1 Aji Mirasol Pod, ground to a fine dust -1 tsp. cayenne pepper Mixed together Wet Mixture -4 egg whites blended until thick Spaghetti Chopped in half and cooked, about […]

Categories: Pasta, Sauce • Tags: Deep Fry, recipe, Roasted, Spaghetti, tomato

Roasted Tomato Sauce

March 24, 2009 by ericriveracooks

It takes a few hours but it’s worth the wait. Ingredients: 3 Roma tomatoes 1 garlic clove, minced 1 tbsp. olive oil 1 Aji Mirasol Pod, ground (worldspice.com) 2 tsp. salt 3 fresh basil leaves 1 pinch fresh oregano 1 pinch fresh rosemary In an oven safe pan place the tomatoes, garlic, and olive oil in the pan and cook covered at 225F for 2 hours. Remove from oven then remove the skin around the tomato. Place pan on stove […]

Categories: Sauce • Tags: Dinner, recipe, Roasted, Sauce, tomato

Cooking-IN SPACE!!!

March 24, 2009 by ericriveracooks

Check out this Discovery Channel link to learn how astronauts cook. LINK

Categories: Random Rants • Tags: Cooking in space

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Tapas episode #1: Smoked Oyster with Olive Oil and Sea Salt

March 24, 2009 by ericriveracooks

It’s lacking the presentation skills but the taste makes up for that. Just a simple combination of really good ingredients. Ingredients; 1/2 lb. smoked oysters Extra Virgin Olive Oil Sea Salt I used sel de mer (worldspice.com) Serve cold. Simple, easy, and tastes great. Eric

Categories: Appetizer, Tapas • Tags: Appetizer, Tapas

Thinking about growing some tomatoes?

March 24, 2009 by ericriveracooks

Visit Greg over at SippitySup.com for the perfect way to start your tomato gardening. Click for link

Categories: Random Rants • Tags: Grow your own, Tomatoes

Spice Blend- Sorry, I’m keeping this one for myself

March 23, 2009 by ericriveracooks

(Click each picture to make it larger) The spices in the glass cups are a few used in the spice blend to the right. 11 spices in my secret spice blend, just like the colonel! My wife was tired of the plastic bags I was using to keep my spices in so she went out and bought these glass containers to hold them instead.

Categories: Random Rants • Tags: Spices

Eric Rivera's Cooking Blog

Food, because I just want an excuse to cook.

Monthly Archives: March 2009

Sun Dried Tomato Pesto

Hey, we’re back on Serious Eats!

Heston Blumenthal’s Crispy Skin Concept

Stir Fried Vegetables Served on Sticky Flour Noodles

Feta Pita Chicken Pizza (Say that three times fast)

The Best Feta Cheese I Have Ever Tasted:

New site friend:

Custom Made Spice Rack. Family Is A Good Thing

Watch out world!!! We’re about to be a top 1,000,000 site!

Fried Spaghetti with a Roasted Tomato Sauce

Roasted Tomato Sauce

Cooking-IN SPACE!!!

Tapas episode #1: Smoked Oyster with Olive Oil and Sea Salt

Thinking about growing some tomatoes?

Spice Blend- Sorry, I’m keeping this one for myself

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