If you want to learn to copycat your favorite menu item from Famous Dave’s, this article will help get you going!

Have you ever tasted something that was just delicious, but you can’t quite tell what that hint of something is in the background. It’s a vaguely familiar taste, but you just can’t put your finger on it. It’s right on the tip of your tongue. Oh yea, that pun was intended!

Well, you would like to try to recreate this recipe, but it seems to be a carefully guarded secret at your favorite restaurant, so I guess you’re on your own. The first thing that you should try to do is identify the flavor that is eluding you. You may want to scan through some recipes and see what spices are typically found in this dish. Give each spice a taste individually and see if any of them hit the mark. If you are still having problems identifying a particular spice, this may be an excellent time to take a friend to dinner, and see if they have better luck identifying the flavors.

If they do, hurray, but if they do not you may want to go to another restaurant and order the same dish. If the dish has the same flavor, you can see if this chef is a little more forthcoming. Also, don’t overlook the wait staff. They generally are pretty well versed in what’s on the menu and its ingredients. Now that you have identified the ingredients, it’s just a matter of getting the proportions right.

So start cooking, and make good notes with each attempt. You would think that you’d be able to remember what you tweak between each attempt, but after a few tries they all seem to blur together. Don’t be discouraged if it takes a few tries, just pour a glass of wine and enjoy each valiant attempt.

To get you started here is a recipe for Famous Dave’s Jalapeno Puree!

Ingredients:

5 fresh jalapeno chilies 1/4 cup olive oil 1 1/2 tablespoons of fresh lime juice (fresh really adds to the flavor) 1 tablespoons of water 1 clove of minced garlic 1 cup packed fresh cilantro (again, the fresher the better)

Roast the five jalapenos under a broiler or on the grill until the skin is a bit charred. Place them in a brown bag for approx. 5-10 minutes. Peel off the skins (the brown bag should make the skins almost fall off). Remove the stems from the jalapenos. Puree them with the other ingredients in a food processor. Season with a dash of salt to taste (don’t overdue the salt). Enjoy!

Find out more about Famous Dave’s Restaurant Recipes at Copycat Restaurant Recipes