Dinner at our Parents House

Tonight Erin and I had dinner at my parents house(Jim and Sue). It was one of the best dinners we have had in a long time. The fact is we do not go over there for dinner as often as we should. I got my love of cooking from my dad. When I was a child he worked a lot and my mom did most of the cooking. After the divorce I lived with my dad and he was always expiramenting in the kitchen. The two things I remember the most about these years, when I was finishing high school and before I left for Chico, was him making me chicken fried steaks for breakfast and his popcorn and white wine diet! the chicken fried steaks were awesome (dad, you need to make them for me again) and the popcorn and wine diet was an excuse to drink wine! Just kidding! I remember he did slim down around that time.

As usual they had a great menu planned. We had fried green tomatoes made with fresh green heirloom tomatoes from the Poway Farmers Market. My dad dipped them in egg, then a mixture of corn meal, flour, salt and pepper. I do not like tomatoes but tried these and they were really good! Dish number two was a porcinni mushroom risotto. My dad has a college buddy (Glen Lucci) that ran a B&B in Mendocino, Ca with his wife. My dad sends them wine and in return they send a great selection of dehydrated mushrooms from the northern California coast. The main course was a flank steak in what my dad called a "California Marinade" which is a mixture of paprika, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper. There may be more, I will be getting the recipe from him and I will post it here! The last dish was a great salad with greens, tomatoes, and beets from the Poway Farmers Market with fresh arugula from our garden!

Desert??? We are all to full! We did find some room for some lemon cookies they had bought from Von's.

Smoked Chicken Breast for Those Bored with Grilling, Frying or Baking!

Today we decided to break out the smoker that Erin's Aunt Jane from South Carolina gave us. We have not used it much in the last 6 months. I had defrosted 3 bone in chicken breasts the night before to use some time this week. I had never smoked chicken before so I decide to give it a try. I also had a pork loin roast that I threw in so we could make sandwiches during the week!

Wood chips used: Mesquite and pecan (no reason, just what I had on hand)

The first thing I did was mix up a quick rub.

3 tbls brown sugar
4 tbls paprika
1 tbls garlic powder
1/2 tbls celery salt
1 tbls kosher salt
1 tbls cayenne pepper

I have made a few rubs from recipes but never from scratch. I know all the different ingredients that can be used so I felt pretty comfortable throwing one together. I rubbed the chicken and pork about 1 hour before putting in the smoker. I put both on the smoker for about 3-4 hours. For some reason my smoker runs a little hot. I would like it to be 175-200 degrees but usaully runs in the 250-275 degree range. I pulled the pork of at about 155 degrees and the chicken at about 160 degrees.

Both the chicken and the pork had a great smokey flavor with a little heat on the back end. Erin said it was just yummy! The chicken was incredible! Especially the skin. I know it is bad for you but as you can see from the picture below it had a nice crust on it.

Erin ended up making a smoked chicken quesadilla with cheddar and dipped it in a pepper sauce we had. I did the same thing with the pork. Like I said above we will make pork sandwiches for lunch this week. We are going to use the chicken to make smoked chicken salad for sandwiches.

Side note: We planted some Arugula for the winter and it is growing like crazy. Whenever I am outback I have to pull a couple leaves and munch on them! We like to mix it with spinach for our salads.

Chicken Enchilada Caserole

Here is a quick and easy recipe I got from my sister! Great for a rainy day!

3-4 cups crushed tortilla chips
3-4 boneless chicken breasts
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 16oz container of sour cream
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 7oz can diced chiles
1-2 jalepenos diced (optional)
1 package corn or flour tortillas

Cook chicken and chop into pieces. I usaully salt and pepper, fry in a pan to get a nice crust then finish in oven. I then take a cleever and chop into small pieces, enough to cover a 13x9x2 baking dish. In a seperate bowl mix cream of chicken soup, sour cream, diced chiles and jalepeno. Layer bottom of baking dish with crushed tortillas, then add the chicken. Sprinkle 1 cup of cheese on top of chicken then add sauce mixture and top with remaining cheddar cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes and finish on broil until a nice crust froms on top. Serve with warm tortillas.

Thanks Debbie!

Bon Apetit!

I am still here!

I have not posted in awhile because we have been busy. We went to the doctor last Friday 12/5/08 and everything with the baby is good! We go on 12/30/08 to get the ultrasound so we can find out the sex. This is Erin's choice. I would rather not know. It is just one of the mystries in life that I think should be kept a mystery! I understand why Erin wants to know with all the decorating and the baby showers. It really helps with gifts so people know what to get. I told her the baby wants a Nintendo WII but she does not believe me.

As far as in the kitchen we have not done to much lately. We have been mostly eating quick fix meals. For example we buy the ham steaks from Costco. We BBQ one and have with fresh or frozen veggies.

The last thing I did was a roasted red pepper tomato sauce. Just took a can of diced tomatoes a jar of rosated red bell peppers, some garlic cloves and basil and blended it. No real recipe, just kind of threw it together on a whim. Turned out real good!

Hope to add someting new soon!

SWEET POTATO AND CELERY ROOT GRATIN WITH FONTINA CHEESE

Here is a great recipie we found over the Thanksgiving weekend. We were up in the Bay Area at Erin's aunt and uncles house and wanted to contribute to the meal. This was the hit of Thanksgiving dinner!



from Epicurious.com

Ingredients
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4 cup thinly sliced shallots
2 1-pound celery roots, peeled, halved, thinly sliced
2 pounds potatoes, peeled, thinly sliced (NOTE:WE USED TAN SWEET POTATOES)
2 cups whipping cream
1 cup canned chicken broth
8 ounces Fontina cheese, grated

Preparation
Preheat oven to 400° F. Mix salt, pepper and nutmeg in small bowl. Sprinkle half of shallots in 16-cup oval gratin dish or 15x10x2-inch glass baking dish. Top with half of celery root and half of potatoes. Sprinkle half of spice mixture over. Repeat layering with remaining shallots, celery root, potatoes and spice mixture. Bring cream and broth to simmer in medium saucepan. Pour over vegetables. Cover tightly with foil.

Bake until vegetables are almost tender, about 45 minutes. Increase oven temperature to 450° F. Press potatoes with spatula to even thickness. Bake uncovered until juices thicken, about 10 minutes. Top with cheese. Bake until cheese melts and browns, about 15 minutes. Cool 15 minutes before serving.

Politics - President Elect Obama and his Economic Advisory Team

I do not post much about poltitics. I like to keep my news watching and reading to sports and food. Not to say I do not know anything or read anything it's just not my favorite thing to read, discuss or blog about. When was the last time you had a political discussion and the other person all of a sudden said "you know your right and I am wrong".

Anyways I found this great blog from Mark Cuban. He is currenlty owner of the Dallas Mavericks, and chairman of HDnet and HDTV cable network. He made all his money from the sale of Broadcast.com in 1999 for 5.9 billion in Yahoo stock. I thought this was a great view about Obama's Economic Advisory Team.

Mark Cuban is also in a little bit of trouble with SEC as of today

From Mark Cubans http://www.blogmaverick .com 11/17/08


PE Obama’s 1st Big Mistake
Nov 8th 2008 3:08PM

Its great to see President Elect Obama aggressively taking on the economy prior to his taking office. Unfortunately, the economic advisory team that he has put together looks more like a semester’s worth of great guest speakers for an MBA class than an economic advisory team that can truly help him.

There are a lot of great minds on the list.

“Robert Rubin, Larry Summers, Laura Tyson, who served as Clinton’s top economic adviser; former Fed Vice Chairman Roger Ferguson; Time Warner Inc. Chairman Richard Parsons; former Securities and Exchange Commission chairman William Donaldson and Xerox Corp. Chief Executive Officer Anne Mulcahy.

Google Inc. CEO Eric Schmidt, Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm and Roel Campos, an ex-SEC commissioner, and Warren Buffett are also on the advisory board.”

Notice anything missing ?

Not a single entrepreneur. Yes Warren Buffett started a business, but he will be the first to tell you that he “doesn’t do start ups”. Which means there isn’t a single person advising PE Obama that we know of that knows that its like to start and run a business in this or any economic climate. That’s a huge problem.

If we are going to solve our current economic problems, our President needs to get first hand information on the impact his proposed policies will have on real Joe the Plumbers. People who are 1 person companies living job to job, hoping they get paid on time. We need to know what the impact of his policies will be on the individually owned Chrysler Dealership in Iowa. The bodego in Manhattan. The mobile phone software startup out of Carnegie Mellon. The event planner in Dallas. The barbershop in LA. The restaurant in Boston.

Entrepreneurs that start and run small businesses will be the propellant in this economy. PE Obama needs to have the counsel of those who will take the real risk inherent in creating companies and jobs. Those who put their money and lives on the line with their business.

Without it, the rules of unintended consequences of any economic policy could hit you in the mouth in ways you never expected. Things like forcing companies from being taxpayers to the underground cash economy, or forcing new hires to be independent contractors to avoid having to pay their insurance or higher matching social security amounts. Your current group has no one with 100pct of their networth on the line. I promise you that the possibility of losing it all will provide a completely different perspective than any of the “knowledge” the esteemed, learned members of his current advisory team offer.

PE Obama, I’m always available to help, but my recommendation would be to randomly go through the new incorporation filings and ask for volunteers to give feedback. Ask the people who are actually starting new businesses what they need.

Entrepreneurs will lead us out of this mess. Talk to them.

Alton Browns Baked Brown Rice

I have never been a fan of brown rice. Then when day I was watching Good Eats and saw this way of baking brown rice so it is nice and tender. Now I can not get enough brown rice!




1-1/2 cups brown rice, medium or short grain (I used a brown/wild mixture from Henry's or Whole Foods)
2-1/2 cups water
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Place the rice into an 8-inch square glass baking dish.

Bring the water, butter, and salt just to a boil in a kettle or covered saucepan. Once the water boils, pour it over the rice, stir to combine, and cover the dish tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 1 hour.

After 1 hour, remove cover and fluff the rice with a fork. Serve immediately.



Recipe courtesy Alton Brown/foodnetwork.com

Let me know what you think if you try this!

Make sure you all get out there and vote today!

Carne Asada and Sun Vista Frijoles

Erin and I are big fans of Mexican food! I have been grilling fresh Carne Asada for a few years now. I do not know how traditional this recipe is but we love it! Since it was a rainy day and a little cool we thought this would warm us up a little!

1-1.5 pounds flap meat
Juice of 2 lemons
Juice of 1/2 orange
Juice of 2 limes
2-3 jalapenos
1/2 of 1 onion sliced
2-3 cloves garlic chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Place meat in a low profile dish cover with jalapenos, onion and garlic. Pour juice over top cover and refrigerate for 3-4 hours. I added a couple slices of all the fruit for the looks! When done marinating we throw the meat on the grill for 3-4 minutes per side. The flap meat is pretty thin so not much cooking time needed!

The bean recipe came from some of the ladies at my work. It is a great quick way to make beans. They end up looking and tasting like refried without all the work!

3 cans 15oz Sun Vista Frijoles Pintos (I drain two and use the juice from 1)
2-3 jalapenos diced (if you like hot add more!)
6 oz Monterrey jack cheese

Pour beans in pot with the diced jalapenos and put on med-low heat. I usually let sit for 20-30 minutes. Then cut about 60z or 1/3rd of the Monterey jack cheese into 1/2" or 3/4" inch cubes. Slowly add the cheese in and keep stirring or the cheese will stick to the bottom and burn. After all the cheese is melted, about 10-15 minutes I take my Braun hand blender and blend it until what I would call chunky. You do not want to puree it. You still want some whole beans in there. We use soft taco size tortillas, sour cream, pico de gallo, cheese and any other fixings you may want. Makes a great meal and you have some wonderful leftovers also!

PS: Erin is about 11 weeks now and she is feeling pretty good. No morning sickness which is nice! She is tired and hungry! As you can see I am keeping her fed well! Our next appointment at the doctor is this coming Thursday. I read part of a book she gave me and it mentioned that she could be more affectionate in the first tri-mester. Well I think I may write the author and debate that with him! I am kidding of course! In the morning she has been taking her vitamins and I have been making fruit smoothies for us. We bought the bulk frozen fruit package at Costco. It has strawberries, mango, pineapple and papaya. I put about 2 cups of that with 1 cup of pineapple orange juice, and 1 package of orange cream yoplait, and a banana and blend it. it makes for a nice addition to breakfast!

Pork Chile Verde

Saturday we did our usual trip to the Poway Farmers Market to pick up fresh vegetables, fruit, eggs and anything else that looked good. While making are usual walk through the market we stopped at the stand that sells roasted peppers. He actually roasts them on the spot. I saw a little cardboard sign that said "X-Hot New Mexico Green Chile Powder $4.00". I am familiar with chili powders but had never seen a green chili powder. Instantly I think about Bishers, which is the butchers right across the street. Side note: I have them on my cell phones auto dial, you never know when you need to chat with your butcher! So we picked up the green chili powder and headed for Bishers and picked up some boneless pork shoulder which Randy cut into 1 inch cubes for us. now the challenge was to find a recipe. We have a huge collection of cook books at home. We were digging through all the usual books, Paula Deen, Bobby Flay, Julia Child, the New York Times Cook book and really could not find anything of interest. So then we hit the Internet and had the same results. So back to the cook books and I found a Betty Crocker Mexican Cookbook with recipes by a chef named Jose Leopoldo Romero. Who? I had not heard of him either. He is chef/owner of a authentic Mexican restaurant in Boston of all places! Here is the web site http://www.casaromero.com/. The book was published in 1981. So we look through it and find a great recipe for what he calls Puerco en Salsa Verde (Pork in Green Sauce).


Puerco en Salsa Verde

2lbs pork boneless shoulder cut into 1" cubes
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1 can (13 ounces) tomatillos, drained and mashed (I used two 12oz cans)
1 cup water
1/2 cup cilantro (I hate cilantro so we did about 1/4 cup)
1/2 cup chopped green chiles (we used a 7oz can of diced green chiles, drained)
1 tbs dried oregano leaves
2 tsp instant chicken bouillon
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Note: not in recipe but we added 2 tbs of the x-hot green chile powder!

Coat pork with flour. Heat oil in 10-inch skillet (we used our 5qt LeCreuset) until hot. Cook and stir pork over medium heat until brown.; drain and return to pot/pan. Stir in remaining ingredients. Heat until boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer until pork is tender. We put this on our smallest burner and let sit on low for 2-3 hours instead. Garnish with fresh cilantro and a touch of sour cream!

EXCITING NEWS

We found out that Erin is having a BABY! It will be the first for us so we are extremely excited! A few of our friends have been having babies so we will have some other children in the same age range! My sister also has 2 kids under 2 years old!
Erin is about 7 weeks and the due date 1s 6/1/09. She has been feeling pretty good. She seems to be hungry as soon as she gets home, I mean the second she walks in the door! So I have been trying to be ready to cook dinner as soon as she gets home. She has not had morning sickness which is nice.

Will keep you up to date!

Hawaiian Vacation

I have not been posting lately for two reasons. First , we have not done much cooking worth posting about. Second we were in Hawaii for a vacation. We were on the big island and spent time around Kona ans Waikoloa.

In the picture above Erin and I are at the outdorr bar at Ruth Chris. They had 1/2 of appetizers during their happy hour. We had some great carpaccio, crab cakes, crab stuffed mushroom and some BBQ shrimp on top of gralic mash! We also had a great bottle of 2004 Shafer One Point Five Cabernet Sauvignon http://www.shafervineyards.com/

Above is an "IMU PIT" for a Luau. http://www.primitiveways.com/Imu1.html The pig is seasoned the Hawaiian Alea salt only. I did not find the pork to be all that good. One thing i did not like was that they served it "pulled" or "shredded". I thought we would get some nice chunks of the pig with skin and all the good stuff! I also tried the Poi and it was pretty bland. One of the best theing was the Lomi Lomi which is like a ceviche. They also had mahi mahi, teriyaki ribs, potatoes, salads, just a ton of food!

Above is a beautiful Hawaiian sunset! We took this at the bay across from our condo!

Below I listed some of the meals we had!

1.) Hawaiian Styles Cafe Waimea - The best local joint we found. Huge portions and great flavors I had the kalbe ribs (Korean Style Ribs) with rice and potato salad. Erin had the Big Mok which is white rice topped with spam, portugese sausage, pork sausage, egg and brown gravy! Hert attack anyone???

Hawaiian Style Cafe65-1290 Kawaihae Rd, Kamuela, HI 96743 (map)(808) 885-4295

2.) Fresh Ono Fish and Chips. We just had this a local sports bar, but it was the best fish and chips I have ever had!

3.) Maui Onion and Ale soup at the Canoe House @ Mauna Lani Resort. Had a great rib eye and lobster tempura also! Just a beautiful location, see picture below!

More to come!

Penne with Fresh Tomatoes and Pine Nuts

Awhile ago I picked up a Tastes if Italia magazine at Borders. I had never seen the magazine before. Since we were in Italy a few years ago and the food was so incredible I figured I would buy it and see what it had to offer. Tonight we tried one of the recepies and it was wonderful!



1/2 pound penne (We used Fusilli)
4 tablespons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup pine nuts
2 cloves garlic, minced (we added extra!)
6 medium tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
pinch of salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup torn basil leaves

Cook penne according to package directions. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in large saute pan. Add pine nuts and cook on medium heat until lightly browned. Add garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes. In large bowl combine tomatoes, pine nuts, garlic, blue cheese, salt, pepper and basil leaves. Drain pasta and put in another bowl. Add the sauce mixture to the bowl of pasta and mix. Garnish with fresh basil leaves!

Bon Apetit!

Organic/Sustainable Basil

Erin & I have been shopping at the Poway farmers market for about a year now. About 2 months ago a new vendor turned up with the most incredible basil plants we have ever seen! It is grown at a farm in Escondido http://www.archisacres.com/. They say it lasts 4-6 weeks. You keep it in some type of container, we use a vase with a flat bottom. Each morning you take the plant and rinse the roots with water then return it to the vase and add a splash of water. My parents are on their 2nd or 3rd plant now! We have never seen basil like this before. We have a small herb garden and our the leaves on our plants are about 1/4 the size of these.

The Olympics

I know this is not food related but I thought I would post anyways. Erin and I watched a ton of the Olympics this year. I am not sure why but it just kind of pulls you in. One night I even found myself on the couch @ 1:00 am watching a great ping-pong match! We really enjoyed the opening and closing ceremonies. There were a lot of rumors about things being fake and lip-syncing, which turned out to be true. Not to mention the Chinese gymnasts that were 12,13, or 14! I mean 16 years old! I think it made it a lot easier for me to watch the Olympics because I realize it is all about the $$$$$$$ for the TV channels and gold medals for the countries no matter how you get them! Nothing else matters! I do not agree with it, but I can not change that. The IOC is such a dirty organization I do not think it will ever be fixed! I found this great article from Ray Ratto on http://www.cbssportsline.com. I thought it was a great read:


Well, the Olympics are over, and we only dislike and distrust the Chinese and Russians a bit more than we did before, thus making the Games a success.

That is, if not getting the planet incinerated is your goal for any Olympics. If you're looking for fair play, honest competition, understanding and the joy of young people gathering together to give the peoples of the world hope for the future -- well, the Olympics have always been a bad place to shop for that anyway.

As a place to cash in and meet scads of young attractive women, the Olympics can be very helpful. Ask Michael Phelps. As a place to become inundated with NFL offers to get one's brains beaten in returning kickoffs, they can work quite well. Ask Usain Bolt.

But as a place to find 14-year-old gymnasts, 12-year-old gymnasts, 10-year-old gymnasts and even zygote gymnasts, the Olympics are the best. A place to find corrupt boxing officials who are so helpless now that they even fight in press conferences to prove it, you can't find a better spot.

For athletes who object to their results by kicking the referee in the face, it is Nirvana. A place to find Jacques Rogge lecturing one man on inappropriate celebrating while one entire sport is being judged by drunks, pimps and rounders ... well, where else would you find Jacques Rogge?

To find media people who alternate between raving about the charm of a new culture and slagging it through ignorance, you've found the right window. To find twelve-hour old events passed off as live ... well, the NFL Network shows three-day-old exhibition games, but that's hardly the same. And specifically this time, it was a good place to find repression with a smile.

The Beijing Olympics did, on a slightly grander scale, what every other Olympics has ever done -- make some people rich, irritate others, and remind us in general that sport doesn't change the world, it just entertains it a while before we all get back to our principal duties of misunderstanding, slandering, swindling, punishing and killing each other. That it provides a little something for everyone along the way is just an added bonus.

Phelps will make upwards of $100 million in a sport most Americans care nothing about under any other circumstances. That will be a fraction of what NBC takes in for glomming on to him early, flogging him like he was Miley Cyrus with gills, and having him crush the hype for an entire week. Bolt won't make nearly so much, because of the lack of buildup, the lack of American citizenship and our eagerness to assume that any track person is one with a needle, but he'll get rich, too. A couple of American gymnasts might cash in a bit, and a couple of others will be stalked by people with iPhones hoping to catch them in bathing suits.

Some athletes will take their nanosecond of fame and their lifetime memories and be happy. Others (the U.S. softball team comes immediately to mind) will have one bad day stick in their throats for years. Many will take their seventh-place finish in a quarterfinal heat and go on with their lives. Why, some might even find a use for their share of the 100,000 condoms the Chinese Olympic Committee provided for them.

In short, what we're saying is this: If you're looking for a greater enduring meaning from these Olympics, you won't find it. The Olympic machine is getting closer to the NFL ideal, which is that you can have a hundred scandals and still pass them off as paper cuts and get a lot of people to go along with you. It hums along as it has since 1984, when the U.S. showed the world how to turn a buck (which is what we have always done best), and now that it staggers the Winter and Summer Games, it cashes in twice as often.

Beyond that, the Olympics' true gift is that it gives a little something for everyone, while providing nothing close to what the pundits and officials say it does. Glory and shame. Triumph and humiliation. Semi-truths and quasi-lies. Spectacle and embarrassment. Nobility and corruption. All the things that make us one of the more interesting subsets on the planet, right there between jellyfish and plasma televisions.

Oh, wait, there is one thing we learned from these Olympics, and it is a lesson we should all embrace and hold as our own for all time.

If you're looking for a kid singer for your next wedding, anniversary party or sporting event, always always always check her teeth first. The prestige of nations have risen and fallen on bad orthidonture, and you know we'll go for the cute nine-year-old with straight, white incisors over the truly talented eight-year-old with asymmetrical overbite every time.

Ray Ratto is a columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle.

My last comment regarding the Olympics is as we were watching swimming, track and field, boxing, taekwando or any other sport I was amazed how many foreign athletes have scholarships at U.S. universities and actually train in the U.S with U.S. coaches to compete against us! If it were my choice I would have them banned from the training facilities and universities athletic facilities 1 year before each Olympiad, and any U.S. coach caught coaching them within that year would be banned from being involved with U.S. athletes. Let them pay for their own training and training facilities

Carpaccio

One of our favorite things to eat as a hors dourves is beef carpaccio. We have had it many times at a lot of different restaurants. The last time we had it was at Ruth Chris's after the fires last October. We were married that weekend, October 20th to be exact. We ended up not going on our honeymoon instead having family that was evacuated stay at our house for a while. The circumstances were not good, but Erin and I really enjoyed the time with family. It is amazing how such a stress full situation can bring people together! After everyone had left I planned a romantic dinner for us a Ruth Chris. Erin had never been there before and I had always told her how amazing it was. She really enjoyed it! The most spectacular thing about the evening was that my sister, Debbie and her husband, Owen had picked up the tab and our great friends Christina ans Jaimie had bought a bottle of Opus One and had it waiting for us! We love you guys!

We saw the carpaccio on the menu and had to order it. It was a little different then I have had in the past. It came with a sauce, I think it was some type of aoli sauce. I am used to the more traditional plating, olive oil, lemon juice, capers, some arugula(tossed with a vinaigrette) and shaved Parmesan cheese. We have been thinking about trying it ourselves for a while but have not got around to it. I have been talking to Randy our butcher a Bishers in Poway. He said he could do it for us. The interesting thing is that he uses USDA Prime New York instead of fillet. He slightly freezes it cuts it thin and then you take it home and pound it out a little. it ended up working out really great. We got 2 nights worth of hors dourves for about $25.00! Here is what it came out like!

John's First Italian Gravy!

I have not posted in a while. Erin and I have not been doing much interesting cooking. It has been hot and we tend not to cook as much when it is hot. I did end up making a nice "gravy" with my fresh tomatoes! I do not like to eat chunks of tomato(I am weird) so I decided to try a gravy. Really was not sure what do to or how to do it so I did some research and the internet and found and easy recipe that I liked and used that as a guide.

10-15 cloves fresh garlic sliced thin lengthwise.
6 tbls extra virgin olive oil
1 onion roughly chopped
2 lbs tomatoes(blanched, peeled, seeded and chopped) I used our fresh beefsteak and a couple heirlooms.
1 cup wine
1/2 can tomato sauce (i think it a 32oz can)
1 tbls tomato paste
3-4 pinches sugar
1 package dried portobello mushrooms(re-constituted)

Note: to blanch tomatoes cut an "X" on the bottom, drop in boiling water for 1 minute, remove and put in a ice bath. After they cool you should be able to peel from bottom side where you cut the "X"

Note2: Peeling, seeding and chopping was no fun! It was quite messy and your hands get very slippery. I have no advice on how to do this. All tomatoes seem to be a little different as far seed quantity, location and how juicy they are. Now I see why people used the can stuff!

I used our big LeCruset pot and heated the oil until it was barely smoking. I then added the onion and let saute for 3-4 minutes, followed by the garlic. After this your whole kitchen will smell wonderful! I then added all the tomatoes and wine and let cook for 15-20 minutes. Since I wanted to make a gravy I need a little more liquid so I added the tomato sauce. I also added the sugar and the tomato paste at this point. I ended up letting it simmer on low for 3-4 hours using my smallest burner. I then took my trusty Braun hand mixer and proceeded to mix it into a thick gravy. This part I just eyeballed it until I was happy with the consistency.

While putting some stuff back in the fridge I saw a package of dried portobellos that needed to be used. I re-constituted them, chopped them then added to the sauce. It gave the sauce a really earthy tone to it!

Erin came home with some fresh linguini and ricotta raviolis from Mona Lisa Restaurant/Store in Little Italy. I made my fresh garlic bread and we were all set. I thought the sauce was really good. You really do a get a different taste from the fresh tomatoes. We like the idea of the gravy also. A lot of people bury their pasta in the suace. Due to a trip to Italy Erin and I took in 2006 we became intersted in the gravy type sauces.

Backstory: I ride a Ducati motorcycle and we were there for the Ducati Club World Presidents Meeting. Ducati supplied us with motorcycles, room and board all we had to do was buy the tickets and bring spending money. It was quite an opportunity. I had only known Erin for about 3 monthe before I asked her to go! We basically rode from Bologna, through umbria, out to the costal town of Rimini then to Rome. After Rome we rode up near Florence then back to Bologna. It seems quick but it was done over a 2-1/2 week time period. While there we had a lot of "homestyle" meals at the places we were staying. They never served pastas with a lot of sauce. There was always a big pasta dish filled with pasta and a light coating of sauce. I really enjoyed it that way. You do not lose the flavor of the pasta.

Back to work now!

We have been overtaken by tomatoes!

Our garden is flourishing this year and we picked about 20 tomatoes today! It is a mix between beefsteak and heirloom. I need some help on this one. I would like to make a red sauce for pasta and I have never made this with fresh tomatoes so if anyone out there has any ideas help would be appreciated!

Wild Ginger Sushi and Noodle

Erin and I had a fun night! We went to Office Depot for printer ink, then to Wal-Mart looking for Quickn'Brite which is a spot cleaner you can use for carpets.Just your typical night for a married couple! Why do I need Quickn'Brite? Four letters L-U-C-Y

"Who me? I didn't do it!"

She is a 10-month old Wire Haired Miniature Dachshund that Erin gave me for my birthday in January. We love her do death but she has been having little accidents around the house. She also been obsessing over shadows lately. She sits there where a shadow and light meet and whines! I think she is expecting something to come from the shadow! Dachshunds are stubborn so if you are ever thinking about a dog be warned!

Back to the food! In the Wal-Mart (Poway) parking lot there is a hole in the wall called Wild Ginger Sushi and Noodle House. Looks to be mostly a take out place, it has maybe 15 tables. We decided to give it a try! Erin had a Las Vegas Roll, not sure exactly what is in it(i do not eat sushi), salmon is all I know and it is dipped in tempura batter and fried. I had yakisoba noodles with pork. We also shared hot and sour soup and some steamed chicken wontons. Overall it was all very good and the portions were big. Especially the noodles which would have fed 4 people! The Hot and sour soup was fresh and steaming hot when it came out. It has the right mix of spicy and sour with fresh mushroom, bamboo shoots and wood ear! The steamed chicken wontons were the worst thing. They were not bad, just plain. As I said above, the noodles were excellent! Steaming hot and fresh, with a nice mix of veggies and pork! The food was price well, big bowl of soup $4.50, yakisoba $8.50 and steamed wonton $6.95. Sushi???? Maybe Erin will add to the post if she remembers. Try it if your in the area!

Wild Ginger Sushi and Noodle
13249 Community Road
Poway, CA 92064

Cheesy Jalapeno Cornbread

Erin and I had a bunch of jalapenos from our garden and we did not know what to do with them. We have been using them in salsas, beans and pico de gallo. Sidebar: pico de gallo means "rooster beak" in spanish. Who would of guessed that? /http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pico_de_gallo. Anyways I have never tried cornbread baked in an iron skillet so i decided to give it a try! I have a cast iron skillet that is well seasoned. Probablly near 15 years old!

Here is the recepie I used from http://southernfood.about.com/

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:
Vegetable oil for the pan
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3 to 4 tablespoons sugar, optional
Dash ground chipotle chile pepper or cayenne pepper
1/4 cup fresh finely chopped jalapeno pepper
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Mexican blend of cheeses, Cheddar Jack, or sharp Cheddar cheese
1 cup canned corn kernels, optional
8 ounces sour cream
3/4 cup milk
1 large egg, beaten
4 tablespoons melted butter

Preparation:Coat a heavy 10-inch skillet or 9-inch square baking pan with vegetable oil and set aside. Heat oven to 400°.

In a large bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, soda, salt, sugar, chipotle or cayenne pepper, chopped jalapeno peppers, and corn kernels.

Heat the skillet or pan in the oven or on the stovetop.

Whisk together the sour cream, milk, egg, and melted butter. Stir the wet mixture into the dry ingredients. Spread in the hot greased skillet or baking pan.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until set and lightly browned around the edges. Cool in the pan on a rack; cut into squares or wedges.

ENJOY!

Anthony Bourdain - Saudi Arabia

My wife and I are huge fans of Anthony Bourdain. For those of you not familiar with him he is a chef, writer, TV host. Here is a link to wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Bourdain and here is a link to his Travel Channel page http://www.travelchannel.com/TV_Shows/Anthony_Bourdain. his shows are mostly about the food of the country he is visiting but he also talks about the history of the country. He always has a local person as his guide and they are usually well versed on the history of the country! His last show which was last night 7/21/08 was in Saudi Arabia. He had a "casting-call" where viewers sent in video tapes of themselves explaining why Anthony should come to their city or country. It ended up between Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Philippines and Buffalo, NY. Yes that does say Buffalo! Needless to say Buffalo was ruled out! So out of the three left he chose Saudi Arabia.

We thought it was one of his best shows. You really get to see a side of Saudi Arabia that you never really see. Most of us think of it as the place where 15 of the 19 hijackers behind 9/11 came from, but there is a lot more! He is hosted by a young film producer by the name of Danya Alhamrani who runs the first woman ran production company in the country. She is a bit westernized having been raised between the U.S. and Jeddah Saudi Arabia. The best part is the steaming of the whole camel at the end of the show. Actually it was pretty gross!

For those of you interested in seeing a great show about someplace most of will never travel to, I suggest keeping an eye out on Travel Channel for this show!

Bratwurst

We were at costco and saw they had a triple pack of Johnsonville Bratwurst for $9.99 a deal we could not pass up! We decdided to invite Dan, Sena and his parents Don and Pam over for dinner sunday night. If you remember from an earlier post they are all from Milwaukee. What am I thinking cooking brat's for people from Milwaukee? That is like me inviting Bobby Flay over for a nice southwestern meal! I am pretty confident in my cooking so I was not worried.

Dan did his on the BBQ then in a crock pot. Basically they are browned low and slow on the BBQ for 15-20 minutes. Then he puts them in the crockpot with 2 beers, 1 oninon choppped, 1 jar sauerkraut and some brown sugar. They then simmer in there for 1.5-2 hours.

I did mine on the grill the same way (low and slow for 10-15 minutes), While this was being done I had a covered aluminium pan on the BBQ with 2 beers, 2 onion's chopped and 5-6 2 inch pieces of thyme for good measure! Was not sure what the thyme would do but figured what the hell! After they were browned I put them in the pan an covered with aluminum foil, turned half the grill off and let them simmer over in-direct heat for 1.5-2 hours.

They both ended up having a great taste. Dan's tasted a little different then mine due to the sauerkraut and the brown sugar. I like the taste of mine due to the hint of thyme in my onions. Overall they were bothe really good. I would eat either anytime!

Pesto Cream Sauce

This weekend we had some home made raviolis with a pesto cream sauce. Now I understand why people have pasta attachments for their Kitchen Aids. Rolling out the dough with a standard rolling pin was quite time consuming!

Basic Pesto
1 cup fresh basil leaves
1/3 cup pine nuts
2 cloves garlic
1/3 cup olive oil

Just put the basil, pine nuts and garlic in a food processor and blend until fine. Then with the processor on add olive oil slowly until you get a nice paste! Store in the frig and should stay good for a week or so!

To make the pesto cream just boil 1 cup of whipping cream and add the pesto when boiling! That's it!

Milwaukee, Cheese Curds and Beer!

Our friends Dan and Sena who are from Milwaukee have Dan's parents in town for the next week. The brought this great article written by George Will on why beer is essential. They also brought some Bucky Badger Cheese Curds http://www.buckybadgercheese.com/ If you have never had chesse curds you are missing out! If you do not no what cheese curds are look it up here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheese_curds

I thought it was a interesting read:

From the Washington Post 7/10/08

Beer: Is There Anything It Can't Do?By George Will

WASHINGTON -- Perhaps like many sensible citizens, you read Investor's Business Daily for its sturdy common sense in defending free markets and other rational arrangements. If so, you too may have been startled recently by an astonishing statement on that newspaper's front page. It was in a report on the intention of the world's second-largest brewer, Belgium's InBev, to buy control of the third-largest, Anheuser-Busch, for $46.3 billion. The story asserted: "The (alcoholic beverage) industry's continued growth, however slight, has been a surprise to those who figured that when the economy turned south, consumers would cut back on nonessential items like beer. ... "
"Non what"? Do not try to peddle that proposition in the bleachers or at the beaches in July. It is closer to the truth to say: No beer, no civilization.
The development of civilization depended on urbanization, which depended on beer. To understand why, consult Steven Johnson's marvelous 2006 book "The Ghost Map: The Story of London's Most Terrifying Epidemic -- and How It Changed Science, Cities, and the Modern World." It is a great scientific detective story about how a horrific cholera outbreak was traced to a particular neighborhood pump for drinking water. And Johnson begins a mind-opening excursion into a related topic this way:

"The search for unpolluted drinking water is as old as civilization itself. As soon as there were mass human settlements, waterborne diseases like dysentery became a crucial population bottleneck. For much of human history, the solution to this chronic public-health issue was not purifying the water supply. The solution was to drink alcohol."
Often the most pure fluid available was alcohol -- in beer and, later, wine -- which has antibacterial properties. Sure, alcohol has its hazards, but as Johnson breezily observes, "Dying of cirrhosis of the liver in your forties was better than dying of dysentery in your twenties." Besides, alcohol, although it is a poison, and an addictive one, became, especially in beer, a driver of a species-strengthening selection process.
Johnson notes that historians interested in genetics believe that the roughly simultaneous emergence of urban living and the manufacturing of alcohol set the stage for a survival-of-the-fittest sorting-out among the people who abandoned the hunter-gatherer lifestyle and, literally and figuratively speaking, went to town.
To avoid dangerous water, people had to drink large quantities of, say, beer. But to digest that beer, individuals needed a genetic advantage that not everyone had -- what Johnson describes as the body's ability to respond to the intake of alcohol by increasing the production of particular enzymes called alcohol dehydrogenases. This ability is controlled by certain genes on chromosome four in human DNA, genes not evenly distributed to everyone. Those who lacked this trait could not, as the saying is, "hold their liquor." So, many died early and childless, either of alcohol's toxicity or from waterborne diseases.
The gene pools of human settlements became progressively dominated by the survivors -- by those genetically disposed to, well, drink beer. "Most of the world's population today," Johnson writes, "is made up of descendants of those early beer drinkers, and we have largely inherited their genetic tolerance for alcohol."
Johnson suggests, not unreasonably, that this explains why certain of the world's population groups, such as Native Americans and Australian Aborigines, have had disproportionately high levels of alcoholism: These groups never endured the cruel culling of the genetically unfortunate that town dwellers endured. If so, the high alcoholism rates among Native Americans are not, or at least not entirely, ascribable to the humiliations and deprivations of the reservation system. Rather, the explanation is that not enough of their ancestors lived in towns.
But that is a potential stew of racial or ethnic sensitivities that we need not stir in this correction of Investor's Business Daily. Suffice it to say that the good news is really good: Beer is a health food. And you do not need to buy it from those wan, unhealthy-looking people who, peering disapprovingly at you through rimless Trotsky-style spectacles, seem to run all the health food stores.
So let there be no more loose talk -- especially not now, with summer arriving -- about beer not being essential. Benjamin Franklin was, as usual, on to something when he said, "Beer is living proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy." Or, less judgmentally, and for secular people who favor a wall of separation between church and tavern, beer is evidence that nature wants us to be.

Let's talk Caribbean food!

We have been going to a restaurant right around the corner from us on Poway Road called Miami Grille. Some of you may know this restaurant or their other location in UTC. A while ago we had chatted with one of the owners who was from Miami. He said the concept was a place to get Floridian, Cuban, Puerto Rican, Caribbean food all in one place! What ever the idea it certainly has worked! Lets start with the drinks. They have a great selection of Rums and have recently started brewing their own beer! They actually brew it at the UTC store and send kegs to the Poway store. I had their amber ale. It had a nice crisp taste with a little bit of hopiness and a good finish. I really liked it! If you have a cocktail try the Hemingway or one of their many Mojito's!

Hemingway Cocktail

2oz rum

1/2oz maraschino Liquor (cherry liquor)

1oz lemon or lime juice

1tsp sugar or simple syrup

Add ingredients to cocktail shaker and ice. Shake well. Strain into sugar rimmed martini glass. (Note: Ernest Hemingway preferred fresh grapefruit juice!) So do Erin and I!!!

Let's move on to the food! It has been out standing every time I have been there! They have great appetizers. Especially the Canasta De Fritas which are potato and sweet potato fries with a sunshine aioli and Chopp-Chopp curry sauce. They also have what is called a chopp-chopp. A Floribbean (Florida+Caribbean) presented in a layered fashion with chopped romaine, chopped tomatoes, rice and sometimes beans. This is all topped of with grilled chicken, steak, pork or shrimp. Serving are very big but taste is great! As far as main dishes you can get all types of meat, pork, chicken and fish. Here is a couple examples:

Ropa Vieja - slow roasted beef with onions, bell peppers served with whit rice and Cuban black beans.

Chicken Curry or Shrimp Curry - I think you all know what that is!

Key Largo Salmon - fresh pan seared on a bed of garlic mashed potatoes, sauteed baby spinach, citrus chili sauce, topped with sauteed shrimp and a side of mango relish.

If you like spicy try something with their jerk sauce! They also have quite a selection of sandwiches and deserts! Here is a link so I do not have to type for hours http://www.miamigrille.com/

I would give it a try some time!

Dried Porcini Paste

I actually found this in SD union Tribune! We have made it 3-4 times now and just love it. The original recipe calls for a 3lb bone in rib eye. You marinate the meat, BBQ, then slice and put on bed of rocket (arugula). We have just been making the rub and putting it on flank steaks we have been buying from Bishers. I think it would be good on any cut of meat. I think the BBQ is a must though! Here is the recipe:

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon red pepper flakes (more if you want spicy!)

1/4 cup porcini mushroom powder**

5 garlic cloves minced

1/4 cup, plus 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

** Dried porcini's can purchased at Von's. 1 package will be enough. These can then be ground to a powder. We went and bought a little Black and Decker coffee bean grinder($13) and use it for grinding our herbs and spices.

In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients and stir into a thick paste with the consistency of way sand. Rub paste all over your cut of meat and wrap in saran wrap. Refrigerate for at least 12 hours. Remove steak about an hour before grilling so it can come to room temperature. Throw it on the grill and cook to your desired doneness!

Enjoy!

Fresh Tomatoes & Pasta

John has been the predominant fixture in our kitchen since we were married last year. Although I share the same love for cooking, it is rare that I am preparing the entire meal. My plan, use things we have around the house incorporating fresh garden ingredients. Inspiration was taken from a recipe in Italian Cooking magazine. I used a variety of tomatoes, but recommend romas for their firm texture. As usual I played around with the spices, adding Oregano since our plant needed a haircut. I also doubled the red pepper flakes, but do not recommend doing so if you do not have a palate for spicy foods. The addition of bacon was from a forethought of panchetta that led me to the left-over Bishers thick cut bacon we had in the fridge. (See John's post on Bisher's Meat.) If you choose to omit the pork fat add a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil to the mix before serving. We paired the meal with a La Boca Malbec. Enjoy!


Pasta with Fresh Tomatoes

1 lb pasta, I used thick spaghetti
6 roma tomatoes, diced
1/3 c. olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, sliced
Anchovy Paste to taste
A Pinch of red pepper flakes
1/2 c. fresh parsley, chopped (reserve some for garnish)
1/2 c. toasted bread crumbs
Parmesan Cheese

Optional:
2 pieces of thick cut bacon chopped and cooked
Fresh Oregano a few pinches

Cook Pasta to package instructions. john & I prefer al dente especially when we finish pasta in a sauce. Saute garlic and olive oil on medium heat for about 3 minutes. Be careful not to let the garlic brown. Add Tomatoes, red pepper and anchovy paste. Cook for 5-6 minutes. When the pasta is almost done add 1 c. of the cooking liquid to your tomato mixture. Drain Pasta and add to tomato mixture. Cook until almost all of the liquid is gone. I like to toss the tomatoes throughout. Finish by adding parsley, bread crumbs, bacon & cheese. Toss to evenly coat.

Add mixture to serving dish and sprinkle with Parmesan, reserved parsley & oregano if desired.

Anchovy Paste...avoid the ewwwww
Have you learned to embrace the flavor of anchovies? For many people the actual anchovy fillets are too much to tolerate. There is typically an ewwww factor. A less visual and longer lasting alternative is anchovy paste. Packaged in a tube it is like concentrated tomato paste in texture. Saltier than canned fillets, paste may require you to adjust the salt in a recipe. Anchovy flavor is not easily replaced and omitting it from a recipe will through off the balance.

$1.00 Taco Tuesday

Tonight we decided to have Erin stop by Rubio's for $1 taco Tuesday. For those of you who have not been to SOCAL Rubio's has the best fish tacos around. For those of you not familiar with Rubio's you can read about it here http://www.rubios.com/about.html Along with the tacos I decided to make a basamati rice. I was shooting for a Mexican style but was not sure how to do it. I used a standard recipe which my dad had given us. I adjusted it for that Mexican taste!

1/4 cup chopped onion

2 garlic cloves chopped

1 tbsp olive oil

1-1/3 cup Basmati Rice

2 cups chicken broth

1 tbsp tomato paste

1 tomato (diced)

1 small green bell pepper diced

1 small zucchini diced

pinch of red pepper flakes

salt to taste

Heat olive oil in pan and add onion, saute for 3-4 minutes then add garlic and saute another 2-3 minutes. Add the the rice and saute until lightly brown 3-4 minutes, then add the chicken broth. Cover and let simmer for 12-15 minutes or until rice is just tender. I time a lot of this based on taste. I have never had my cooking times down perfect so keep an eye on what you are doing. When the rice is just tender I added the tomato paste, tomato, bell pepper and zucchini. I then turned off the heat and let sit for another 5 minutes. Before serving I added the red pepper flakes and salted to taste

The vegetables were all fresh from our garden! I will post more about that later!

ENJOY!

Hot Dogs and Tater Tots

OK, so we do not always eat fine food and drink fine wine! Last night we had the classic all American meal! Ball Park beef franks and Ore-Ida tater tots! I also had a Keystone Light beer with mine. Erin and I both did mustard alone on the dogs. I used the standard yellow mustard and Erin used Trader Joe's Dijon Mustard(YUCK!). The tater tots were the extra crispy type and we just baked them in the oven. This is a meal we do not eat very often in fact I think it is the first time we had this combination, at least as a couple. As a single guy I ate this quite a lot, sometimes adding chili to the mixture!

Butchers a Lost Art?

Just thought I would post my thoughts on butchers tonight. Growing up in Cupertino, CA we had a local butcher by the Cali Brothers Feed and Grain Mill at the corner of Stevens Creek Blvd and DeAnza Blvd, right across from St. Josephs where I attended grammar school. Cupertino was really a huge agricultural town before it became part of the "Silicon Valley". I used to work in the Camardas apricot drying fields during the summers. It was quite a different city back then! I remember going to the butcher when I was just a child. It had these hardwood mats on the floors with saw dust all over. The thing I remember the most is that the people we used to hunt with all used the butcher to prepare their meats after a successful hunting trips. My dad had killed a dear once and I am pretty sure we had it butchered there after field prepping it at Captain Burches, which is the place we used to hunt at. The butcher shop always had this great smell of fresh meat. Sorry vegans wrong blog! The butchers always had their white smocks on and looked like some type of doctor that had a mishap in the operating room due to the blood and other stuff all over their smocks. I think that would be very disheartening to people these days. You really do not see that many "pure" butcher shops anymore. With stores like Vons, Safeway and Albertsons I think the butcher has become a lost art. Yes they still are butchers, but if you ask for something special, for example a 3lb bone in rib eye. You would have to order it or if they if they did have a un-cut length of rib eye they would disappear behind some doors and reappear in a few minutes with a piece of meat in a tray wrapped in saran wrap all nice and pretty. I like my meat wrapped in white butcher paper! My preference is a place like http://www.bishersmeat.com/ they have a location here in Poway and one in Ramona. They used to be owned by the same person but now I think they are ran separately. I have been frequenting them for about 4-5 years now. I wish I would have known about them earlier! Thanks to the great San Diego morning radio show Dave, Shelly and Chainsaw I learned about Bishers. Erin and I have come to know the General Manager, Randy quite well. Tip: make friends with your local butcher if you have one!
Bishers certainly does not resemble the old butcher shops as I mentioned above. Much cleaner of course. It is wonderful being able to see all the meats on display so you can pick your exact cuts. Need something special and he can grab it out of the back and cut it right there for you. Randy has an excellent knowledge of meats and how to prepare them. What ever you buy he can tell you how to cook it. Would you trust the kid behind the counter at Vons? Although I usually do not use his suggestions because I have my own plan already, they always do sound tempting. We did use his suggestion when we barbecued Elk and Kangaroo! They both turned out perfect. Sometimes we go in there and explain to him that we saw this recipe but we are not sure about the cut of meat they used. He quickly comes up with a great suggestion. A great example of this was when we wanted to braise some short ribs he suggested taking a 3-4 pound chuck roast and butchering it into smaller cuts. It was a great suggestion and we have done it 4-5 times!
So if you do not know where your local butcher is I suggest you go out and find it! They are great resource for expanding your culinary knowledge!

Sidenote: For you San Diegans bishers always has a great selection of marinted meats and chicken as well as exotic meats! If you like mushrooms try the stuffed ones!

Vinturi Wine Aerator

I was given this wine aerator for my birthday. It was from my friends Todd and Suzzane. It is the coolest wine aerator around. it makes a cool gurgling/sucking noise as you pour the wine. There are two holes on the sides that draws air in as you are pouring wine. Below is from the website http://www.vinturi.com. Cost is $39.95

There's a lot of engineering in there bernoulli's principle states that as the speed of a moving fluid increases, the pressure within the fluid decreases. When wine is poured in the vinturi, its design creates an increase in the wine's velocity and a decrease in its pressure. this pressure difference draws in air, which is mixed with wine for perfect aeration.

But what really matters is vinturi's affect on wine.

Better Bouquet
sample the nose. you'll appreciate the subtle aromatic differences and the full aroma of the wine. vinturi allows wine to display its intended aromas.

Enhanced Flavors
go ahead, take a sip. vinturi's wine tastes better. it is more flavorful and has better mouthfeel. it tastes like a richer, more expensive wine. it tastes like it was intended to and is more enjoyable.

Smoother Finishahh. vinturi's aeration is very effective at softening tannins which results in a much more pleasant finish. any bitterness or bad aftertaste is reduced or eliminated.

Steak au Poivre with Sauteed Fresh Corn

Erin and I were sitting around last night going from the fridge to the cupboard and back again. Had we lost something? Were we bored? Were we hungry? I would have to go with the latter of the 3. We are saving for a vacation in September(Hawaii!) so we have cut back on our gourmet shopping trips! So here what we did!

I had a frozen Rib Eye in the freezer. I decided to make a peppered steak or as the French would say, "Steak au Poivre". My dad had made this for Erin and I once and it was very good. He used the Julia Child book "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" If you love to cook I think this book is a must for the kitchen! I just used my mortar to crack about 1/4 cup of fresh pepper. I also mixed in 2 -3 pinches of salt. I then lightly coated the steak with olive oil and then rubbed on the pepper mixture. I let the steak rest for 10-15 minutes before placing it in a med-hi well seasoned cast iron skillet and 3-4 minutes per side. I feel the cast iron is the only way to cook a steak on the stove. We finished in a 400 degree oven for about 7-8 minutes and let rest for another 10 minutes under aluminium foil, this gave us a medium rare steak.

We also had 4 ears of corn sitting in the fridge and decided to remove it from the cob and do something with it. We just used a sharp knife and placed the flat end of the corn on a plate and cut down to remove the kernels. Remember you do not want to go to deep! I learned a great tip via Food Network, which is after you remove kernels take the back of your knife a vigorously rub against the cob. What this will do is get any left over juices or pieces of kernel. It looks like a thick paste. We just mixed it in with the corn when we cooked. We sauteed the corn in a pan with butter, some fresh zucchini from our garden, cut up cherry tomato and onion. It had a wonderful taste and accompanied the meat well!

PS: Sorry about the picture quality! Have been taking pics. on the cell phone. Things will get better as I learn how to blog!