Happy V.D.! - The Gay Gourmet!™

Well, My little ducklings I hope your day is going swimmingly and is full of chocolates, roses and Hallmark cards!

As for me all I got today was my taxes done! Oh and I was told I owe a lot of moolah to the city & state of NYC..no love for me! Ooo well except from @LaTimesFood via twitter who told me they love me! That was definitely the highlight of love today!

Anywho, I realized I forgot to include dessert on my hearts menu and if you haven't ravaged each other by the time you've eaten all that food and drank all that wine; here's a simple recipe that will make the evening perfect!

Tuxedo Strawberries (because why shouldn't you dress your food fancily? It is fashion week after all here in NYC)

*one small bag white chocolate chunks
*one small bag dark chocolate chips/chunks
*1lb med/large strawberries preferably with stems

1. In a heat dry heat-proof glass bowl pour white chocolate chips. (make sure the bowl is very dry at all times as water will seize the chocolate)

2. Rest bowl over a pot of simmering water (make sure the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water. This is called a double boiler.

3. Stir chocolate and let melt

4. Once melted dip strawberries in White chocolate, scraping against side of the bowl to remove excess chocolate and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper

5. Let cool and transfer to refrigerator for about 20 mins, till white chocolate has hardened.

6. Repeat 1 thru 5 with dark chocolate except only coat the sides on the white-chocolate dipped strawberries to create the tux jacket.

7. If you really want to get fancy and give your strawberry a bow tie and buttons take parchment and make into a well pointed cone. Dip point into dark chocolate and make a bowtie and buttons like the photo below.

This photo is not mine & was pulled off Google images as I couldn't find the picture of my strawberries that my photographer took. ugh!

Easy and delicious!

Well, good luck my love muffins and let me know how it all goes down! I WANT DETAILS!!

Oh, lastly, as I was doing all of this Frank came in with a V.D. message for all of us...woah Frank.


Well Frank... I do feel your pain as today isn't easy for me either! Especially, after the income tax news I received today. But that's the glorious thing about my menu that even if you just are cooking for yourself the food is comforting and decadent! Food to warm the soul! Hang in there as I'm sure all of my fans as well are I am sending you lots of love on this day!


Deliciously Living,

Michael Muñoz

The Gay Gourmet!™



©2011 Michael Muñoz

The Queens Cookies! The Gay Gourmet!™

Since NYC has been covered in what I think is the most lovely blanket of snow over the past couple of weeks I have succumb to staying in my tiny Times Square Apartment, (better known as The Booty Shack), watching Bravo, any episode of The Nanny I can catch & creating loverly baked goods with what I have in my pantry.

So without further adieu...

Chocolate Peanutbutter Thumbprint Cookies with Blackberry jam

* 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
* 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 3/4 cup crunchy peanut butter
* 4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
* 1/3 cup packed light-brown sugar
* 1/3 cup granulated sugar, plus more for rolling
* 1 large egg
* 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
* 1/2 cup blackberry jam
* 1/4 cup coarsely chopped dark chocolate chips!

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Beat peanut butter and butter with a mixer on medium speed until smooth. (To be honest I have just been doing all my beating & mixing by hand with a large spatula and it has proven to just be better and little more satisfying but if you have a good mixer do it!) Add sugars, and beat until pale and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla, and beat until incorporated. Reduce speed to low. Add dry ingredients, and mix until combined.

2. Pour in Dark Chocolate Chips and fold in by hand till well mixed/pretty & speckled looking!

3. You can scoop level tablespoons of dough, and form into balls but I found it easier to just pinch off small sections and form them! Roll each ball in granulated sugar, and transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing about 1 inch apart.

4. Bake until cookies are plump, about 10 minutes. Remove from oven, and make indentations in centers by pressing with the handle end of a wooden spoon. Return to oven, and bake until edges are golden, 6 to 7 minutes more. Transfer sheets to wire racks, and let them cool.

5. Heat jam in a small saucepan, stirring, until loosened, about 30 seconds. Spoon about 1/2 teaspoon into each indentation and let cool.



Speaking of Cookies on this Episode of Frankly!™ Frank questions the integrity of the women with whom I keep company...


Frank these ladies are respectable, delicious and would take you for the ride of your life! I think Ms. Stockard Channing says it the best in her award winning film To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything Julie Newmar!

Carol Ann: Adam's Apple. Women don't have Adam's Apples, only men have Adam's Apples. The first night that you came to town I noticed that you had yourself an Adam's Apple.
Vida Boheme: Then, then you know?
Carol Ann: I know, that I am very fortunate to have a lady friend who just happens to have an Adam's Apple.

So yes Frank...I am just very fortunate to have lady friends who just happen to have "Gommelthrods!


Ms. Paige Turner
One of my many pretty lady friends....Who's prettier than her?!?!

Deliciously Living,

Michael Muñoz
The Gay Gourmet!™

©2011 Michael Muñoz

Interruptus Frankus!!

Now, I'm standing in the kitchen makin' some tomatillo salsa and in storms Franky sayin' you've been screwin' the milkman!! okay.. nooo he didn't say that exactly and he didn't run into my knife 10 times* (not that I didn't think of it) but he did have a lot to say...So without further adieu...(if you need some chips and Tomatillo Salsa first, scroll down & then sit back and enjoy)

(For those of you that didn't get the loose reference click & watch here... shame on you! Fast Forward to 3:55)

Now because of the Holigays, my Big Gay Birthday (which he didn't get me anything nor wish me a happy birthday at this point) and work Frank really hasn't been knocking on my door and I think everything is fine till he comes at me with this..


Frank..The Gay Gourmet™ blog is a springboard to hopefully getting my own variety cooking show one day soon. How many times do I have to tell you! As for the pictures of women..we'll have to have a sit down about that one...get over it..and as for your gift I didn't even get a happy birthday! But without even listening to a word I said he moves on to say...



If you want to see what picture of me he is referencing click here
Now I think he means I look like actor Frank Coraci

I look nothing like this man and am slightly insulted! (wondering why he didn't run into my knife at least once by now..)

Being the nice guy that I am..I offer him a beverage and that sends him into a tizzy about a drink recipe I posted...


(click here if you need the fabulous drink recipe reference)
It's delicious no matter what he says and is worth the trip to the store.

Once again before I could even respond he comes at me with this..

and out the blog door he went! Like a bull in a china shop! Well thanks for the birthday wish Frankus where ever you are... I guess I gotta go shopping for a belated Christmas Present!

TOMATILLO SALSA!

So this was my first attempt ever at making tomatillo salsa and it came out pretty fantastically! I decided to make it because the fruit and veg market where I shop had them for the first time and they looked so cute I couldn't resist! Let me know what you think! Weight Watchers® this is a good, low points, one for you lovelies!

5 medium Tomatillos husked and rinsed
4 cloves of garlic peeled
4 to 5 jalepeños seeds removed and diced or you can substitute a large Chipotle pepper or hot cubano if you want more heat!
1 small to medium yellow or red onion - whatever you like best!
a small batch of cilantro (about 1/2 a cup to 3/4) chopped


Take your husked rinsed tomatillos and your garlic, rub them in a little olive oil and salt and throw them under the broiler till nicely charred. Charred meaning that they have a nice brown/black color starting to appear on them (about 15 mins) Watch them closely so they don't burn!!

Now you can do one of two things with your onions and I'll let you decide how you want your salsa cause either way is delicious! The first way is to husk and slice the onion up and let it char with the tomatillos and garlic. easy..

Or you can husk your onion, slice it up and throw it in a pan over medium heat with a little olive oil and let it caramelize! Now this is slightly time consuming and if you are gonna do it this way make the onions first before you do anything. You want to let the onions brown so stir every so often but not too much as they wont brown easily that way. Once the browning starts and they start to stick to the bottom of the pan then you can stir and scrap a little more often. I like this because it adds a nice sweetness to the savory and spicy that this salsa can be. It's totally worth it!!

Either way make all of that and throw it in a food processor with about a tablespoon of olive oil, some salt & pepper and the cilantro (save a little for garnish) and pulse a couple times till combined yet still chunky! pour it in a bowl and serve with your favorite chips, put it on your eggs in the morning, serve on tacos, over steak the possibilities are endless!




Remember Cook fearlessly, Live deliciously!

Michael Muñoz
The Gay Gourmet™

©2011 Michael Muñoz

A Gourmet Safety Message...Delivered Frankly!™

So here I am munching on some brisket, mac & cheese and collard greens from one of my favorite places Peter's Since 1969. (P.S. They now have Brisket & Turkey permanently on their menu..ooo and the most delicious soups & homemade croutons as well!!) Click the pink link to go to their site! I digress...

So here I am enjoying my take out and in to my blogosphere storms Frank very concerned about my Eat Me Out! Segment. (Once again click the pink link to catch yourself up) Granted he's a little behind on my blog times...but he makes a point and I was so moved that I myself had to video respond!

Watch On!!

Frank says...


Michael responds...



Deliciously LIving,

Michael Muñoz
The Gay Gourmet™


©2011 Michael Muñoz