Dive S'mores

You don't need a campfire, wire hangers or long sticks to make this popular marshmallow, chocolate and graham cracker dessert. Steven Spielberg's Dive! chain of theme restaurants is the inspiration for this week's clone recipe, pulled from the third TSR book,Top Secret Restaurant Recipes (which includes otherclones from the chain as well). You need only four ingredients, an oven with a broiler, and a serious sweet tooth to put together this delicious dessert previously enjoyed only camping trips and at beach parties.

2 whole graham crackers (4 sections, not separated) two

1 1/2-ounce Hershey milk chocolate bars

16 large marshmallows

2 tablespoons Hershey's chocolate syrup, in squirt bottle

1. Preheat the broiler. Arrange the graham crackers side by side on an oven-safe plate (such as ceramic). You can also use a baking sheet.

2. Stack the milk chocolate bars side by side on top of the graham crackers.

3. Arrange the marshmallows on the chcocolate in 4 rows -- 4 across, 4 down.

4. Broil the dessert on the middle rack for 1 to 3 minutes or until the marshmallows turn light brown on top.

5. Remove the dessert from the oven. If you used a baking sheet, carefully slide the dessert onto a serving plate. With the squirt bottle, immediately drizzle the chocolate syrup over the marshmallows in a sweeping back-and-forth motion. Drizzle the chocolate diagonally across the dessert one way, and then the other, creating a cross-hatch pattern. Allow the chocolate to over-shoot the dessert so that it creates a decorative pattern on the serving plate as well.

Serves 2-4.

CHI-CHI'S CHICKEN FAJITAS

Recipe
Categories: Mexico, Restaurants, Poultry
Yield: 1 Servings
From: Brett Jones

In the last 17 years, I've worked for a LOT of restaurants :) My favorite trick was from Chi-Chi's [ha! I NEVER signed that non-disclosure agreement] .... the absolute best marinade for chicken (we used it for our fajitas) is margarita mix. Yes, just go out and find your favorite margarita mix (Mr & Mrs T's is good) or a little sweet & sour, put the chicken breasts in a shallow pan and cover with the mix. Marinate at least overnight, preferably for 24 hours.

Benihana Japanese Fried Rice

Benihana Japanese Fried Rice

When 20-year-old Rocky Aoki came to the New York City from Japan with his wrestling team in 1959 he was convinced it was the land of opportunity. Just five years later he took $10,000 he had saved plus another $20,000 that he borrowed to open a Benihana steakhouse on the West side of Manhattan.

His concept of bringing the chefs out from the back kitchen to prepare the food in front of customers on a specially designed hibachi grill was groundbreaking. The restaurant was such a smashing success that it paid for itself within six months.Here's a clone recipe for the fried rice at Banihana that is prepared by chefs with pre-cooked rice on those open hibachi grills.

4 cups cooked converted or parboiled rice (1 cup uncooked)

1 cup frozen peas, thawed2 tablespoons finely grated carrot

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup diced onion (1/2 small onion)

1 1/2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons soy sauce

salt

pepper

1. Cook rice following instructions on package (Bring 2 cups water to a boil, add rice and a dash of salt, reduce heat and simmer in covered saucepan for 20 minutes). Pour rice into a large bowl to let it cool in the refrigerator.

2. Scramble the eggs in a small pan over medium heat. Separate the scrambled chunks of egg into small pea-size bits while cooking.

3. When rice has cooled to near room temperature, add peas, grated carrot, scrambled egg and diced onion to the bowl. Carefully toss all of the ingredients together.

4. Melt 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter in a large frying pan over medium/high heat.

5. When butter has completely melted, dump the bowl of rice and other ingredients into the pan and add soy sauce plus a dash of salt and pepper. Cook rice for 6-8 minutes over heat, stirring often

This recipe serves 4.

Tidbits

This fried rice can be prepared ahead of time by cooking the rice, then adding the peas, carrots and egg plus half of the soy sauce. Keep this refrigerated until you are ready to fry it in the butter. That's when you add the salt, pepper and remaining soy sauce.