February 2012
3 posts
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Sausage...oh, and a bit of gravy too*
*It should be noted that The Wife felt like there was just too much sausage. I ask you, is that even possible?
One of my regular breakfast orders out is biscuits and gravy, so I consider myself something of an expert on the subject. I can find something redeeming in just about any version, yes, even that obviously from a mix, pasty white gravy that tops stale old biscuits. Yeah, even that...
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Darn work...
“It sure is a pain in the *#% when work gets in the way of your hobbies.” -Me
The heart of high school playoff season means 8 evening events in the past 10 nights. Late nights in the gym means no memorable meals to speak of.
That said, I can see the light and I’m anxious to get back into the kitchen. We’ve got to ease back into it though…
Cuban sandwiches
January 2012
12 posts
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Sunday Night Dinners: Pork Chops and Firm Polenta
Many Sundays call for a one-pot wonder, cooked for hours. That wasn’t the case here, but really, all that means is more pans to clean up afterwards. The kicker to this meal was the caper-tomato sauce underneath. The brine of the capers played nice with the chops, while the tomatoes were there to get sopped up by the sauted Parmesan polenta.
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Cutting edge? I think so... →
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That comforting comfort food
Some days, like from mid-October to mid-March in Seattle, are just blah. It’s gray, wet and never really gets light outside. Those are the days that scream comfort food.
For breakfast, that means a runny egg and buttery toast (and in this case some awesome tasso ham from the Swinery)…
And for an early dinner it screams classic grilled cheese (well, with smoked gouda) and tomato...
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Bacon: The wonder ingredient
“Life expectancy would grow by leaps and bounds if green vegetables smelled as good as bacon.” - Doug Larson
It’s true, even vegetarians love bacon. There are few things that aren’t made better with bacon. So…when Costco finally started carrying some of the small-batch, thick-cut, high-quality stuff, this guy here ended up with a couple pounds and a lot of ideas.
Use #1: ...
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Sunday Night Dinners: Beef Braciole
Don’t stress. It’s just a fancy name for a rolled flank steak filled with spinach, garlic and other goodness. Here’s the scoop…
…Literally. Almost everyone loves a grilled flank steak, but this little mixture adds a twist. Mix together 1/2 cup bread crumbs, 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, 1 package frozen spinach (pressed free of excess water), 4-5 cloves of pressed...
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Sunday Night Dinners: Braised. Short Ribs. Are...
Step-by-step photos of our Sunday night dinner - braised short ribs in a red wine sauce - recipe courtesy Michael Ruhlman (with only a few changes).
By tossing the short ribs in flour, a little salt and smoked paprika, before searing on all sides, you not only get that all-important crust on each piece of meat, but you also lock in a bit of extra flavor.
The addition of some chunky hunks of...
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December 2011
12 posts
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Top 10 food memories of 2011
2011 has been a crazy-busy, crazy-fun year for this guy.
At home, The Boy grew from a little ball of sleep to a little ball of energy, running around the house and continuing to amaze The Wife and I at how fast he learns. Having him around makes everything exciting and new. Vacations to Scottsdale, AZ (Feb), Crested Butte, CO (July), and Cali (Aug, Dec) gave us great excuses to see friends and...
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Holiday meals near completion, belts loosen up...
Thanksgiving, check. Christmas, check. Just a New Year’s Eve menu left to plan.
What are you making to celebrate? If you haven’t cemented your plans, I urge you to consider this easy party offering - after all, who doesn’t love roast beef sandwiches? Layer thick slices of rare beef with caramelized onions and a blue cheese-horseradish aioli and you’ve got a sandwich...
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Hey, at least they know who they are →
I love (or do I hate?) the thought process that goes on at the large chain restaurants. This Wall Street Journal article focuses on Olive Garden and it’s focus on middle america’s food pallets. Here’s a gem from the article:
At Olive Garden, pasta is served soft, not al dente or slightly firm, the traditional Italian method. Meat is often served on top of pasta, and cheese...
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Quick fix pizzas
Costco definitely has some good finds. Some go for the samples and 96 cans of corn, but these days they are carrying more and more unique, artisan, local and organic products. The ‘deals’ might not be quite as extreme with these products, but if you look hard enough you can still find some gems.
Stonefire naan are one of those. Sold frozen in 10-packs, they cost $1/ea. If you...
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On my wish list - Ruhlman's "Twenty"
I’m a big fan of author/chef Michael Ruhlman. One of his earlier books, The Making of a Chef: Mastering Heat at the Culinary Institute of America, was one of the better food industry pieces I’ve read, and his work with Bourdain and Symon lend to his food credibility and show his personality.
For those reasons, as well as the interesting sounding concept, his newest book Twenty is on...
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Bacon, rosemary and smoked Swiss bread pudding
Bread pudding, both savory and sweet, is awesome. These individual-sized breakfast bundles are just another example.
Bacon, rosemary and smoked Swiss bread pudding
4-5 one-inch thick slices of day-old bread (italian white used here)
5 slices of good bacon
2 large sprigs of rosemary
1/2 cup smoked Swiss cheese, shredded
6 eggs
1 cup whole milk
Salt and pepper to taste
Cut the bread...
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The easiest chicken noodle soup you'll ever make
Use your slow cooker to make this tasty homemade soup. It’s ridiculously easy. All you need is a chicken carcass from your freezer (what, you don’t have one or two in your freezer?) and a little time.
Slow cooker chicken noodle soup
1 chicken carcass, reserved from a previously roasted chicken (this one still had all the dark meat on it)
1 onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
2...
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Breaking the cycle
When you’re a week removed from Thanksgiving and your ‘fridge is still filled with leftovers it starts getting a little old. The turkey was used up after sandwich three or four, the gravy going and cranberry sauce going with it. That left the remains - some mashed potatoes, a bit of stuffing, and a few sweet potatoes - to be pushed further toward the back of the ‘fridge by the...
November 2011
14 posts
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Better than a green bean casserole
If you’re looking to try out a new side dish this Thanksgiving, I strongly suggest you give this brussels sprouts (yes, it’s “brussels”. this surprised me too.) recipe a try. We whipped it up at home this Sunday and the bowl was wiped clean at The Wife’s work potluck on Monday. I can’t take credit for this one though, as inspiration came from...
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Just your average 10-page essay on cooking... →
From Bon Appetit: Eight years ago, BA published Alton Brown’s brined and roasted turkey recipe (that’s, ahem, before he was the celebri-chef we all know and love today). The five-page essay/cooking class took readers step by step, from selecting to carving, to a perfect holiday bird. This was before brining for flavor was as common as pumpkin pie. The approach was a revelation...
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This stuffed stuffing isn't a soggy side
If you get anything from this post, let it be these two points:
Stuffing doesn’t have to be soggy and jammed into a turkey carcass.
Italian sausage makes everything better
Any thing else is just gravy (pun intended).
My stuffing is another nod to my Dad whose recipe this really is. And like most things on this blog, this recipe is subject to change with additions or subtractions...
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Golden beet soup: A great T-day starter
Why don’t beets get more run on Thanksgiving? It seems like they’re made for such an occasion, with their earthiness to pair with the potatoes and stuffing and the sweetness to pair nicely with the turkey a-la the cranberry sauce.
So, while other households are stuck on mushy and bland green bean casserole, I’m always looking for a new way to work beets into the meal. ...
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A turkey-less alternative to the big day
I’ve heard rumor that not everyone loves turkey. Odds are, it’s probably because the bird is overcooked and paired with some bland gravy, but hey, I’m not saying it’s the most flavorful protein out there.
If you’re looking for something different to serve on Thanksgiving, give this lamb roast a try…or check back around Easter to try it out then. The hardest...
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Building the Thanksgiving menu
As many of you know, I love T-day (almost as proportional to how much I hate Halloween). It’s like an opportunity to throw the best dinner party out there because your guests are laid back, relaxed, happy to be around each other and ready to eat anything!
In the kitchen it’s the perfect opportunity to do the kind of cooking I like best. That’s to take staples and classics and...
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Pork, white bean and roasted poblano chili
Nothing screams cool fall weather and a great night of college football like a pot of chili. This time, I altered my go-to recipe (and when you’re doing a chili, do you really need a go-to?) to include some hearty white beans, slow cooked pork and some smoky roasted poblanos. Here’s the scoop:
Pork, white bean and roasted poblano chili
2 lbs. boneless pork country ribs, cut into...
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Dinner with The Goat
Last night The Wife and I finally dined at Canlis. It’s been on our list for a while, but for one reason or another we just never pulled the trigger and visited this Seattle icon. Then came Girl & The Goat and Stephanie Izard’s - she of Top Chef and Food & Wine’s Best New Chef fame - whirlwind tour, and we splurged on a great way indulge on a weeknight out courtesy...
October 2011
7 posts
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It's blog-fficial: It's time for real photos now
After nearly ten full months of taking crappy food photos with the ol’ point and click, we finally pulled the trigger on a real camera and this blog is about to be stepped up a few notches.
From here on out, all photos will be taken with our new Canon EOS Rebel T3 with a 50mm portrait lens just for these occasions.
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Quick and Easy French Onion Soup
Want some quick and easy comfort food for those dim Autumn nights on the horizon? Start thinking soups. While some soups make a better weekend endeavor and require 3-4 hours of prep and execution, don’t be afraid of this French Onion recipe. All in all you can be eating a bowl of rich soup in less than two hours. Here’s how:
French Onion Soup:
3 sweet onions, cut into thin...
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As the leaves turn...
This project began as my 2011 New Year’s Resolution - a way of documenting all of the good food to come out of our kitchen and a way to attempt to sketch out some recipes that others have asked for in the past and I had been unable to recite from memory. This blog started a few months later when I realized that empty pictures on Facebook just wasn’t doing this project justice.
So here...
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September 2011
9 posts
2 tags
Roasted tomatillo sauce
You gotta love when an experiment turns out great!
Roasted tomatillo sauce
4 medium sized tomatillos, husks removed
1/2 large sweet onion, cut into quarters
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1 tsp sea salt
2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp chili powder
1 small handful fresh cilantro
1/2 lime, juiced
1 tbsp salted butter
Salt and pepper to taste
Place tomatillos, quartered onions, garlic, sea salt and...
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