Daily Loaf

The summer in San Francisco arrives late, in September and October, as the days get longer and the cold bay breezes subside. While the East coast is planning for fall, we sit in our city and soak in the rare sunshine that has been so graciously bestowed upon us, knowing that November brings  fall and winter temps for about 7 months.

Warm weather and clear skies inspire me to my Florida seafood roots, and alternative cooking methods which point me towards the grill. With your outdoor cooking skills, basic recipes and a great cocktail in hand, you can entertain a crowd of two, or the masses.

This recipe calls for simple flavors, combined to create a starter that is light, fresh and flavorful. If you’ve never experimented with aioli, give it a try. It can add so much to the plate as a sauce and sublime, acidic, creamy accent to your dish. Read the rest of this entry »

When I was a kid, as soon as winter melted into spring each year my family would take every opportunity possible to have a big, backyard, family barbecue. Dad’s grill was lit from Memorial Day right on through Labor Day. Each holiday, birthday, graduation and anniversary was celebrated in style under our lilac and cherry trees. The folding chairs and card tables were dusted off and set up outside. The coolers were hauled out and filled to the brim with icy cold beer and soft drinks. Everybody brought some kind of “picnic-y” dish to share. Everyone except my Aunt Giuseppina, that is. She always brought a huge tray of eggplant parmigiana. But, that’s a story for another day.

I don’t know how it is in most families, but in Italian families, hot dogs and burgers alone just don’t cut it. Read the rest of this entry »

Cookout season is upon us, and what’s one of the first things that pops into my head when I think about cookouts? Burgers! It’s one of the best forms of finger food and a staple of summer cookout foods.

Contrary to what many people may think, burgers don’t always have to include just beef, or any meat at all, for that matter. Start thinking outside the burger box and get creative with: from ground lamb or chicken to portobello mushrooms or seafood. Then find some fun condiment combinations to top them with to enhance their flavor. Why not make your own condiment for your burgers to elevate their gourmet factor?

I experimented with shrimp as the protein for my latest burger concoction and made them into sliders (which also work as fun little appetizers). To bind the chopped shrimp I had to use some cracker crumbs, mayo and an egg, to end up with a crab cake-like patty. Just be sure, if you make a burger with shrimp, crab or fish, to not use too much breadcrumb filling in your mixture because you don’t want to end up with a dense product. Think: more meat to filler in your burger mix ratio.

These shrimp sliders can be baked, grilled, or pan-fried. If you’re going to grill them, just be sure to thoroughly spray your grill down with non-stick grill spray before placing the patties down (see below for further cooking instructions). Read the rest of this entry »

I was in another Latin mood last week when I decided to make this recipe. I had a taste in my mouth for that combination of vinegar, olive oil, garlic and fresh herbs that chimichurri possesses and was simply looking for an excuse to make it, and a vehicle on which to consume it. Chimichurri is a traditional, uncooked condiment from Argentina that is used on grilled meats and fish. I could eat it on almost anything.

My inspiration for this came from a dish I’d eaten recently, grilled flank steak with chimichurri, at Cafe Dufrain in Harbour Island. Flank steak can be tough and needs to be marinated for a long time and I wanted a tender, thick and juicy hunk of meat, so I opted for a New York strip instead (my cut of choice). This cut of meat really doesn’t need to be marinated because it’s tender enough already, but I wanted to infuse a bit more flavor before throwing it on the grill. You can use any beer you’d like for the marinade (I used Dos Equis Amber) but I’d suggest a somewhat dark beer, like a Mexican amber beer or a medium ale, nothing too light or fruity. Read the rest of this entry »

I don’t know about your neighborhood, but if you drive through mine at dinner time you’ll know it’s spring. The smell of grills fired up is a constant, and will be for a while. Even though we Floridians are proud that we grill year ‘round, something about late March through Memorial Day fills the air with the smoke that brings flavor to so many special meats. If it can be roasted or pan seared, it goes perfect on the barbie.

At my house, I am always looking for something original to do on the grill; this time of year, though, I like to revisit the basics, the quintessential grill meat. Steak.

Read the rest of this entry »

The weather here in the Tampa Bay area has been absolutely gorgeous lately, an has put me in the mood for some grilling action. I’ve had a hankering for a big juicy burger for ages, but I wanted to try something different than a plain old patty with American cheese on a boring bun.

I was at the book store and noticed the Sutter Home Build a Better Burger cook-off cookbook in the bargain section. It inspired me to create a gourmet burger of my own (and also reminded me that I had forgotten to enter last year, again). I didn’t find any one particular recipe that I wanted to use, but it got my creative juices flowing. Fortunately, being a foodie, I usually have all sorts of fancy cheeses, condiments, etc. in my fridge and pantry, so I decided to throw together a “bistro burger” (I thought that name sounded better than: “fancy-schmancy burger”).

Recipe after the break: Read the rest of this entry »