Nuggets Corner

To fulfill another New Years resolution welcome to the Kept Boy Nuggets Corner where I contribute to the growth of all Kept Boy/ Chef's around the globe by sharing my years of acquired knowledge of the field.

I have never met any well rounded Kept Boy who did not appreciate the pleasure of hard on the outside and soft on the inside. If you do not have the taste take the time to cultivate this palette, just like I did with dark chocolate and black coffee. Your steak should be bloody on the inside and crisp on the surface. Your kim chee seasoned chicken should crunch when your break the flesh with your canines. Veggies should crack when you suck them. Having the taste for hard on the outside and soft on the inside is indeed knowing what good should be.

A Post for the New Year

Oh, if I weren't so appreciative I would be considered spoiled I swear. After taking a couple of weeks off from my Greece fall vacation I was ready to buckle down and give my anticipating readership the lessons I have acquired to be a successful Kept Boy/ Chef. But then My Sir whisked me away to St. Barts to party the December away for our winter December-Away Vacay. It has been a truly trying year for him with the economy and all. Not because he lost any finance, au contraire, we actually gained a bit, but because he has had to witness so many others suffer. Suffering gives us both the sads. So I am glad we were able to vacation for several weeks in St. Barts and help the people of that struggling island.

I wont bore you with the details of hanging out with all the other Kept Boys, including Marc Jacobs very fun toy, or the whole New Years shenanigans we stumbled into at some African dictators son's party. We made our best efforts not to be photographed in such mixed company so don't try to look for us on any gossip sites. To cleanse us from such people who do bad things My Sir surprised me with my holiday gift, which he wasn't planning on unveiling until the spring, a bungalow he bought for me in Lake Tahoe.

Right after New Years we took a private jet with a couple of other business people to California. I have been a busy little beaver decorating the place to our liking. In a past life Agatha must have been a decorator, she came up with the most expressive places to put pink leopard print and Mexican bowls! I still have some decorating left to do before heading back home. But that doesn't mean food stops being cooked and eaten. Here is a clever chicken dish to prepare when you are warming up a new home. Fun, expressive and above all delicious, this dish allows me to use a geographically apt cook wear that is fortunately very phallic.

Enjoy.

Crispy Kim Chee Roasted Chicken

The Ingredients:

-1 Gallon of Water

-1 Liter of Coca Cola

(or you can use ½ cup of sugar instead)- Agatha says Coke works better because acids in the Cola help to tenderize the meat.
-1 Cup of Salt

-1 Whole Chicken


-1 Packet of Kim Chee or Buffalo Seasoning Mix- (being a connoisseur of Kim Chee and owning a Kim Chee refrigerator, I know that this seasoning mix makes for a good Chicken rub and not much else). You can get it at the Asian market.

-1 Whole Onion



Bring half of the gallon of water to a boil. Remove from heat and dissolve 1 cup of salt into it (if using sugar instead of Coke dissolve the sugar as well). We are creating a Brine for the Chicken to soak in. You can add other spices and seasonings here if you would like. Since the Kim Chee Seasoning mix is pretty spicy, I opted to keep this brine very basic.

When the Mixture is FULLY cooled, add the other ½ Gallon of water and the 1 Liter of Coke. Mix well. Submerge the chicken in the mixture and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. If needed use a bowl or plate to keep the Chicken submerged. If you do not have enough liquid to submerge your Chicken, add more cold water to top it off.

This is called Brining a Chicken!

A simple science lesson. Brining works when salts in the Brine pull out juices from the Chicken causing the meat to absorb the seasoning and flavorings (in this case Coke and more water). This process changes the texture of the proteins in the meat and makes it harder for moisture to escape during the cooking process leading to a much tastier and moister Chicken. Agatha says ALWAYS brine Chicken and Turkey (even Pork and Seafoods), but NEVER Beef, Lamb, or Duck.

After a minimum of four hours, take the Chicken out of the Brine and rinse the Brine off inside and out. Using paper towels, pat the chicken dry- making sure you dry the inside as well.

Place the Chicken on a platter and use the Kim Chee Seasoning Mix as a rub. Rub the chicken all over the inside, outside, and under the skin. Cover the Chicken with foil and place in the refrigerator for 15-30 minutes to “marinate” and absorb the flavors of the “rub”.



In the meantime, soak your phallic terra cotta roasting dish in cold water. If you do not have a fancy roasting dish like the one Sir bought for me, then start drinking half a can of any beer. You will use the beer can to stand the chicken up during the roasting process.



After 30 minutes, preheat your oven to 350 degrees, peel the onion and place the whole onion inside your Chicken. Place your chicken on your roaster (or balance it on your half filled beer can in a 9 x 13 pan).

You can use kitchen twin to help tie the limbs of the bird together (this makes for a nicer presentation so your birds wings and legs aren’t all over the place (or if using the beer can, using twine can help you balance it better).



Using foil, cover the ends of the your bird wingtips and drumsticks to keep them from singe-ing.

Bake 2 to 2 and 1/2 hours depending on the size of your Chicken until done (internal temperature of 165 degrees F. and the juices run clear).

For the next full post, we'll see what Agatha finds for me at the library to fulfill one of my New Years resolutions - to be more intellectual.

Kalosirthate piso!!

That's Welcome Back! in Greek. So gang, I give you my sincerest apologies for the delay in posting a new recipe for you. Sir whisked me off on an All-For-Fall vacation (all of our vacations are named). Nothing too fancy. Just six days in Greece, Athens and we stayed most of the time right by the colorful Tsakalof Street. Agatha was able to get in some modest shopping with Sir's contribution to her till. Certainly we came across a plethora of recipes I could have added to our expanding list but because of the circumstances I felt the menu is a little advanced at this stage in the teachings.

There are so many nuances of the Kept Boy one must acquire or at least be aware of before venturing off to some reputable locale like Greece or Turks and Caicos to dine off the extended fork of your very own Sir.

However, I can at this point let you know an excellent recipe for the first big meal home. If your appetite didn't turn on you from the regional diet then proceed. The meal must be kept light, comfortable and rich in a simple to create flavor. Upon our return yesterday afternoon - after a well earned nap - I prepared a Shrimp Pesto dish with a side of couscous.

Pesto Shrimp with Couscous Parcels

The Ingredients:

-10-12 Pieces of Large Shrimp Peeled and de-veined

-1/2 Box of Plain Couscous (about 5 0z)

-1 Cup of Chicken Broth

-1/2 a Red Onion thinly sliced

-4 Garlic Cloves Minced

-1 Small Red Bell Pepper sliced thinly (Agatha says that when choosing Bell Peppers -ones with 3 bumps are sweeter, one with four bumps are better for cooking. Since this dish cooks quickly, I went for the sweeter 3 bumped variety.

-2 Tsp Olive Oil

-4 Tbs of Red Pesto (If you know how to make a good pesto by all means do so, but why do it when there is a fabulous selection of Pestos at the local organic food market)

-2 pieces of Parchment Paper roughly in 15 by 15 squares.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Bring the Chicken Broth and Olive Oil to a boil. Remove from heat. Stir in the Couscous, add a dash of salt and a dash of pepper, cover, and set aside for five minutes.

In the Meantime, take the 2 pieces of Parchment Paper and fold them in half. Using a scissors, cut them into large hearts. (I love this part because the hearts remind me of how much I love my Sir!)

After 5 minutes, add to the Couscous the Sliced Red Onion, Minced Garlic, and Sliced Red Bell Pepper. Mix well.

Place about 1 cup (or half of the mixture) onto one side of a heart of Parchment Paper.

Top the Couscous mixture with 4-5 pieces of Shrimp.

Top the Shrimp with 2 tbs of the Red Pesto.

Fold the other half of the heart over the mixture.

Starting on the rounder side of the heart, make little folds moving along the edge of the heart sealing the mixture in. Each fold should seal the fold just before it creating a sealed parcel.

Repeat with the other piece of Parchment paper.

Bake the two Parcels for 20 minutes.

When Done, Place the Parcels on plates. Each packet is a meal in itself. open the packets, mix in the Pesto and enjoy!

Tomorrow I will be adding a touch of the unicorn section to the blog and to your life. Tidbits of discipline I have acquired over the years in the kitchen long before I donned the Cheftain hat. Because everyone can, and should at one moment of their life eat off an extended fork in a land where the only words they can say are Welcome.

Fusion Devotion

As I briefly winked at with one of my musings, we got lucky when it came to having neighbors. Sure we could have just taken the whole floor of the building and combined the three apartments into one and not have neighbors but we chose to only combine two apartments that way we wouldn't be encouraged to buy too much furniture. Hector and Bear Michael lived in such a state for a while and I'm certain the clutter was part of the reason they broke up. Luc and Nadia are an absolute revelation. Luc is from France by way of Morocco and Nadia is Peruvian by way of Spanish Harlem and the Bronx. We've had several dinner parties together with them preparing steak-frites, couscous, plantains and yucca, dates, almonds and chestnut appetizers, rice and beans marinated for hours, my favorite lamb dish djej emshmel and so much fine, fresh ceviche I haven't been able to bring myself to order the dish in a restaurant or I may spoil my palate.

For The Kept Boy Cookbook's 10th Post Celebration! I am throwing a dinner party at our house and with my newly acquired cooking skills I am going to prepare an original French Moroccan and Peruvian Fusion dish. I have the sweet and savory flavors all mapped out on my taste buds and the hours and hours of time necessary to prepare such a feast.

I handed the list of ingredients I culled from Grandpa Internet - enough for Sir, Luc and Nadia, Pepi and Pepe, me, and Agatha to have for lunch tomorrow. Two hours later when I returned from my Astrologer Keith, she had not done the shopping. Instead she fumbled around and said she was too busy to go grocery shopping and now she has a date and she said I should take everyone out to dinner for the Celebration!

Dates are very important social skills so I let her go. But when I told the sad news to Luc and Nadia they said they would prepare a meal and I should arrange the table.

Luc and Nadia came over 10 minutes later carrying a shopping bag with the name "H-Mart" on it. Luc explained that they buy these already prepared Korean Kalbi Ribs from a Market in K-town down on 32nd Street and keep them on hand for such emergencies when they have to whip up a quick meal. Nadia told me the ribs are okay but they spice them up to make them FAB-U-LOUS! They also said they know how to do this recipe from scratch and would teach it to me later, but right now this would be an amazing fix.

Shortcut Shortribs or Kwik Kalbi (Korean Style)


The Ingredients (from their shopping bag!)

-1 Container of pre-marinated Korean Shortribs (there was some sort of light sauce as well as onions, carrots, and green onions.

-1/2 can of Coca Cola (Nadia said that the Coke would add sweetness and the fizz would tenderize the meat)
-1/2 can of Heineken Beer (Luc said that Sake works best but Heineken was a great substitute)

-1 tsp of Hondashi Japanese Bonito Fish Soup Stock Base

-1/2 cup of Soy Sauce

-1 Tsp of Red Pepper Flakes
-1 Tbsp of Sesame Oil

Place the entire contents of the pre-marinated Rib Container into a marinating dish.


Add the Coke and the Heineken.


Add the Soy Sauce and the Red Pepper Flakes. Mix.

***DO NOT ADD THE SESAME OIL! I knew this because Agatha told me that when adding oils to marinades, add the oil just before cooking or the oil will keep the meat from absorbing the marinade.

Cover and let the meat marinate for at least 20 minutes.

When you are ready to cook, add in the sesame oil, give it a quick stir, and either grill or broil the meat for approximately 5-10 minutes or until done to your liking (medium-rare is usually excellent). We did ours under the broiler.


The meal turned out to be amazing. Great conversations, beautiful setting, and truly one of the best dinner parties I ever presented. I even learned a new recipe! I am beginning to suspect that maybe Agatha did this on purpose...

Celebrate Your Self!

Sir and I are constantly asked about the tale of our first meeting. Strangers on the street have done complete 360s when they pass us by, returning to harass us in the most polite way possible on how we met, because they too would like to make such a striking couple with the man of their fantasies.

And I can see why. Me, an effervescent youthful thing with a model-like form in my Carnegie Mellon sweatshirt. Sir is always dapper in fitted navy blue pin-striped suits that play off his salt and pepper hair heightened by the luminous aura of success. Together we are like caviar on top of dried shark fin- pure elegance and expensive.

Because I have been blessed with the gift of gab and I look good, during my first couple of years in the city I was constantly being invited to be the plus one at one event after another. Whether it was a charity ball, a foundation awards ceremony or a music mogul's daughters Bat Mitzvah or two I was sure to be there. The food always made up for the inconvenience of not being invited directly.



I discovered Ostrich burgers, Robiola Bosina cheese and surprisingly artichoke dip. At a certain event Sir and I reached for the same glass of Cristal from the server at the same time! We have been inseparable since except when he goes on business trips to earn more money for us.


I don't need any gifts for our anniversary since I have full access to the Black Amex card. Instead we have taken to scoring invites to events or socials to recreate our special moment. Our anniversary is still a couple of weeks away, but were asked to be the guests of an invited person to the Save the Beluga Whale and Casino Night Gala at the Waldorf this evening so Happy Anniversary to us.

Next post is the Kept Boy Cookbook's 10 post anniversary. I will be preparing a very special fusion meal dinner party to celebrate. Join me.





21! We Win!

Modern Night Ho-Down

So the art party was adorable. I highly recommend Brooklyn. My driver told me tons of people live there.

To date, I have dutifully memorized literally dozens and dozens of songs. I like to be Karaoke ready. In group Karaoke sessions once in a while I look at the monitor because it gives better Karaoke ambiance when you don't know all the words. I think it adds a sense of frivolity plus, Karaoke isn't a piano bar where you have to be more amazing than other people.

For my butch moments I have locked down the likes of Bruce Springsteen, The Rolling Stones - I (Can't Get No) Satisfaction anyone! and the collective inspiration that is Journey. The diva in me is prepared to drop a Whitney, a Tina, a Cher, a Christina, but not a Britney as a protest to all the queens who refuse to explore anything else like I do. I also mix it up with some 90s Brit pop such as Blurr and Desiree. I have never met a hipster boy whose tight acid washed jeans didn't moist and crumble off when I started singing "you gotta be bad, you gotta be bold, you gotta be wiser."

This evening I am throwing my regular Karaoke sessions at our home. I have invited Hector and his current play toy Bear Johnny, the couple across the hall Luc and Nadia, they are amazing humans and cooks and I will tell you more about them another day, Agatha, the kids Pepi and Pepe and Sir who promised he will join us after a late meeting. Pepi has been feeling shallow since his doggy spa day treatment this afternoon and plans to settle in early but Pepe will chirp along to his favorite singer Enya. Early Madonna is banned for the rest of us because that is Agatha's territory. She claims the middle years aren't ripe for her Karaoke styling and the later years aren't due until 2016.

For this favorite Japanese past time I will be serving an array of Asian treats.

The Gummy Bears of Asia: Kiwi flavored Gummi candies taste great. They even have little seeds in them, they are so good that it's impossible to eat just one.


The Popcorn of Asia: Arare or “hailstones” is a type of bite-sized Japanese cracker made from glutinous rice and flavored with soy sauce.

The Twix of Asia: Yan-Yan is a Japanese snack food that comes in a package with two compartments. One side has biscuit sticks or cracker sticks, and the other has chocolate, strawberry, or vanilla yogurt flavored frosting used for dipping.

The Cookie of Asia: Rice Cracker Cookies satisfy that complicated simultaneous craving for both salty and sweet, though the taste does lean more towards the former than the latter. The rich cookie shatters to reveal a more than generous smattering of crushed orange rice inside, while the outer coat is drizzled with a sweet sugar glaze.

The Peanuts of Asia: Edamame is a preparation of baby soybeans in the pod commonly found in Japan, China, and Korea. The pods are boiled in water together with condiments such as salt and served whole.

Sir missed the party. But before bed and sex we sang together that Desiree song. Friends and Lovers "All I know, all I know, love will save the day."