Rawtalent's Club Eclectia

Homemade Crab, Mushroom, Roasted Red Pepper and Parmesan Ravioli with Shrimp and Pancetta Cream

2012-01-08T08:36:00.000-08:00

Something to make on a lazy Sunday morning. First I made the ravioli dough and let it rest an hour in the fridge. While that was going on I combined crabmeat, mushrooms, celery, onion, roasted red peppers and parmesan cheese in the food processor and gave it a buzz. Seemed to be a bit watery so I tossed in some cornbread that had dried out on the counter due to slovenly storage procedures.

The dough was run through a pasta machine and the filling placed a tablespoon at a t time along half the dough. A brush with water and the other half of the dough was placed on top. I cut the raviolis and let them rest while I made the sauce.

Crab and shrimp shells were simmered for 30 minutes and the stock strained. The pancetta was sweated in a pan and garlic and white wine were added. When the pancetta was cooked I added the stock and reduced it by half til the flavor was intense. A bit of heavy cream with some cornstarch mixed in was added to thicken the sauce. I cooked the fresh ravioli for about 3 minutes and put it all together. Very Nice!

Kicking off 2012.....

2012-01-01T11:41:00.000-08:00

...with Peach Upsidedown Cake for breakfast. Bad start on my New Year's resolution to lose 20lbs. Last year I vowed to lose 30 and I lost 32 but put 10 back on over the holidays so I have the pleasure of losing them again.

Holiday Treats...My Way

2011-12-21T05:10:00.000-08:00

Fruitcakes, Christmas cookies , gingerbread men etc are all fine and good. In fact I really enjoy some pfeffernuese with my morning coffee this time of year, but for me it is a time to practice the high art of charcuterie. First I made up my annual batch of Sicilian Christmas Sausage. Basically Italian Sausage flavored with fennel seeds the special holiday version contains dry white wine and pecorino romano cheese. This year I added fresh rosemary from the garden along with an extra dose of crushed red pepper. It turned out really nice and went well with pasta and some kind of green stuff :).

I had 2 pork bellies in the freezer left from a recent hog butchering adventure. It was a small pig meant to be cooked whole but plans changed so it was "parted". Being only 100lbs dressed the belly was too thin to make slicing bacon but very nice for rolled up pancetta. The bellies were skinned, seasoned with salt, pepper, cure, thyme, rosemary (again, fresh from the garden), nutmeg and probably some other stuff I don't recall. A week to cure in the fridge, rolled and hung to dry for about 10 days.

Pasta ala Carbonara coming soon!

Another Version Of Shrimp And Grits

2011-12-17T09:31:00.000-08:00

I've had pancetta curing and drying for a couple of weeks now and took one that I left unrolled to speed up the process and just had to use it in some dish. I found about a cup of Carolina Plantation Stoneground grits in the pantry and I was off!

I rendered the diced pancetta and removed the cracklin's. They were added to the grits along with diced roasted red pepper, garlic and scallion and all was cooked in stock. When the grits were nearly done the shrimp were dusted with Pig Pen Spicy seasoning and blackened in the pancetta drippings. The shrimp were removed from the pan and a pat of butter added. Mushrooms and garlic sauteed and the dish assembled. Good eats!

Sometimes You Just Want BBQ Chicken

2011-12-03T04:49:00.000-08:00

Seems like everytime I cook BBQ Chicken I end up actually practicing for competition which means thighs and a lengthty process involving scraping the fat from the skin and pinning the skin with toothpicks etc.

Today I bought a package of drumstix 'cause the kids and I love 'em. Brined 2 1/2 hours and rubbed with Pig Pen Spicy seasoning. In the smoker at 240 degrees for 3 hours. Basted with homemade sauce every so often. Many beers consumed on a sunny day. I'm gonna cook more chicken this way.

Leftover Turkey

2011-11-30T07:22:00.001-08:00

For years I used the leftover carcass from the Thanksgiving turkey to make soup. One big pot with veggies, noodles etc. The problem was that it ended up being such a large amount everyone was sick of it before it was gone.

Then the last few years I avoided soup altogether and made various gelled sausages (carcasswurst) and meat loaves. This year I just made a big pot of stock and used it in 3 recipes along with the meat from the turkey.

First up....Faux Leberknoedel Soup. I used the leftover bread stuffing(seasoned with fresh sage and rosemary from the garden) mixed with some turkey meat, onions. celery etc chopped in the food processor to make the dumpling (knoedel) which was cooked in the broth. Not much to look at but good to eat.

Second round was homemade andouille and turkey gumbo. Much more interesting visually and gastronomically.

And the final installment, Avgolemono soup. This is an awesome dish using egg and lemon juice to finish the soup. I sauteed onion, celery and garlic then added the broth along with some arborio rice. Simmered 20 minutes then added diced turkey meat and finally the tempered egg and lemon juice. The ratio is juice of 1 lemon combined with one egg into 1 quart broth. It was fantastic. The egg adds richness and body which is balanced by the acid from the lemon juice.

Cracker Coated Chicken Breast

2011-11-22T08:50:00.000-08:00

The homemade Garlic Parmesan Black Pepper crackers were really good but I finally got down to small pieces of broken crackers. I gave them a buzz in the food processor and used the crumbs to coat chicken breast. A visit to the cast iron fry pan and the result was fantastic!

I'll Never Buy Triscuits Again

2011-11-16T05:24:00.000-08:00

I was looking at the price of crackers in the supermarket the other day and it struck me that they are pretty high priced considering what they are. I looked up a couple of recipes on the 'net and found they are simple to make with a few ingredients and decided to give cracker baking a try. The first batch was Garlic Parmesan and Black Pepper Crackers. It was a simple dough that I rolled out with the pasta machine and baked for 10 minuites. Awesomely good!

With a schmeer of cream cheese and a dollop of homemade picapeppa sauce.

Leftovers

2011-10-19T07:26:00.000-07:00

I always enjoy the challenge of using up leftovers in a manner more interesting and appealing than just reheating and eating. I had a bunch of cheese cubes leftover from the cheese tray at a recent catering job and a bit of waffle batter from last Sunday's breakfast. I was considering what to do with those items when I noticed my chile peppers were doing quite well in their container on the back deck. Chile Rellenos! I cut a "door" in the side of the peppers and inserted some cheddar then used the cubed pepper jack cheese to make a sauce. Dipped in waffle batter and deep fried.

The result was really good so I grabbed a cherry pepper I got from a friend's garden and gave it the same treatment. Also fine eating!

Weight Loss Effort Update

2011-09-14T07:06:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted any updates since April because I didn't lose any weight from April until August when I last weighed. My goal was to lose 30 lbs starting Jan1 and by the end of April I had shed 20lbs. After that I didn't lose any more but I didn't gain anymore either. I was pretty well resigned to the fact that 20 lbs would be all I could lose without enduring great sacrifice which ain't my style.

I kept up with the changes in my eating and exercise habits and about the end of August I noticed my clothes were fitting more loosely. I checked my weight and found another 4 lbs had come off in 4 months. Today I weighed again and another 2 have disappeared! 2 more lbs to reach my goal!

I've done this with small changes that I can sustain. Smaller portions and more exercise...who knew!

Any Way You Slice It....

2011-08-26T07:40:00.000-07:00

....it's a lot of bologna.

3 1/2 lbs beef brisket and 1 1/2 lbs pork butt cubed and seasoned.

After being ground the meat was emulsified in a food processor.

I came back from my trip to Pittsburgh with a Berkel 12 1/2" commercial slicer. It made short work of the 5lb chub of bologna.

Lunch today: Grilled Bologna Steak with Pasta Salad and Cheese.

Good Eats In Pittsburgh

2011-08-16T11:36:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure of spending 4 days at a friend's house in Pittsburgh last week. I arrived Thursday in the early afternoon and we spent the evening grilling on his Weber kettle. Cherry tomatoes and cherry peppers from the garden, shrimp marinated in lemon juice with lime pepper and venison loin soaked for 2 days in a mixture of chili peppers and spices. It all turned out great.

Friday morning we went to the Strip District and walked by the original Primanti Bros restaurant. Didn't stop for lunch because I really don't care for their food. They got famous for putting cole slaw and french fries on top of the sandwiches but the fries are either always soggy or over cooked and I hate the Italian dressing they put on the slaw.

A better choice for lunch was just up the street at Roland's where the lobster roll is king.

After a few more stops in the strip District we headed over to Vecenie's Beer distributing to purchase some good stuff to go along with the food.

Friday night I cooked one of my special dishes which I call Seafood Extravaganza. We decided to do it on the grill so the dish started out in 2 pans. Peppers, onions and celery were sweated in some olive oil followed by homemade andouille then clams and mussels from Wholly's were steamed in the pans. The mollusks were removed when they opened and shrimp were added to the pan juices. When the shrimp were done all was put into a big pot and served with foccacia from Pennsylvania macaroni.

Saturday we worked pouring beer at the Millvale Beer Festival. We were lucky to get the Dogfish Head booth and poured (drank) Raisin d' Etre and 60 Minute IPA all afternoon. The last hour of the fest we brought out the Midas Touch made from an ancient recipe found in Egypt and Palo Santo, a high alcohol brew aged in barrels made from wood of the same name imported from Brazil. There was a buffet for the public and volunteers and it was pure Pittsburgh cuisine: hot italian sausage, kielbasa and meatball sandwiches.

Sunday was Czernina (duck blood soup) with kluski noodles made by some Polish church ladies. The plums in the soup cut some of the richness of the broth but a splash of malt vinegar made it perfect.

It was a great trip and I'm looking forward to the next one which, as it turns out, will be next month. We were on the waiting list to cook at the Sam's Club BBQ Championship and surprisingly were called up to fill an unexpected vacancy.

Trip To The Coast

2011-07-25T09:48:00.001-07:00

Joined my friend Boyce for our annual sheepshead fishing trip to Morehead City NC this past weekend. We arrived Thursday night and had everything ready to go Friday morning. 6 am found us scurrying around the beach chasing fiddler crabs and cutting our fingers on oyster shells. After we had gathered enough bait we hit the water. It was very windy and fishing conditions were tough. We did alot of traveling trying to find some calm water and some fish. We finally got to a spot that gave up 8 keepers including a nice 5 lb'er.

Saturday was again windy but we found a spot under a bridge that was out of the sun and shielded from the wind. we took 12 keepers off of one piling and caught a few more in several different spots. For many fiddler crabs this is the last sight you see.

Sunday morning found us fishing again at first light but the wind had gotten even worse and after catching one fish we had the boat loaded on the trailer and headed home by 7am. Total catch was 32 keepers, 5 throwbacks, 1 very unlucky flounder and about a million undersized black bass.

Grilled Chicken Club Sandwich....

2011-07-21T06:05:00.001-07:00

...for breakfast. One of my Supersteak tomatoes finally reached the ripe stage. Weighing in at over a pound one slice covered an entire piece of bread.

With some grilled chicken left over from last night's quesadilla dinner it made a great club sandwich. The big thick slice of homegrown tomato made it great.

Not Taking Any Chances

2011-07-18T05:14:00.001-07:00

I've been getting a steady crop of tennis ball sized Early Girl tomatoes (pictured in front) along with a few Brandywine and cherry tomatoes from the garden. I have one Supersteak plant. The first behemoth Supersteak turned ripe a couple of days ago and I picked it with great anticipation of enjoying a sandwich with a slice of tomato big enough to cover the entire slice of bread. I found the bottom of the tomato had been attacked by some bug or creature and I had to throw it away.

Today I picked the next two Supersteaks and got them a little green so they can ripen on the counter. The one on the right weighed in at 1 lb 4oz and the other 1 lb even.

Boogie Chil'un

2011-07-08T04:05:00.000-07:00

Garden Fresh

2011-06-27T09:28:00.001-07:00

Starting to get a steady supply of fresh veggies and herbs out of the garden on a daily basis. This morning I picked tomatoes, cayennes, cilantro, green beans and dill. The tomatoes, cilantro and peppers were destined to become salsa. With some added onion, garlic and lime zest and juice all that was needed was a little salt.

I did a quick pickle on the green beans and put some salsa on top of a sheepshead fillet seasond with Pig Pen Original. Added some cold boiled shrimp 'cause...I could.

Pig Roast

2011-06-14T04:19:00.001-07:00

I catered a pig roast a couple of weeks ago. I stopped buying pigs from the local slaughter house because they always seemed to have and ear missing as a result of processing. For a typical southern pig pickin' it doesn't matter much if an ear is gone because the pig is cooked on its

back. But I'm not offering "typical" so I cook my pigs racing style and appearance is important.

My new supplier always has provided me with unblemished pigs but this one was also missing an ear. As far as I can tell he never had one. No hole, no scar on nothing! Nobody seemed to mind. I've gotten two calls from folks who were at the event wanting to hire me for their parties. All's well.

Fishing Report

2011-06-05T03:08:00.000-07:00

Went on my annual Memorial weekend fishing trip to the North Carolina coast. Friday and Saturday were spent inshore fishing for sheepshead and Saturday was offshore for mahi, at least that was the intention. After trolling for a couple of hours and only 2 mahi to show for the effort we switched over to tuna lures and caught a few just as a squall line started to bear down on us. A lightning strike close by when you're 40 miles off shore is a bit unnerving.

We went back to the mahi set up and trolled out of harms way but that resulted in 2 hours of no fish. Once we got around the storm we once again targeted the tuna and it paid off. 6 mahi and 67 blackfin tuna!

The sheepshead bite was good too. This is Sunday's catch and Friday produced about the same results.

Didn't take long after returning home to grill up a small tuna loin that had been marinated in soy sauce, fresh ginger, garlic and a bit of sesame oil. Sided with a salad featuring my first homegrown tomato of 2011.

Playing For Change "Gimme Shelter"

2011-06-01T09:16:00.000-07:00

It's An Age Old Story....

2011-05-25T07:39:00.000-07:00

...even if you're a brim. One minute you're just hanging out getting ready for some love

An then along comes some lowdown snake who steals your woman!

I noticed the water was clear and calm and decided to click a pic of the brim spawning bed next to the backyard. When I came back with the camera I saw this snake hovering over the bed and in a few seconds he had snagged one of the occupants. I don't know how he figured he was going to swallow it but he didn't let go. Finally the two struggled out of sight and I didn't witness the outcome.

Slim Pickin's....

2011-05-17T12:15:00.000-07:00

....is what I found in the fridge. Half a grilled chicken breast, a couple schrooms near the end of useful life, a chunk of cauliflower and some celery and carrots. Not very exciting but with the addition of some fresh ginger, chicken stock, soy sauce and sesame oil it all added up to pretty good stir fry dish.

Weight Loss Program, 4 Months In

2011-05-05T05:05:00.000-07:00

I started out the month with a goal of losing 6 pounds. I lost 4. Not a 2 pound failure but a 4 pound success. I lost 4 last month but figured with the warmer weather I would be engaged in a lot more physical activity and more weight loss would result.

My activity level did increase what with lawn mowing and trimming along with rebuilding my dock and assorted other home maintanence issues. I did, however, forget to take into account the increased beer consumption that would go along with the nice weather and higher level of activity. I mean, when it's 4 o'clock in the afternoon on a sunny 80 degree day and you've been lumping pressure treated 2X8X12's down the hill all morning you just gotta spend some time under the oak tree sipping a few and looking at the lake.

20 pounds in 4 months, about a pound a week. That is something I can maintain and that is the key. If you go "on" a diet you will eventually go "off" your diet and soon you'll be back where your fat ass started. It's behavioral change that lasts. If more people understood this there would be fewer TV commercials with that Hudson woman wailing.

Next month--4 more pounds.

Easter Egg

2011-04-25T09:48:00.001-07:00

Canned apricot half in a pool of white chocolate with smashed chocolate chip "pepper". I was going to make these for the kids breakfast easter morning but after making this one I changed my mind! More involved than I had planned.

Smoke 'Em If Ya Got 'Em

2011-04-20T07:26:00.001-07:00

I caught this 5 lb sheepshead last summer and its been in the freezer waiting for this day. A 1 hour brine then caressed for 6 hours with hickory love.

The skin and scales peel off easily and the meat flakes from the bones.

The meat combined with lemon juice, lemon zest, grated fresh ginger, salt, celery, onion, fresh chives, capers and Pig Pen Hot seasoning.

I didn't have any saltines so I thin sliced some french bread I had baked a few days ago and gave it the twice baked zweiback treatment. With a squeeze of fresh lemon and a sprinkle of more Pig Pen it was a fine, light lunch. Woulda gone well with a chilled white wine but I have a doctor's appointment in a couple of hours. Don't want to show up drunk and be declined for a pain killer prescription :)

A Tale Of Dr'd Souse

2011-04-19T09:03:00.001-07:00

Restaurant Depot, my usual source for St Louis cut ribs has been out of them lately so I have been buying whole racks of spare ribs and cutting them down myself. This resulted in a 2 1/2 gallon ziplock full of rib tips and trimmings. I found myself out of hog tongues, snouts and skin so I decided to use up the rib tips to make souse. I cured the rib tips for 3 days then simmered them til the meat came off the bones, about 5 hours. The recipe called for red peppers and sweet pickles. I didn't have the pickles so I used a jar of relish I made last summer. That explains the corn kernels. The meat was seasoned with salt, white pepper, cloves and mixed with gelatin and some of the stock then put in a mold. Chilled overnight.

For lunch today I had a slice of the souse and wilted lettuce salad along with warm potato salad made with Yukon Golds. Some of the stock was used in the dressing.

Pesto, Pasta and Peppers....

2011-04-12T10:15:00.001-07:00

...with homemade chicken Italian sausage. Right now the oregano and chives are the stars of the garden. In an effort to eat the freshest stuff around I picked a bunch of those two herbs and combined them with some parsley, garlic, olive oil and toasted walnuts in the blender. After a whirl I seasoned it all with some salt and mixed in some fresh grated parmesan. I sliced up a roasted red pepper and tossed it and the pesto with some pasta. A chicken sausage on the side and lunch was a winner.

Braciole Sandwich

2011-04-10T06:21:00.000-07:00

Leftover sliced braciole on toasted home baked bread with sauce and melted provelone.

3 Months Of Weight Loss

2011-04-04T07:56:00.000-07:00

My goal was to lose 5 lbs this month but I only lost 4. Not too unhappy with that since I'm taking a relatively painless approach. My morning routine of working out with hand weights and then 20 minutes of exercise has become a habit, just like a morning shower or brushing my teeth. I started with 20 reps with 15 lb weights and now do 30 reps with 20 lb weights. Also started doing leg lifts on a resistance machine. The muscles in the upper leg are the largest in your body so when you work those you really burn calories. The endorphin shot I get every morning from my workout gets the day off to a good start. Shooting for 6lbs off this month.

More Fun With Leftovers

2011-03-30T08:43:00.000-07:00

I was taking inventory of the freezer this morning when I found a vac sealed package of smoked sausage. The three links looked smaller than what I usually make and when I opened the pack I realized these were refugees from the brat booth. It was apparent they had spent an evening in the steam table and were not in their pristene condition. Still, considering the labor involved in making sausage I didn't want to throw them away. In the fridge I found about a half cup of corn left from dinner a couple of nights ago and a small block of cheddar cheese not far for molding. So what to do? I opted for cooking up some Carolina Plantation Stoneground grits with the sausage and corn then folding in cubed cheese at the end. With a little homemade habenero hot sauce on top it proved to be good eats.

It's Friday. I need My Pils

2011-03-25T13:04:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you hear references to a beverage being either beer or ale. That's like saying meat or beef. Beer is generally divided into two categories: lager or ale. Lager is fermented at cooler temperatures for longer periods than ale and requires more ageing. Lager has a cleaner crisper taste. Most German beers are lagers.

This is a Pilsner ( a style first brewed hundreds of years ago in the Czech town of Pilsen, known for having very soft water) that I brewed a couple of months ago. Most ales I brew are ready to drink in about 3 weeks but the reward of waiting for the long lagering process is well worth it. Very happy with the way this beer turned out. My basement is too warm to ferment any more lagers 'til next winter so I'll really enjoy this treat.

Gotta Work With What Ya Got

2011-03-16T07:36:00.000-07:00

Most days my lunch is made up of leftovers. Today was no exception. Looking in the fridge I found some grilled BLSL chicken breast and the 2 last slices of a package of provolone. In the bread bin there were 2 slices and the heel from a loaf of seeded rye. I had a senior moment last week and thought last Thursday was St Patrick's Day so I did the corned beef then and have been using the rye for Reuben sandwiches. I haven't posted pics of the Reuben's because I have so many on this blog already and they all look pretty much the same.

Today's use of leftovers resulted in a sort of rye club sandwich. From the bottom up" Rye bread, chicken breast, bacon (not leftover.... never any leftover..lol), more rye, roasted red pepper, provolone and the last piece of rye. Mayo on all the bread slices properly including both sides of the middle slice. Was good.

Blackened Pig Pen Fishcakes with Andouille Shrimp Sauce

2011-03-09T08:34:00.000-08:00

I used up some sheepshead from the freezer the other night to make fishcakes. There were a couple left over so today I coated them with my favorite seafood seasoning Pig Pen's Original.

I started by peeling some shrimp and making a stock from the shells. I sauteed onion, celery and red pepper along with some andouille and garlic. Next I blackened/reheated the fishcakes in a hot pan and added flour to the veggies. I stirred in the stock and the shrimp and by the time the sauce was thick the shrimp were cooked just right.

Weight Loss Effort: Month Two

2011-03-04T08:21:00.001-08:00

I began this 2nd month of weight loss effort at 208. 12 lbs down from my start. Today I weighed in at....208! Shit. It isn't that I didn't lose any weight. I gained 4 lbs back by being slovenly in my pursuit of weight loss and I took those extra pounds off in the last 2 weeks. While I haven't lost any weight this month there have been changes. The waistband on the pants is looser. My belly is flater. People around me seem shorter. I didn't get any taller but the curls I do with 20lb handweights every day has strengthened my back and improved my posture so
I'm standing taller. I moved areas of fat to areas of muscle.

I'm a little discouraged but I'm not giving up. I feel and look better and can do yardwork and complete other tasks with less effort. So I'm going for 5 more pounds of weight loss this month.

But for today...screw it! This Fried Bologna, Onion and Swiss on Toasted Whole Wheat should hold me 'til the ribs are done and it's time to draw a pint of homebrew.

Got Some Good Press

2011-03-03T06:27:00.000-08:00

I've been making sausage for a local restaurant since January. It is a recipe I developed for them from my memories of the smoked sausage served at BBQ joints in Texas. Down there you don't get pork BBQ you get brisket, sausage and maybe chicken. The sausage is smoked and has a nice "bite", meaning snap when you chomp down on it. The "bite" comes from proper stuffing and has nothing to do with the ingredients although there is a certain amount of spiciness.

This week a local food critic went to sample the BBQ at the restaurant and mentioned the sausage in his column. Here is the portion devoted to the sausage:

"And now we come to the smoked sausage. If you’re smart, you’ll stop reading right now, go get in your car/truck/horse-drawn carriage or whatever and head for the smokehouse and buy as much of the sausage as you can carry.

I am a big fan of smoked sausage, with the concatenation of meat, spices and smoke all working together to produce a finished product with as many variations as there are tumbleweeds on the Texas prairie. The sausage at Center Street Smokehouse is as good or better as any I ate during nearly a quarter-century in the Lone Star State. The meat is juicy without being greasy, the casing has a great snap, the smoke flavor is pronounced, and the spice has just the right kick"

I've been approached by another restaurant to supply a large volume of 3 different kinds of sausage, a traditional German bratwurst, a chicken bratwurst and a Polish kielbasa. They sampled a lot of different products available from food purveyors but liked mine much better.

But the money. I make sausage a certain size with top quality spices for a reason. They started wanting me to cut down from 3/lb to 5/lb and use less spice. At first it seemed like supplying them would be a good opportunity to expand but I won't compromise quality so I declined. Adherence to principles is a virtue, but not always free.

Muffaletta '11

2011-02-18T07:53:00.000-08:00

My annual salute to the greatest sanswich this side of a rueben. On a home baked roll. From bottom up: Salami, roasted red pepper, provelone, turkey, pastrami, swiss cheese, ham and olive salad.

Another Lowcountry Dish

2011-02-17T09:07:00.001-08:00

Country Captain

I had a few extra chicken thighs left after trimming a bunch for competition and I've been thinking about making this dish but the combination of curry powder and currents kinda had me worried. Courage prevailed and I browned 2 of the floured thighs in oil. When they were GBD I took them from the pan and added some chopped green pepper. onion, celery and garlic. I let them cook awhile then added fresh tomatoes, currents and curry powder. When all that was heated thoroughly I put the chicken in a casserole dish and poured the tomato mixture over the top. Into a 350 oven for 1 hour.

When the chicken was almost done I toasted sliced almonds in a pan with butter then strained the butter into the stock that I cooked the rice in.

It was a fantastic dish!

Sunset On Lake Wylie SC 2/15/11

2011-02-16T08:49:00.000-08:00

Buffalo/Baltimore Fusion Cuisine

2011-02-15T10:37:00.001-08:00

I've been thinking of doing a Baltimore style Pit Beef for awhile now. Then yesterday I saw where a friend of mine posted about making Beef on Weck which is a favorite from Western NY where I grew up. Today I went to the store and picked up a small beef bottom round roast and seared it over crazy hot lump charcoal fire til it reached 121 degrees internal temp.

That's pretty rare but the finely shaved beef was dropped into hot jus and that cooked it a little more towards the medium stage.

I brushed to top of a Kaiser roll with melted butter and sprinkled it with coarse kosher salt and caraway seeds. An awesome sandwich if I do say so.

Buy Girl Scout Cookies

2011-02-09T11:07:00.001-08:00

PLEASE!!!

The Super Bowel First Down Platter

2011-02-06T09:16:00.001-08:00

A Wisconsin style bratwurst on the right side, a Pittsburgh "kolbossi" on the left. Bacon wrapped pitted prune stuffed with cream cheese and jalapeno "football" in the middle. Pitt scores with pierogi with carmelized onions and sour cream. Green Bay scores with beer and cheddar soup. On a field of sauerkraut.

On edit: Yes, I meant "Bowel" ...it's a joke.

A Part Of Me Is Gone

2011-02-04T09:29:00.000-08:00

More accurately, part of all of me is gone. Today marks the end of 1 month of weight loss effort on my part. I'm down 12 pounds and I'm pretty happy about it since I'm doing it with as little pain as possible. I could easily have lost alot more but I'm looking to take a behavioral approach that will keep the weight off. I am, admittedly, weak both of mind and character. I can't starve myself for a month and then maintain a lower weight. I need to gradually adopt habits that lend themselves to weigh loss.

The first 8 pounds came off rather easily since it was the seasonal Halloween candy/turkey/dressing/mashed potatoes/gravy/pumpkin pie/Christmas cookies/Prime rib/mashed potatoes/gravy/cheesecake/ham/black eyed peas weight that goes on every year starting at the end of October. Simply eating a more reasonable selection and quantity of food helped lose that weight. A moderate amount of exercise and better menu planning has resulted in the rest of the weight reduction. I'm not going to follow an aggressive regime of workout and denial for very long. I use hand weights for 10 minutes every morning (except weekends) and do 20 minute cardio which includes running up and down stairs 20 times on weekdays. Allowing myself to slack off on weekends results in putting a couple pounds back on by Monday morning, but it also allows me to keep up the weekday routine that takes off 4-5 pounds each week.

Looking to lose another 5 pounds this month. We'll see.

Not Your Daddy's Pulled Pork Sandwich.

2011-02-01T07:46:00.000-08:00

So you go to a BBQ restaurant here in the Carolinas and order a pulled pork sandwich. What you get is some grey shredded meat cooked in an insulated oven with a couple little wood chips for smoke flavor with either the standard mayo based slaw or the standard vinegar based slaw and served on a hamburger bun. Boring!

So here goes, The Pork Trifecta Sandwich. Smoked chorizo, pulled bbq pork (cooked over an all wood fire-now that's flavor), jalapeno slaw and bacon. Served on a home baked roll.

With some Pig Pen seasoned fries on the side.

Steak Sandwich

2011-01-31T09:22:00.001-08:00

Yesterday I did a flank steak hot and nasty on the grill. Quick sear on both sides and done. Rare in the middle. Today I decided to make a sandwich out of the leftovers and started by baking some rolls. While they were in the oven I caramelized some onions and made some jus. After the rolls were done and cooled a bit I split one and spread it with horseradish/worchestershire sauce then layed on a roasted red pepper. Next came a generous helping of the thin sliced steak which had been warmed for a minute in the jus.

On top of the beef went the caramelized onions, salt and pepper and provolone cheese. A couple of minutes under the broiler to melt the cheese and it was time to eat.

Rueben Lasagna

2011-01-28T08:25:00.000-08:00

My ongoing quest to keep the refrigerator from being stuffed with leftovers takes me in some strange directions. Today I found a ziplock with some lasagna noodles that were extra from the lasagna my wife made the other night. There was a link of homemade kielbasa that had been the victim of an accident while being removed from the smoker and had broken in half. In the freezer was a small package of corned beef left from some long ago dinner. So, with sauerkraut and cheese always on hand I came up with this.

From the bottom up: Sauerkraut, corned beef, Russian dressing, cheese, lasagna noodle, sauerkraut, kielbasa, dressing, noodle and cheese. It was actually delicious!

Arroz Con Pollo, A Mi Manera...

2011-01-27T08:09:00.001-08:00

....Rice With Chicken, My Way.

A universal dish that has only two rules. It must contain rice and it must contain chicken. My kinda cookin'.

Today I found myself dealing with a chicken carcass leftover from Sunday's roast chicken dinner. After simmering the carcass for three hours I stripped the meat from the bones and poured the stock in a container for later use. I had stuffed 2 onions up the bird when it was roasted and they went into a pot along with some diced smoked chorizo, roasted red pepper, celery and homemade chile paste. After a brief saute I added some of the chicken stock and Carolina Plantation Aromatic rice. While that was cooking I chopped a chipotle pepper and mixed it and some of the adobo sauce it was packed in with some of the chicken. That's pretty much the whole story. Fairly simple and very good..

Shrimp And Grits

2011-01-25T09:12:00.001-08:00

Using up some odds and ends. Had one slice of bacon left in a package (how'd that happen) and fried it til crisp. Crumbled it and put it in the pot with the grits, chicken stock and garlic. Just before it started to boil I noticed an unopened package of smoked spanish paprika from Penzey's so I added about a teaspoon to the grits. Like all Penzey's spices it was very aromatic and added a nice flavor and color to the Carolina Plantation grits.

While the grits were simmering I sauteed some onion and celery in the bacon drippings, removing them from the pan when they were translucient. I dusted the shrimp with Pig Pen's Original seasoning and gave them a quick saute in the same pan. When the shrimp were cooked I removed them also and added the andouille, cooking it 'til done. There was so much flavor lurking in that pan I had to make pan gravy, adding some cherry tomatoes at the very end so they warmed thru and just started releasing their juice. The acidity from the tomatoes really perked up the dish.

Waffles...They're Not Just For Breakfast Anymore

2011-01-24T07:08:00.000-08:00

Lunch for me is pretty much always comprised of leftovers. I'm usually not that keen on having exactly the same thing as dinner the night before (unless it's one of those "beer" nights) so I end up with some different combos. This was simple. A waffle left from breakfast and Venison Stew from dinner. I was going to add a spark of interest to the stew with some hot sauce but that seemed too predictable so I mixed in some horseradish. Probably won't ever have stew again without horseradish.

And, waffles make a great base for pot meals it turns out. Maybe chili next time. Oh, there'll be a next time.

Chili Sauced Shrimp and Smoked Chorizo Tacos

2011-01-13T10:14:00.001-08:00

The Pasilla Baijo pepper plants growing next to the patio door finally gave it up and ended their season. I picked all the chiles both ripe and green along with the lone pepper growing on the cayenne plant. I soaked the few dried guajillo chiles I had and cooked all the peppers along with garlic, onion and ground toasted cumin to make a chile paste. The shrimp and smoked chorizo were cooked in a bit of the paste and the pics tell the rest of the story.

Still Snowed/Iced In

2011-01-12T05:04:00.000-08:00

It's been a comfort food kinda 2 days. Monday I stuffed a boneless pork picnic with a mixture of bread crumbs, garlic, onion, parsley, and olive oil.

After stuffing I rolled and tied the picnic and gave it a schmeer made from dijon mustard, rosemary, garlic, olive oil, sage and parsley and cooked it 6 hours in a crockpot.

Dinner was the stuffed roast, scalloped corn (haven't had that in many years) and garlic parmesan mashed potatoes and gravy. Very comforting.

Bring On The Cold Blustery Weather

2011-01-08T13:30:00.000-08:00

Temp is dropping and the wind is picking up. Snow in the forecast here in South Carolina. Hambone in the fridge. Only one thing to do. Make a batch of Hambone and Bean Chowder.

I simmered the meaty bone for 3 hours, strained the stock and added it to the pot that contained some onion, carrot and celery that had been sauteed in butter and then mixed with some flour and developed into a roux. Added some canned beans and the meat stripped from the bone. Was kinda thin so I smooshed some of the beans and let it cook a bit longer. When it got to the right consistency I seasoned it, sliced some home baked pumpernickel and it was comfort food time.

Ham Rueben...

2011-01-04T07:37:00.001-08:00

...on fresh baked pumpernickle

This Year I Resolve To Lose 30 Pounds....

2011-01-01T06:54:00.001-08:00

...starting tomorrow.

Last Sunset Of The Decade

2010-12-31T15:32:00.001-08:00

A little too cloudy for a spectacular sunset but but a pretty good one to close out the first decade of the millennium.

Sunset 12/30/10

2010-12-31T06:44:00.000-08:00

Another brilliant sunset on Lake Wylie. Cloudy today so this may be the last one we witness this year.

A Great Holiday.

2010-12-27T07:41:00.001-08:00

It was a pleasure to spend Christmas with just my wife and kids. Everyone was up early for the unwrapping of presents. There comes a time in your life when the joy of watching a child open a gift far exceeds the thrill of receiving a gift. Sipping coffee spiked with homemade Bailey's helps. After the gifts were distributed and opened it was time for a breakfast of homemade sausage links and French toast.

Later in the day it snowed. The first snowfall on Christmas day in 63 years.

This guy gets the Dedication Award.

Merry Christmas Brother

2010-12-24T04:02:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas brother,
the year has come to a close.
Merry Christmas sister,
the cold winter wind blows.
And like the wisemen of old,
I'm following one bright star.
Merry Christmas everyone,
where ever you are.

Braciole

2010-12-20T05:31:00.001-08:00

I was walking through the meat department at Restaurant Depot awhile back when I noticed a mark down shelf in the corner. Nothing grabs my interest more than cheap meat. I found a huge 10lb chunk of beef labeled Flank Steak. I knew it couldn't be Flank steak because the cut was so huge. I figured it was some kind of round or maybe chuck. Didn't matter. At $1.49/lb I grabbed it. I thought Sunday would be a good day for a big piece of beef so I thawed out the package and opened it. Inside I found it was indeed flank steak---4 of 'em to be exact.

I took one that was about 2 1/2lbs and pounded it out some the spread a dressing of bread crumbs, green onions, parsley and several cheeses mixed with a little olive oil. Rolled and tied it and gave it a quick sear on the grill.

After the meat was nicely browned I put it in a dish with tomato/red wine sauce.

Baked for 1 1/2 hours at 350 turning the meat every 30 minutes. Sliced and served with fettuccine and fresh baked Italian bread.

Choucroute Garnie/Deux

2010-12-14T08:05:00.001-08:00

This is the second time I've made this dish consisiting of sauerkraut (choucroute) "garnished" with cured meats ( bierschenkin and smoked pork loin in this case) and sausages (bratwurst here). I don't know who invented this dish but I'm pretty sure we're related.

Down Home Without The Neelys

2010-12-10T08:01:00.000-08:00

Man, what happened to the Food Network? I can't find much of anything I can stand to watch anymore. Down Home With The Neelys, or Cooking For Real with that woman who has the annoying giggle sort like a black Rachael Ray. Not to seem racist let me mention the dullest person on TV the Barefoot Contessa. I'm even sick of Paula Dean with her constant Y'alls, which she pronounces Y'owl. Anne Burrell is about the only one I care to watch.

Anyway, I did a little downhome cookin' myself.

Buttermilk Brined Double Dipped Fried Chicken, Ham and Cheese Grits and Wilted Greens.

Munich Salad

2010-12-09T08:21:00.000-08:00

Believe it or not, when I was in Munich a couple of years ago I actually ate salad several times. Don't worry, it was always the first course to a meal that contained wurst or pork in some other form. The salad was always referred to as Munich salad. The first time I had it I was pretty unimpressed with the plain serving of mixed greens with a simple vinegar, sugar, water dressing similar to cucumber salad.

But the appearance was deceiving. Beneath the greens there were always three small portions consisting of sauerkraut, German Potato Salad and either pickled veggies or pickled radishes.

Today I finally had all the components together at one time and made the dish for lunch. I really enjoyed it but it would have been better if it had been followed by some bratwurst!

Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes

2010-12-06T11:42:00.000-08:00

Sparkling Ginger Mead

2010-12-05T04:01:00.001-08:00

This drink is awesome! I made it relatively low in alcohol so it would be an easy drinker...something you can put down like beer instead of sipping like wine. Still at 6.5% ABV it has a nice kick. Someone on Facebook asked me to give detailed instructions on how to make it but unless you are familiar with terms like pitch, hydromel, backsweeten, secondary fermenter, racking cane etc instructions aren't much help. If you ARE familiar with those terms..well, it's a secret. I've got 2 bottles set aside to enter in the US Open Homebrew competition in April.

Pig Pen's Shrimp And Grits

2010-12-03T09:45:00.001-08:00

I've never cooked anything but quick grits but when I was picking up some Carolina Plantation rice the other day i decided to give their stone ground grits a try.

The first dish I went with was Shrimp and Grits. Quick grits cook in 7-8 minutes but these take 45 minutes so the first step was to mix the grits with shrimp stock, salt and butter and start them cooking. Next I dusted some shrimp with Pig Pen's Original Seasoning which is one of my favorites on seafood.

After seasoning I blasted the shrimp for a couple of minutes on each side.

I sauteed some scallions, garlic, smoked pork loin and mushrooms then deglazed the pan with more shrimp stock. I reduced the stock and thickened it with some butter then added the shrimp back in. The grits had a nice color and great flavor from the shrimp stock. I was very happy with the way this dish turned out.

Smoked Brisket And Black Bean Chili

2010-12-02T08:36:00.000-08:00

I have a bunch of peppers growing indoors after spending the summer on the back deck. I have harvested some to use fresh and dried some also. With so many anaheim, pasilla bajio, poblano and cayenne peppers on hand I decided it was time to make chili. I pulled a vac pack of leftover smoked brisket out of the freezer and put it in a pan with some water to cook to an even more tender state.

While the brisket was simmering I soaked some of the dried homegrown chiles along with some guajillo chiles I had on hand. When the brisket was done there was a nice smoky beef stock in the pan that I used to blend the reconstituted chilies along with some fresh chiles I picked this morning. With some toasted ground cumin added this gave me the base for the chili. No need for chili powder here.

I put some chopped onion, garlic and more peppers (hey, it's called chili right?) in the pan to saute.

The brisket was chopped and added to the pan.

The chili base was stirred in and a few cherry tomatoes were added .

While it all simmered a I fried some tortilla chips and after about and hour it was time to eat.

Leftover Turkey.....

2010-12-01T09:07:00.001-08:00

...South Carolina Style. I decided a few years ago I would stop making the carcass soup that inevitability followed the Thanksgiving holiday. This year I got some Carolina Plantation rice. As soon as this rice starts cooking you can tell it is special. The aroma is out of this world! Great flavor too.

The wonderful rice coupled with andouille, turkey, peppers, onions, garlic and tomatoes. Lowcountry Turkey Perloo.

It's That Time Of Year..

2010-11-29T10:17:00.001-08:00

....when the sunsets on Lake Wylie SC are spectacular. Cloudy and rain for the next couple of days so this one from last night will be it for awhile.

Thanksgiving 2010

2010-11-26T07:06:00.001-08:00

Started out with a hearty breakfast of Strawberry Banana Pancakes with Homemade Breakfast Links.

It was a great day with the family playing board games and prepping for the big meal. We had a pretty plain menu of oven roasted turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, bread dressing, squash, asparagus, cranberry/apple/orange relish and pumpkin pie. Pretty much the same as the last 50 odd years. Wouldn't have it any other way.

The day ended with a beautiful sunset over Lake Wylie SC.

Paula, Lidia, Giada......

2010-11-24T05:52:00.000-08:00

...and all you other food TV stars. It's great that you love your families and all but please note; your children and husbands have no talent or charisma and they don't belong on television. Except for your mom Giada, she's hot!

Polish/Irish Fusion Cuisine

2010-11-20T04:30:00.001-08:00

Using up leftovers from corned beef and cabbage dinner the other night. Galumpkis filled with corned beef, potatos and carrots with a mustard cream sauce.

Here's Something You Don't See Everyday

2010-11-18T08:41:00.000-08:00

Grilled Not Your Mother's Meatloaf with Smoked Pumpkin and Canadian Bacon Risotto and Wilted Lettuce Salad.

Fresh Baked Bread...

2010-11-17T09:31:00.001-08:00

...and Pasta y Fagiloi.

I baked a loaf of Cornmeal Bread to go with the Creamy Chicken and Asparagus over Linguine last night and was thinking about what to do with the end of the loaf today. Scrounging around in the fridge I found the last little chunk of homemade pancetta. It is a cool fall day and this dish came to mind. With a slice of garlic bread it hit the spot.

Potato Chowder

2010-11-15T08:54:00.001-08:00

I found a corned beef brisket hiding in freezer a couple of days ago so we had corned beef and cabbage for dinner Saturday night. I saved the stock from boiling the meat and veggies and made potato chowder using some of the ends from the corned beef. Nice and hearty.

Whoopie!

2010-11-12T08:49:00.001-08:00

Whoopie pies, like me, are natives of the Northeast and like me they have worked their way down to the Carolinas. I think we're both here to stay. Recently the food editor for the Charlotte Observer wrote an article about the treats describing how bakers are veering from the traditional two discs of soft chocolate cookies with a creamy filling between to other combos.

All it took was for my 12 year old to see the article and she started thinking about what kind of cookies would be good to make for the pies. I suggested snickerdoodles but that was shot down. She thought of pumpkin but we just had those last week. Finally the decision was made to go with Winedrops. I have no idea where the name comes from since there is no wine in them.

She started making a batch of the cookies and was well underway when she asked if we had buttermilk. We did not and I started to admonish her for not checking to see if we had all the ingredients before getting started when she interupted me and said "Well, I'll just add a1/2 teaspoon of vinegar to 1/2 cup milk".

I was astounded that she would know how to make a substitute for buttermilk but she bakes cookies every week to have as an after school snack so i guess she learned that along the way.

The cookies turned out fine and the following day I mixed some cream cheese with the apricot jam I made from fruit grown in our yard and made the pies. They were a hit. Now we're thinking of other combinations.

Eat Your Salad And The Bowl It Came In Too

2010-11-10T08:50:00.000-08:00

Heat a frying pan on medium heat. Sprinkle grated parmesan cheese on the bottom of the pan and allow to melt. Lift the cheese disc from the pan with a wide spatula and place on an inverted bowl that has been coated with a bit of olive oil. When the cheese cools remove it from the bowl and it retains the bowl shape. Fill with salad and dress. In this case I used a warm pancetta vinaigrette.

Post Halloween Jack-O-Lantern

2010-11-08T08:22:00.000-08:00

As usual I carved two pumpkins for Halloween Jack-O-Lanterns. The day after Halloween I was getting ready to throw them away as I do every year when I got the notion to get some use out of them. I steamed one on the stovetop and smoked one in my smoker. The steamed pumpkin became a batch of pumpkin cookies.

The first thing I tried with the smoked pumpkin was Smoked Pumpkin Pierogi with Sage Brown Butter Sauce, Homegrown Tomatoes ala Crema Di Balsamico and a Hunk of Sausage. The smoked pumpkin was very good.

Today I used more of the smoked pumpkin to make Smoked Pumpkin Cornbread with Green Chiles and Cumin, Tater Salad and Smoked Brisket with Chili BBQ sauce.

Lots of food in a pumpkin. Enough for 4 pies and a batch of 4 dozen cookies. Sorry Libby's, this year we're going homespun with the Thanksgiving dessert.

A Nice Surprise

2010-11-02T09:12:00.000-07:00

It has been a pitiful year for the vegetable garden. Very hot (87 days over 90--last year there were 28) and very little rain. The tiller broke before all the ground had been worked so I didn't plant as much as usual either. A few tomatoes grown in containers on the deck did OK but with such high heat they didn't set fruit through a big portion of the summer. Usually I get a few ripe ones into the second or third week in November but this year I picked the last ones a few days ago.

Today I took a walk down to the garden and found the one lone cherry tomato plant loaded. A last ditch attempt to be fruitful and multiply I guess. These little gems are sweet and full of fresh tomato flavor.

Bierschinken

2010-10-28T07:36:00.001-07:00

I've made this several times before by curing cubes of pork tenderloin then mixing them with pork butt and spices that have been emulsified in a food processor , stuffed, then smoked to 152 degrees internal temp. It is always good but the cubed tenderloin is a bit tough due to the low cooking temp and so the Bierschinken (beer ham in English) has to be sliced thin.

This time I used a honey cured pork loin that had been smoked to 175 degrees for the cubes and they were alot more tender than the meat I have used before. Basically I put small cubes of pork butt in the food processor along with ginger, mace, salt, cure #1, nutmeg, white pepper and some nonfat drymilk to act as a binder. While pulsing the processor I drizzle in some ice water to help things along. Then, when the processed meat is in paste form I mix in the cubes and stuff into 3 1/4" fibrous casings and smoke til 152.

Just Like Summer

2010-10-26T09:48:00.001-07:00

Going up to 83 today...about 15 degrees above normal. I found a couple of ripe tomatoes on the plants growing in containers on the deck. Also have some basil still producing so I couldn't resist making a plate of fresh tomatoes and basil. Then I remembered a friend had given me a bottle of Crema Di Balsamico that he brought from Europe. A little drizzle over the tomatoes and a slice of toasted Parmesan bread and I was in heaven!

A Beautiful Day Not Catching Fish

2010-10-23T16:12:00.000-07:00

My friends on the North Carolina message board at Crappie.com have get togethers every so often. A bunch of us meet at a lake and fish til early afternoon then clean the fish and have a fishfry. I got with my buddy Boyce and we were on High Rock Lake shortly after daybreak. The fog was thick as snot in January so we fished close to the landing to start. Boyce caught a pretty nice one.

The sun finally burned off the fog and it turned out to be a gorgeous day. Unfortunately the fishing was really slow. I did however get a good sized crappie.

When we got back to the landing it was determined that I had caught the biggest fish at 13 1/4 inches. I won a nice reel that had been donated by a local tackle dealer.

Nobody had a great day catching fish. We had 8 in our boat and most others had about the same. There were however enough fillets and other food items to feed 20 hungry anglers. It was nice not to cook for once!

Brisket Biscuit

2010-10-22T05:58:00.001-07:00

I don't know why the fast food joints haven't come up with this. Fresh baked BIG biscuit topped with cheese, smoked brisket, egg scrambled with a chipotle ( I used a canning jar ring to form the egg so it wouldn't resemble a real egg--just like fast food eggs) and some adobo. BBQ joints are missing out by not being open for breakfast and offering these.

Stuffed Banana Peppers

2010-10-20T08:03:00.001-07:00

Got finished making up some extra hot Texas Hot links this morning. I made them extra hot because some got stuffed in small casing to be smoked and dried for Beerstix. As always there was some meat left in the stuffer at the end of the session. On the counter were a couple of banana peppers. Well, one thing led to another and I decided to stuff the peppers with the sausage. I have been anxious to try the homemade chipotles in adobo I made awhile back so I made some rice using some of the adobo sauce from the jar of chipotles. The sausage was spicy enough on it's own so I chopped a chipotle and mixed it in with some cheddar sauce that was left in the fridge from dinner the other night. We had cauliflower for supper that night and my kids won't eat it without cheese sauce.

Anyway, the stuffed peppers were baked while the rice was cooking and it all came together very nicely.

Schnitzel

2010-10-19T09:06:00.001-07:00

I cut up a whole boneless pork loin the other day and made sure I sliced some cutlets for schnitzels. Seemed like a good menu idea for a fall day so I gave some the egg wash/breading treatment and fried them up for dinner. There were a couple of broccoli stems in the veggie bin so I shredded them with some carrot and made a dressing for slaw. I noticed some capers in the fridge and decided to toss some of them in the slaw and use a bit of the caper brine in the dressing. Turned out great! Who knew?

Being raised by a good Austrian mother I knew it would be unacceptable to have a meal without potatoes so I shredded some of them and added green onion and bacon crumbles along with some egg before frying in bacon grease. A fine meal. I think mom woulda liked it.

Blistering Hot Wings

2010-10-13T08:22:00.000-07:00

Marinated in homemade jerk sauce, quick charred on the grill then finished in jerk sauce. Endorphins leaching from every pore on my body.

Chipotles en Adobo

2010-10-11T10:50:00.000-07:00

I brought a bunch of ripe jalapenos back from Pittsburgh with me. I low smoked them for 10-12 hours everyday for 3 days. They weren't dried to the point of being hard but I didn't see any sense in completely drying them only to reconstitute them. After the three smoke sessions I allowed them to air dry for 2 more days.

In addition to the smoked jalapenos I gathered together some dried guajillo peppers, a small ripe poblano from a plant growing in a container on the deck and a couple pasillo bajio peppers from the same place. Garlic, onion and fresh cilantro leaves also went into the sauce.

While the dried guajillos were soaking I toasted some cumin and coriander seeds. When toasted and aromatic I ground them with some annatto seeds. The fragrant powder was mixed with 1/2 cup ketchup, a tablespoon of vinegar and a teaspoon of brown sugar. The soft guajillos were chopped in a blender with the onions, garlic and cilantro. All the ingredients were put in a pan along with the jalapenos and everything simmered for an hour.

The chipotles in adobo turned out to be awesome! I will do this again for sure.

Have Smoker, Will Travel

2010-10-10T07:34:00.000-07:00

Pittsburgh two weeks ago, North Myrtle Beach this weekend to cater a wedding. A mere 4 hour drive.

Ribs and chicken cooked onsite. The reception was held under the beach house in the area behind the smoker. In addition to the ribs and chicken I did slaw, potato salad, macaroni and cheese, baked beans, black bean and cheese quesadillas, tossed salad and peach cobbler. Everything went smooth and on time. The quesadillas were for the vegetarians but proved to be a hit with everyone. I took along a small portable gas grill and did them to order. I stayed pretty busy til they were gone.

Weather was great and it was a nice day for a beach wedding.

OK Decade Number 7, Let's Dance

2010-10-04T11:01:00.000-07:00

Today I kick off the beginning of my seventh decade on this spinning rock. I am, as of today, officially an old fart. Fartdom has been creeping up on me the last few years. I stay active but the joints ache in the morning. Not losing my hair but it is grey. So is my beard. Eyesight is getting worse. I've got 1.5 power reading glasses to use while on the computer. 1.75 for reading. 2.00 for tying fishing line.

I noticed that when I go on my annual offshore fishing trip with 5 younger friends the captain always turns the boat a little while I'm reeling in a fish so it's easier to take up line. Last time we went there was a 14 year old named Darrin with us. Someone said "Darrin gets the first fish". Then someone said "And Gary gets the second". Acts of kindness from men in their prime towards the feeble I guess. I was at a beer festival a couple of months ago and while I was in line to get a sample the guy in front of me, a youngster in his 30's, stepped aside and said "Go ahead sir". SIR!

I've been fighting against the onset of fartdom tooth and nail but today I realize that having an easier time reeling in fish, getting ahead in line, and feeling a sense of calm and well being that comes with age, are all good things. So is getting a 5% discount at the supermarket on Tuesdays. Or 2 bucks off on a haircut. Or people always wanting to help me lift stuff. It's OK to be an old fart. Might even be good.

So, decade number 7, I'm ready. Let's have some fun.

Good Beer.....

2010-10-04T07:34:00.000-07:00

...is fresh. At least when it comes to the style known as American Premium Lager. That would include your big name beers. My favorite is Straub. Brewed in St Mary's Pa the limited size and distribution area results in always fresh beer. I got a case as a tip for the catering I did in Pittsburgh recently. I received the beer 2 weeks after the bottling date. I have gotten it in the past as soon as 10 days after bottling. I have about a six pack left. It won't see the weekend.

The Belleville Outfit

2010-09-30T17:11:00.000-07:00

A Weekend In Pittsburgh

2010-09-28T04:23:00.001-07:00

I agreed to cater a wedding party Friday night near Pittsburgh. Heck, it's only a 7 1/2 hour drive from my house. I only did the gig because I was able to couple it with a visit to my friend Benzo over the weekend. I left Thursday morning pulling the smoker and loaded with 80 lbs of pork butts, 40 lbs of chicken drumsticks, 30 lbs of coleslaw and 42 lbs of beans.

The event was held at Brady's Run Park near Chippewa Pa. A very nice facility which is home to a large number of maple trees that are tapped for syrup making every year. The buildings below are where the syrup is made and the building on the right is where buckwheat is ground into flour for the annual pancake breakfast held during syrup season. I grew up a few miles from Penn Yan NY the buckwheat capital of the world. As a young kid I had buckwheat pancakes and real (we made it on our farm) maple syrup often. A treat any gourmand would savor with delight.

I pulled into the site at 5:45 am to begin cooking. I had been assured there would not be a chain across the driveway. Of course there was a chain across the driveway. I didn't have a choice about the start time for the cook so, being the quick thinker I am, I just pulled off the side of the road and fired up the smoker. It was quite a sight for a number of people headed to work that morning.

Finally about 8 am a park employee showed up and removed the chain and opened the hall where the pancake breakfast is held. I drove the fire laden smoker to a spot next to the building and beside the doors leading to the kitchen.

The kitchen was a full commercial kitchen and that made food preparation pretty easy. The hall was huge. I wanted pics of the tables after they were decorated but by that time I was busy serving.

100 chicken legs fit easily on the smoker.

The pork butts cooking nicely. I also did a 15 lb brisket. I separated the point from the flat and cooked burnt ends for the first time. They were the hit of the evening for the lucky few that sampled them.

Saturday morning Benzo, his wife and I headed down to the Strip District where wholesale food distributors opened retail outlets over the years. Lots of restaurants and food choices. A stop at Pennsylvania Macaroni resulted in herbed cheese from the lady known as Dear Heart...the name she calls everybody...and olive foccacia. Parma Sausage provided Sopressata, and with some Tomato Vinaigrette from Prestogeorge we had a great snack that afternoon sitting on Benzo's patio.

Also while at the Strip District we stopped by Wholy's and picked up some shrimp, scallops and mussels that I turned into gumbo for dinner. The only disappontment was the andouille which we bought because I forgot to bring some from home. It wasn't more than a glorified hot dog but the gumbo didn't suffer that much.

Sunday we watched the Steeler game and while I'm not a big football fan anymore I gotta say there is no better place to watch a game than in the home of Steeler fans. It was a great trip and a fun weekend.

All For The Beans

2010-09-22T16:22:00.001-07:00

Going up to Pittsburgh to do a 135 person cater. Leaving early in the morning tomorrow. Gig is Friday night. I have the use of a nice big kitchen on site so that will make it easier.

Baked beans are on the menu so I've been saving the bones from sausage making and leaving a little extra meat on them. Last Saturday I rubbed them with a dry cure and today I gave then an 8 hour hickory bath.

The shredded meat is gonna make some beans verrrrry happy.

I Just Love Keg Tapping Day

2010-09-21T10:40:00.000-07:00

Here it is. The Blonde Ale I brewed on Sept 7. Ready after a little more than 2 weeks. Nice color, nice head, good clarity. I used some old Hallertau hops and added extra because of their age but they came through strong. More like a pale ale than a golden ale as defined by the BJCP. More like a fine 6% ABV thirst quencher by my reckoning. This stuff will never see a beer competition I guarantee!

Hot Apple Turnovers For Breakfast

2010-09-18T08:33:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I needed some apples to use as garnish around the whole hog I cooked. A bag of apples was cheaper than 4 individual apples so I ended up with extras. This morning I decided I would give apple turnover a try. I was wary of making pie dough but it turned out to be pretty simple and I was happy with the way it turned out.

The apples were sliced and coated with brown sugar, cinnamon, cornstarch and vanilla. The dough was rolled out and a pirogi maker used to cut circles. A heaping tablespoon of filling in the center of each circle and a little water spread around the perimeter and they were ready to be folded over and sealed with a fork. Some cinnamon sugar sprinkled on top and into a 350 oven for 25 minutes. Then a glaze of confectioner's sugar and milk drizzled over the top.

They came out of the oven smelling heavenly and when I announced that the hot apple turnovers were ready my 11 year old said "I don't like apples" and my 9 year old said "I'm going over to Sydney's to play". Ingrates! My wife and I ate them all.

Not Your Mother's Meatloaf on Toast with Three Bacon Gravy

2010-09-14T06:40:00.001-07:00

Nice cool morning in the 50's today . I was going to make biscuits and gravy but I was out of butter, and I won't use margarine, so the biscuits didn't develop. I diced some homemade pancetta and some homemade Canadian bacon and started frying them in a pan. After they started to render I added some sliced bacon and that was the base for the gravy. I placed a slice of Not You Mother's Meatloaf on a piece of toasted whole wheat bread, added black pepper and red pepper flakes to the gravy and proceeded to work on clogging another artery.

Charlotte Blues and BBQ '10

2010-09-12T08:07:00.000-07:00

I was happy to participate once again in this event. I decided to just cook the whole hog category again and since my friend Benzo wasn't able to come down from Pittsburgh to help I enlisted Brad and Tomme from P&C Smokeaholics to lend a hand.

The check-in and set up were crazy as always but once we got in place along S Tryon St in Uptown Charlotte things went smoothly. I did seafood gumbo for Friday night eats and it was a hit. The executive chef for a local restaurant took a taste and wants to order andouille sausage from me on a regular basis.

The music was great as always and the party atmosphere was presesnt.
I won 5th in the whole hog category which wasn't too bad considering two of the teams that beat me included 3 time world champs Jack's Old South and current champ Yazoo Delta Que. This contest has the best trophies of any I have cooked in. Looking forward to next year.

Blonde Ale Is Born

2010-09-07T12:17:00.000-07:00

A nice thick mash. All those amylase enzymes converting starch to sugar (maltose).

After an hour the sweet wort (wert, not wart) is allowed to run off into the boiler.

As the boiler fills whole leaf hallertau hops are added.

The wort and hops are brought to a vigorous boil. As we used to say in the brewery, "If the kettle ain't aknockin' you ain't arockin'".

DFTFIM! Brewers know what this means.

100 billion little yeast cells about to get it on in the sugary wort, reproducing and giving off alcohol and carbon dioxide. Love them little buggers.

Not Your Mother's Meatloaf

2010-09-02T09:16:00.001-07:00

Whenever I get done stuffing sausage there is always a 1/4 pound or better left in the stuffing tube. I usually freeze it and use it in the next batch...if I remember..which I generally don't. So yesterday I mixed together all the small bits. I had planned to stuff it into a big red bologna casing and call it Frankenwurst but then I realized I'd still have some left in the stuffing tube and I would be back where I started. I went the loaf route mixing together andouille, cowboy salami, Texas hot link, bratwurst and a little ground beef that was kickin' around the freezer. I added some nonfat drymilk as a binder and there were a couple serrano peppers on the counter getting old so I chopped them and tossed them in the mix. Slow cooked in the oven at 170 degrees til 150 internal temp was reached.

I cut a thick slab and made sandwich out of it and baby this stuff is awesome!

Sometimes It's Best Just To Move On

2010-09-01T08:12:00.001-07:00

This heron got ahold of what looked to be a nice meal.

He picked it up and dropped it about 10 times. It seemed like it was kind of heavy for him to hold.

At this point I thought he had the fish right where he wanted him but after 20 minutes of trying to eat it he still wasn't able to get it in his mouth...

...at which time he said "Screw it" and walked off.

Taking The Cure....

2010-08-31T08:55:00.000-07:00

...and rubbing it all over a pork loin then slathering it in honey will, if you keep it in a ziplock in the fridge a week, result in Honey Cured Canadian Bacon. While on the curing kick I also corned a beef brisket.

Since I knew I would be firing up the smoker for the Canadian Bacon, and since I'm short of sandwich ingredients I made what I call Cowboy Salami. Made with brisket and seasoned with garlic, black pepper, chili powder and some other things it ended up kind of plain looking but the flavor after it was smoked was great with a nice kick from the hot peppers in it.

Today all the cured meats joined with some swiss cheese, provolone, onion, lettuce etc for a dynamite sandwich.

The Morning After...

2010-08-29T07:32:00.001-07:00

...a BBQ competition means ribs instead of bacon with scrambled eggs and rosemary garlic homefries. Didn't really miss the bacon.