Daily Loaf

This week, CL’s food blog is devoting itself to fine art of buying, preparing and enjoying that most red of red meats — beef, and lots of it. Along with a boatload of recipes, we’ll give you the results of our comprehensive taste-test of a wide ranges of beef styles — from supermarket standards to imported Wagyu — along with a guide to Tampa Bay’s best purveyors.

If you’re worried about the environmental impact of your cow consumptions, we’ll allay your fears with a guide to greening your meat, including sources for tasty local options. But don’t think we’ll gloss over the troubles that beef production causes for our world — we firmly believe you need to know the impact of your dining options.

You can help! Drop us a comment about where you like to buy beef, what kind of cuts you enjoy, and give us your favorite recipes for this cud-chewing domesticated animal. Don’t like this carnivore’s treat? Tell us why.

(Photo courtesy of JelleS/flickr)

What’s the buzz on the latest issues in the Green Community? Check out what you may have missed this last week:

TRA’shion Fashion and Art Show 2009 (photos) – The fabulous trashionistas were out in force for ARTpool’s annual TRA’shion Show, and photographer Chip Weiner caught all the recycled green glamour.

Letting go of addictions: Using alternative methods to release addictions of any type- Kelly Rothwell gives us alternative methods such as energetic healing, visualizations and affirmations, that can be used to not only cope with such addictions but to understand the reason behind the addiction and let it go for good.

Living sustainably in Tampa Bay: Dave Starman’s biodiesel fueled car and green lifestyle – The first in a series of profiles, by Jack B., of individuals who are living sustainably in Tampa Bay. This profiles Tampa Bay resident Dave Starman.
Read the rest of this entry »

Tired of boring old baked taters? I think they are too big, so I end up piling on  butter and sour cream, thus ruining all nutritional goodness; I have said before that potatoes hate my ass and hips. However, I find if I make little ones that are packed with flavor, I will eat less.

And let me say these bad boys are D-E-L-I-S-H!! I guarantee ‘em.

This recipe will work with any baby potato.

Read the rest of this entry »

Tabbouleh salad is a quick and simple dish that can be served as a side, used in a wrap, or just eaten by itself. I like to spruce mine up with fresh veggies and herbs, like I’ve done with this recipe. This light and refreshing salad with bright flavors makes for great summer fare.

Tabbouleh is traditionally a Middle Eastern dish used for mezze (appetizer finger food) that primarily contains bulgur wheat, parsley, mint, lemon juice and olive oil. It’s often seen served as dip or in pita bread.
Read the rest of this entry »

Who doesn’t like pasta? It’s almost universal in its appeal and it seems that every culture has taken its hand at some adaptation. And while it’s true that the Chinese are probably the inventors, it was the Italians who exploited this simple staple.

Just try to imagine for a moment a planet without pasta. What would accompany our luscious, buttery garlic bread? Have you ever heard of “green beans with clam sauce”? Of course not, you need linguini. Would we even have all of the scrumptious and wonderful sauces that we have today if there were no magnificent vessel to carry the load? I shudder at the thought.

Fortunately though, we don’t have to consider these possibilities, because there are about a million different kinds of pasta within a mile of every urban setting in America. Often, when we think of pasta, noodles come to mind. Long strands of dried varieties that boil until just done, complimented by an almost endless array of sauces and condiments. As a child, I remember my desire for just a plate of pasta with butter and parmesan. Perfection. Today, my palate is a bit more mature and I enjoy every variation I try.

One of my favorite types of pasta is made from potatoes. Gnocchi are like little clouds of heaven that, by design, soak up the flavors that you surround them with. Read the rest of this entry »

Getting into the position: Crush milky chunks of cactus with sulfur and realgar. Dry this mixture seven times until it can be easily turned into powder. Add in a monkey turd and sprinkle mixture over your lover’s head. Read the rest of this entry »

There’s nothing better than a warm slice of banana bread for breakfast slathered with some butter, and maybe even jam. Or peanut butter. I love the two tastes together in a sandwich, so why not put them in bread form? I decided to go a little nutty and combine the two for this quick bread concoction.

Quick breads (like this one) are very versatile and super easy to make, even for you novice bakers, and for those, like me, who are lazy and hate to measure out a jillion ingredients and wait for dough to rise, etc., etc. They also make a great treat for breakfast or a snack.
Read the rest of this entry »

The Bloody Mary is one of the few acceptable — or even desirable — morning cocktails, perfect as a hair-of-the-dog hangover tonic, or as a way to get the day started off right. Better yet, done right this pungent example of savory mixology is almost a meal in a glass, loaded with the vital nutrients, roughage and vodka that are essential parts of a balanced breakfast.

Problem is, very few people have spent the time to perfect nature’s perfect breakfast cocktail. It’s a complicated endeavor that is usually beyond the amateur mixologist, with a list of ingredients longer than most morning recipes. And don’t even think of reaching for store-bought mixers — you might as well throw some vodka in a can of Campbell’s condensed tomato soup and call it a day.

With a little preparation, some experimentation, and a fair amount of gratifying taste testing, however, even Bloody Mary newbies can learn to make a mean mix. Here are a few tips: Read the rest of this entry »

When you take the flavors of classic french toast and marry them with the techniques used to make bread pudding, the result is quite magical. It’s also super convenient, as you can prepare it the night before then bake and serve hot from the oven in the morning without any fuss. All you need alongside is a good cup of coffee and some crisp, salty bacon to start your day off with a smile.

Although many recipes turn to french baguette when making a bread pudding-style dish, my preference is for a richer and more delicate selection in the bakery aisle. I used buttery brioche for this batch, however I typically reach for challah bread if I’m able to find it. Your bread selection will make the difference between a more flaky, puffed result vs. a more crumbly and dense pudding.

Here are some ideas on how to add another dimension to the dish, and customize it depending on what you’re in the mood for:

~Mix in chopped pecans or walnuts before baking to add some crunch

~Toss julienned apples in with the bread mixture and serve with cinnamon infused whipped cream

~Macerate fresh strawberry or peach slices with a sprinkling of sugar, and spoon over the top after baking

~For a rich topping, whip mascarpone cheese with vanilla bean and sugar until sweet and creamy

The recipe: Read the rest of this entry »

First, stop looking at my bruised basil.
I had a few things around the house that were reaching their death point: peaches, mascarpone and basil. So I decided to make a yummy treat. And let me tell you how good these bad boys were — after I finished my peach, I stood over the sink and licked my plate clean. Like a dog. I couldn’t resist the plate full of melted cheese mixed with the sweetness of the agave nectar and the tiny bit of crunch from the demerara sugar. I am not ashamed to admit that I licked it clean!
I bet if you make these you will do the same!
The delicious recipe is after the break!
Read the rest of this entry »

We Americans love sandwiches. Forget the melting pot or the mixing bowl, nothing more epitomizes America’s indulgent appetite and desire for mobility than the sandwich. They are more than the sum of their parts. They are instantly recognizable and are infinitely variable.

Our most famous sandwiches have international roots. Hamburgers and hot dogs are from Germany. Italian-Americans perfected subs and Jews gave us corned beef on rye. Here in Tampa, we have the Cuban sandwich, and St. Pete Beach arguably gave tourists the non-ethnic grouper sandwich (if you can find grouper at all).

Our friends from Vietnam have a unique contribution for America’s vaunted sandwich canon: the banh mi.  For all the suffering the French caused in Indochina, the Vietnamese recognized the value of baguettes, pate, and mayonnaise.

Starting with a split baguette, a banh mi Read the rest of this entry »

(This piece comes from CL Sarasota’s Summer of Pig coverage.)

It took two days to thaw in the refrigerator — two days longer than my excitement wanted to allow — but when I slapped the nine pound pork belly on my kitchen counter, it kind of freaked me out. A little. One side was beautiful, a melange of deep, brick-red meat laced with a profound amount of milky-white pork fat. The other side, though, was the skin, laced with stubbly reminders that pigs have bristles and nubby dots that looked like warts. Warts, in a neat, straight line? Oh, no. Those are nipples.

The easiest cure for that, of course, was to just flip the belly back over. And honestly, my horror was more mother-related than related to existential slaughter revulsion. I knew that this pig — a sow, I can say with certainty, from Palmetto Creek Farms an hour from my house — was raised humanely and butchered as nicely as any livestock can be. And I was going to grace it with the most profoundly tasty preparation that a pig can undergo: bacon, cured by my own hands.

Curing bacon is an incredibly simple process. Read the rest of this entry »

(Editor’s Note: This recipe comes from CL Sarasota’s next-door neighbor, nationally recognized chef Derek Barnes of Derek’s Culinary Casual. It’s another part of CL Sarasota’s Summer of Pig coverage.)

CRISPY PIG EAR SALAD
with house cured bacon, frisée, local radish, poached Will’s Farm egg,
creamy whole grain mustard vinaigrette

FOR THE PIG EARS:
6 pig ears
1 gallon water
12 sprigs thyme
3 bay leaves

1. Blanch the pig ears in ½ gallon of boiling water for 20 minutes, then remove ears and discard the water.
2. In a medium size stock pot, add the remaining water, thyme, bay leaves and pig ears and simmer for an additional 90 minutes. Pull the ears from the water and chill in the refrigerator. Reserve for marinating.

PIG EAR MARINADE:
2 cups buttermilk
12 ounce lager beer
2 tablespoon Crystal hot sauce
2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Cut the pig ears into 1 inch strips. Marinade the pig ears 1 hour before frying.

PIG EAR BREADING: Read the rest of this entry »

Chicken pot pies are not exclusive to cold weather or winter mealtimes. They are homey pockets of comfort fit for any weeknight dinner, and even elegant entertaining. When I’m having dinner guests, I look to a main course that serves more than one purpose so that I’m not in the kitchen all night while my friends drink all of the wine. This recipe comes together in one pot, and as long as you have the mise en place ready it’s a pleasantly quick preparation. Each serving offers the meat, vegetables, sauce and starch that would otherwise mean cooking 3 to 4 separate dishes.

You’ll likely be surprised at the abundance of flavor in the filling, which comes from taking care to caramelize the veggies in the first step, and using freshly ground black pepper. If you prefer a lighter crust then feel free to use standard pastry for the top, but rest assured that the flaky richness and volume of the puff is what gives the dish its awesome presentation.

If you’re cooking for two, you can freeze the extra filling and use it on another occasion. It also makes a delicious base for chicken and dumplings, or a simple chicken soup when some white wine and additional stock are poured on in.

Here’s the recipe: Read the rest of this entry »

Enter the Dragon.

So you want to be a culinary ninja? Ah, little-san, then you must learn “The Art of the Appetizer.”

Garlic? Yes.

Olive Oil? Ah… now you are learning…

Artichoke Hearts? “Wa-sah!”

Clearly, my white crane cooking is no longer a match for your stand-up game.

You have learned well. Now, you are ready to defend yourself, feed others, and present at the table in the Most High Hall at the Temple Palace. You prepare a rich appetizer dip with skill, and well-synched voice-over. There is nothing more I can teach you. Except maybe for this: Read the rest of this entry »

Wontons are one of my favorite foods and, believe it or not, they were passed along via the Chinese diaspora into the West Indies in the early 19th century and became so integrated that fried wontons are claimed as home cuisine for quite a few islands. I quickly found out that wontons in the US and wontons at home are  vastly different.

Traditionally, wontons are made with seasoned shrimp and deep fried to form hot crunchy boats with a savory and tasty center. They’re usually served with a dipping sauce made with soy, hot sauce,  hoisin and/or ketchup.  This style of wonton is very addictive and you can find them on the appetizer menu at most bars in Trinidad. Admittedly, it is far better to have them made for you as the process is somewhat labor intensive. However, if you must make them then you will need the following:

1 package wonton wrappers
1 pound shrimp
West Indian green seasoning (garlic, onion, hot pepper, cilantro, cilantro, parsley)
oil for frying
sauces of your choice for dipping

Now follow my video recipe below: Read the rest of this entry »

(For more porcine pleasure, check out CL Sarasota’s Summer of Pig coverage.)

Six years ago, when I started making North Carolina-style barbecue pulled pork, I would do so on a Weber grill in my backyard. It is a day-long, hot, sooty, high-maintenance endeavor that had my eyes stinging from smoke and perspiration — not a task for the faint of heart. Why bother? Because the results are transcendent. If you enjoy barbecue, one taste of North Carolina-style barbecue pulled pork, cooked as described below, will seduce you. You will be anxious to repeat the experience, accepting the long and laborious preparation as the price to pay for such pleasure. To what do I attribute my passion for this pursuit? One explanation: although I am a white Jewish woman of a certain age, in another life I must have been an accomplished African-American male barbecue pitmaster in North Carolina.

Some cooks tell me they make barbecued pork in their slow cookers (Crock Pots). They allege the result is palatable — even delicious — usually without acknowledging that 1) any smoke flavor will necessarily come from a bottle, and 2) by virtue of the water vapor generated inside a slow cooker, this method obviates the flavorful, crisp coating (”bark” ) that characterizes true barbecue. Such maintenance-free slow cooking produces what some wish to call barbecue. It is, in fact slow-cooked pork mixed with barbecue sauce — a far cry from the real thing. Authentic barbecue cannot be made in an electric pot on the kitchen counter.

Cooking Carolina-style pork barbecue takes some planning, a grill and a commitment to remain close to it for the day. Allow for 12-14 hours’ cooking time (the “slow” part of “low and slow”). You should start the fire in your grill before 6:00 AM if you want to be assured of sitting down to dinner by 8:00-8:30 PM. (I warned you: this is not for the faint of heart.)

Recipe after the break: 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 »

Memorial Day may have signaled the beginning of grilling season for our northern friends, but down here it’s almost the opposite. As we head into the humid months of summer, big slabs of barbecued meat seem a tad heavy in the scorching Florida weather.

But that doesn’t mean we need to shun the grill. For a recent pool party get-together, I wanted an easy, mid-day dish that I could cook on the patio, but wouldn’t weigh my guests down. Refreshing, light and simple.

Vietnamese bun salad did the trick. Read the rest of this entry »

Just in case you missed anything, here’s a week of CL’s food blogging in easy, clickable blurbs:

Upcoming Bay area beer events
“Be Remarkable”- video of Greg Koch’s inspirational speech from 2009 Craft Brewer’s Convention
Grazing: Lunching at Cafe Hey
Nosh Pit Episode 15: Wat Tampa, Memorial Day wine, Edmeades winemaker Van Williamson
Organic farming can be more productive than conventional
Win beer fame from Schmaltz Brewing for your Bar/Bat Mitzvah pics
PF Chang’s giving away free lettuce wraps
Brews and bites : the beer and snack pairing marathon
Tampa Bay food, wine and beer events
The raw and living food diet: What is it?
Big error in the book Artisan Bread in Five Minutes A Day
Diet dilemmas: staying on track while you travel
$100 Case of Wine: Best wine deals at Mazzaro’s Italian Market in St. Petersburg
Classic Chili Recipe
Can hemp help create a green economy?
Bottle Shock movie released on DVD
Instead of beef and potato, try this lamb burger and eggplant fries

Few classic home style staples are as simple and satisfying as a rich, hearty chili. This recipe literally takes 20 minutes to prepare and the simmer does the rest. Once you have the magical formula down pat, it’s the easiest one pot meal I’ve found to pull together on a lazy day.

There are several combinations to consider when composing an epic chili. Endless formulas of meats, beans, spices and tomato varieties are available and each bring their own flavor profile to the party. I prefer a savory tri-fecta of ground turkey, pork, and andouille combined with equal proportions of kidney and pinto beans. As for the spices, this recipe features red chile powder along with essential cumin and cayenne pepper for a little kick on the tongue. Feel free to experiment with ancho chile powder or other varieties, and fire roasted crushed tomatoes if you can find them.

Should you have the time I’d suggest doing your prep early in the afternoon, and leaving this dish on a low heat or in a slow cooker until dinner time. Serve some warm cornbread with honey-butter, or quick Jiffy mix corn cakes alongside as the perfect accompaniment. Optional garnishes of sour cream, grated cheddar and avocado are great additions to smooth out the spice and salty goodness as well.  

Here’s the recipe:

Classic Chili

1 red onion, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 pound ground pork
1 pound ground turkey
4 andoullie sausages, sliced
3 tablespoons chile powder
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoon onion salt
1 tablespoon ground cumin
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 (16 ounce) can kidney beans
1 (16 ounce) can pinto or chili beans
1 (16 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes 
Garnishes (optional): Sour cream, chopped scallions, avocado slices, shredded cheddar

In a large pot, saute the onion with the olive oil and butter over medium heat until soft and beginning to caramelize. Add the ground pork, turkey and andouille sausage, and cook until browned. Incorporate the spices and stir to coat all of the meat. Add the beans and tomatoes and adjust seasonings to taste. Cover and simmer on low heat for at least 30 minutes, stirring often, or several hours if time allows. Serve hot and garnish with options listed above.

These Lamb Burgers are packed with flavors from the Middle East. Cumin, mint and parsley bring out the best in the lamb, while a sauce of tahini and lemon is a savory stand-in for mayo. Served on warm flat bread, the tiny burgers are very moist, even when cooked through. A Cucumber-Feta Quick Pickle adds bright flavor. In the same theme, delicate eggplant fries are served alongside. Frying the eggplant brings out sweetness that works well with the tangy flavors in the burgers. Read the rest of this entry »

When thinking of recipes to make to post on the site, I rack my brain looking at food magazines, and foodie sites and blogs for inspiration. But I’ve come to find, through trial and error, that my best looking and tasting dishes are almost always done as a spur of the moment thing.

I especially love a challenge, like trying to make a meal with what I’ve got in the refrigerator or pantry- sometimes working with plain and boring items, and sometimes very interesting ones. Which leads me to how I made this meal.

Picture the scene: I’m over at my boyfriend’s house trying to make dinner last week and he hadn’t stocked up on groceries in awhile (typical). I go through the pantry and refrigerator, scavenging and turning on my creative juices to come up with something for a well-balanced meal. I’ve got these basics- frozen chicken breasts (thank goodness he buys a ton when they’re on sale), rice, asparagus (luckily, still pretty fresh) an onion, and a green bell pepper. Protein, starch, a green vegetable, and garnish- perfect. Lucky for him, he’s dating a foodie with culinary degree and a flair for thinking on her toes when it comes to meal time. So I grabbed a packet of Sazon Tropical seasoning and a bottle of Mojo marinade I’d stashed over there for times like these (also easy to find at your local grocery store and great pantry staples) and a bottle of white wine, got out the tools and got to cooking. Read the rest of this entry »

Your Creative Loafing food contributors, GNATV and Katie Machol, joined forces to bring you this entertaining video tutorial on how to prepare “Fiesta Mac n’ Cheese” in a rice cooker. This easy recipe can be prepared in a jiffy just using a rice cooker. A little late for Cinco de Mayo, but a fun and tasty dish for any time of the year!

(Video and recipe after the jump)

Read the rest of this entry »

Michael Ruhlman has made a career out of dissecting the relationship between chef and food. His three Chef books — Making of, Reach of, Soul of — are elegantly constructed stories about the life of a modern chef, from culinary school to semi-celebrity. His cookbooks range from the concise and unfussy Elements of Cooking to several glossy, pornographic tomes co-written with name-brand chefs.

He’s also the kind of guy who hangs out with Anthony Bourdain and Mario Batali, glorifies cured meat, and writes with unapologetic candor. He and Bourdain lambasted the culture of the TV chef with their own alternative awards show at the South Beach Wine and Food Festival two years ago.

In Ratio, though, Ruhlman turns back to what he started in Elements of Cooking, namely injecting something of the professional chef into the home kitchen. The core concept is that ratios are the fundamental building blocks of all cooking, by defining and understanding those ratios the home cook will begin to understand food at it’s base and begin to think beyond recipes.

Ratio is not the kind of book most people will slap open on their kitchen counter to make a quick custard for dessert. It’s shaped like a traditional hardcover novel and the few pictures are in black and white. But, like a good hardcover novel, Ruhlman can be gripping. His opening chapter immediately convinces that with a mere basic understanding of his list of ratios, I’ll be able to innovate and experiment willy-nilly with great success. Read the rest of this entry »

Earlier this week, NPR announced a challenge — no, not matching funds for donations — for both home cooks and famous chefs: Cook a meal for four for under $10. No matter that we did this last year (admittedly with a $20 price tag), this is still an opportunity for all you frugal gourmets out put your recipe skills on a national stage.

Tomorrow — Friday, May 1 — is the deadline for entries. You can follow the current spate of recipes in the comments section of the original story, or read the recipes provided by NPR’s guest chefs: Jose Andres, Ming Tsai, and Navy Chef Michael Edwards.

These days, we hear more and more about Green. Green energy, green power, green cars, green cleaners, “the greening of corporate America,” and more. All well and good, lest smog, brackish waters, and short-term thinking consume us all.

But let’s not forget that original pioneer of Green: the leafy variety, otherwise known as “a heapin’ mess ‘o greens,” cooked and served right up on your dinner plate.

For years, a cultural divide seemed to keep the nutritionally powerful field greens, such as kale, collards, mustards, turnips and the like, far from the plate of the average American. At times heralded, at times degraded, these nutritional power-punchers were thought of as soul food, and soul food only. Mainstream white culture, when it wasn’t cooking broccoli and zucchini-squash to death, would stick with its tender spinach and include little else, thank you very much. Enter the locavore movement.

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

Dear Butternut Squash,

Please accept this letter with my sincere, heartfelt apologies.

In all of my years of grocery shopping, I have always passed you by. Sticking up my nose at your bulbous, misshapen body. Why did you not yell out my name as I walked on by” Throwing yourself off the shelf to roll in front of my cart wheel in a suicide attempt to get my attention would possibly have worked.

I am not sure what did it the last time. Maybe it was the twinkle in your root, the shimmer of your skin. But I thank you for hopping in my buggy. I know you were sad to leave your friends behind. But not to worry, I will bring them home on the next trip, because I will never again pass you by. Never, I promise!

Love Forever,

Your new BFF,
Leslie

Recipe after the break:

Read the rest of this entry »

Cupcakes have been hip and trendy on the food scene for quite some time now, and have taken over specialty bake shops which produce them in every flavor imaginable. From simple chocolate to lemon, coconut and red velvet, these indulgences are one of the biggest crowd pleasers you can bring to celebrate special occasions, or surprise an office full of hungry co-workers. This particular variety was inspired by an especially gorgeous batch of plump blackberries that I stumbled upon, along with yet another workplace baking commitment.

When it comes to creating the perfect cupcake, simplicity is best. I like to make a basic vanilla cake that can be paired with a variety of frostings and toppings depending on your mood, and will be subtle enough in flavor to carry an extra rich buttercream. The cake featured here calls for whole eggs along with an equal ratio of egg whites to keep it light and fluffy and maintain the pure color. The use of the vanilla bean makes a big difference in the fragrance and overall taste of the cake as well, so go ahead and splurge in the spice aisle. After you’re done scraping out the tiny seeds, throw the pod into a mason jar with baker’s sugar, keep it in the cupboard and use the vanilla-infused sweetness to add an extra dimension to your recipes.

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

As a kid I never liked salads. Do all kids feel that way? I think they do. I recall wondering what they contributed to my meal at a restaurant other than something to do while waiting for my steak and subsequent dessert. And even at the nicest restaurants, they consisted of iceberg lettuce, 2 or 3 onion slices (that were quite awkward to eat) a wedge or two of tomato and some stale croutons. Then, of course, you could order whatever goop you wanted atop the salad. House dressing was something with oil and vinegar and too many dried herbs.

Does this sound familiar to anyone else, or did my parents only take to trashy places? Perhaps you shouldn’t answer that in fear of me needing some sort of therapy later. Read the rest of this entry »

Let’s face it: Italy doesn’t have much of a cocktail culture. In La Dolce Vita, when Marcello hits up a burlesque show with his father, the drinks of choice are champagne and whiskey. No homegrown spirits need apply.

But the Italians have made at least one invaluable contribution to the spirits world: Campari, a shockingly red liqueur made with infused bitter herbs and aromatic plants. Stroll around Venice on any given afternoon (or morning, for that matter) and highball glasses filled to the brim with the ruby-colored liquid are impossible to miss, most often accompanied by the pink sports pages of La Gazzetta Dello Sport and a small glass bowl piled high with potato chips. Few are the pleasures that surpass lazing away in the Venetian sunshine sipping on a spritz, an absolute classic Campari concoction: Read the rest of this entry »

Bread pudding is one of my favorite throw-together, quick and easy recipes. If you have at least these three items on hand, you can make the base pudding: bread (preferably day old and dry), eggs, and milk or heavy cream. It’s also a great go-to because it works for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or dessert. It just depends on the extra ingredients you throw in: sweet for breakfast or dessert, savory for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Plus, prep time is ten minutes or less. How great and versatile is that?  Read the rest of this entry »

When it comes to being a Howard, there are some things that are just inherent. Enjoying Southwestern food is one of them — due to the amount of extended family and roots planted in New Mexico and the cuisine there. I’ve been eating enchiladas since I was old enough to chew. Red or green, spicy or mild, they are truly a staple of my culinary heritage.

My paternal Grandmother taught me much of what I know when it comes to cooking. I vividly remember watching her making red enchiladas, which were always very simple. They amounted to dried chilies, de-seeded and pureed with olive oil and water in a blender. Fresh corn tortillas were doused in hot oil before a quick swim in the sauce, then layered with grated cheddar and baked until bubbly. The green version was a different story and always involved fire-roasted chilies with pulled chicken and a varying degree of spice that was dependent on that season’s batch.

When I decided to reinvent this dish, marrying the green and red became compulsory. Read the rest of this entry »

Lemons always remind me of spring because of their sunny color and fresh flavor they add to food. I love to use lemon juice to add a bright citrusy flavor to dishes, and the zest shouldn’t be wasted either — it packs a punch of flavor in just a small amount. Mint is also another favorite flavor of mine and tangy lemon and cool mint taste great together.

Risotto is a creamy, traditional Italian rice dish that’s so versatile it’s great for any time of the year or occasion. So, thanks to my affection for lemon and mint during this season, I decided to marry the two in this dish.
Read the rest of this entry »

Since moving far away from the Florida scene I find that certain tastes take me back to my home state, my roots and the people there. Pure and simple, this pie is one of the premiere staples of Sunshine State cuisine. I created the recipe for my stepfather several years ago in a quest to prove that I could, indeed, bake the perfect key lime pie. Since then I’ve served it to family, friends, and coworkers who have agreed that it is the ideal compliment to freshly whipped, vanilla-laced cream and a great cup of coffee.

The tartness is uniquely key lime, so don’t be fooled by widely available Persian limes or another variety when making this dessert. I recommend juicing the delectable fruit as your first step, since you’ll find that these tiny jewels are time and labor intensive and produce a minimal yield for their volume. While the exact origin of the pie is unknown, it is clear that it embodies the uncomplicated, laid back culture of the Florida Keys. Prior to 1930 fresh milk was unavailable in the isolated Keys so cooks easily incorporated canned sweetened condensed milk into recipes, which gives this pie its smooth and creamy texture. Read the rest of this entry »