Not long ago I was talking with my cousin Neil, and he was telling me about how everyone in his house had come down with some sort of bug.  I know how that feels!  There is nothing worse when everyone is sick.  For one thing, nobody wants to cook.

Of course, there is nothing better when your sick than some home made chicken stew so I decided to make them up a batch so A. they would not have to cook, and B. the chance to make them feel a little better.

Neils’ wife Melissa has been asking me for the recipe every since, and I haven’t written it down because it is just one of those dishes I just make as I go along.  Well, the other day I made it again and tried to keep in my memory how I did it.  So Melissa, this one is for you, I hope I got it all right.

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken, about 4 pounds
1 large onion, roughly diced
3 cloves fresh garlic, crushed (or pressed)
3 stalks of celery, chopped
3 large carrots chopped
1 can sweet corn
1 can green beans
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
water
salt and pepper
chicken stock/broth
1 stick of unsalted butter
about 1/4 cup of flour
1 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese (not that dust from the green can)
1 1/2 cups of bow-tie pasta or cheese tortellini (uncooked)
About a cup of heavy cream
Canola oil

Preheat oven to 250.

In a large dutch oven or - (More…)

I finished work the other day and it was a long one. I knew I had to cook dinner, and I knew what I had to use: venison. I was not in the mood for a long drawn out recipe and  I could not choose anything else because I did not want the meat to sit in the fridge any longer. So I just whipped up chicken fried venison!

I mean it, I just did it off the top of my head because I did not have the energy to see how others were doing it. It came out magnificent! Now “chicken fried” has nothing to do with chicken, it basically means you are cooking something the same way you would fried chicken. Well, that is basically what I did, except I used healthier ingredients.

Ingredients:

6 small venison steaks (loin would probably be the best)
1 1/2 cups of flour
2 tablespoons smoked paprika
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 tsp fresh cracked pepper
2 cloves of garlic, pressed or crushed and made into a paste
1 med onion, diced
1/2 cup red wine (Merlot)
2 cups beef stock
Canola oil

Preheat oven to 350.

In a large cast iron skillet, add enough of the oil so you have about 1/2 inch of it in the skillet.  Heat to medium high (about 350 degrees F).

Meanwhile, add the flour, salt, paprika, and pepper into a plastic resealable bag.  Add the steaks to the bag, shake and press the flour into - (More…)

Now that we have moved back to upstate New York, I find myself eating more and more kielbasa.  It seems to be everywhere up here and I really have not had it for a long time.  Not being a huge saur kraut fan, I try to find different ways to make it, but most recipes are rather plain for my tastes.  I decided to try and barbecue it and wow, I am glad I did!

Kielbasa is a polish sausage and the flavor is rather salty with a hint of heat way in the back.  These mild flavors makes it a rather versatile sausage.  I am really surpised at the lack of recipes for it.  Almost all of the ones I searched for included some sort of slow cooking process (usually in a crockpot) but nothing for barbecuing on the grill.  Well, let me tell you, we raved over this!

Ingredients:

2 large kielbasa links (about 2 pounds).
1 medium red onion, finely diced.
Oil infused garlic olive oil (extra virgin) OR regular extra virgin olive oil with a teaspoon of minced and crushed garlic.
3/4 cup chicken stock (preferably homemade and gelatinous).
1 1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard.
1/2 cup of brown sugar.
1 tablespoon honey.
1 teaspoon hot sauce (chipotle if you can).
1/4 cup ketchup.
Salt and fresh ground pepper.

In a small sauce pan on low heat, add enough of the olive oil to coat the bottom about 1/8 of an inch.  Add the onions and cook slowly for about - (More…)

Over the last few months I have really taken an interest in wild yeast.  Sure, those yeast packets you get from the store are fine, but the idea of catching something locally and enjoying a unique flavor just to your area is just too appealing to me.  Everyone has heard of sourdough bread from San Fransisco and the reason why you cannot get that anywhere else is because of the natural yeasts and bacteria native only to that area.  These impart unique flavors to the breads from that region.

Now there are thousands of sourdough bread recipes, but one thing they have in common is a starter.  Isn’t that annoying when you see that and you don’t have one?  I mean, it basically stops you in your tracks.  Well I have been expiramenting with making my own for a while and the results are incredible.  Here is a look at my somewhat wet starter that I just fed today:

Yeah, it isn’t pretty, but it is alive!  So how does one go about catching their own yeast and making a starter?

I can only tell you what I did, but you will find there are a lot of techniques out there, but for me, this is practically fool proof.

Take 1 cup of rye flour (the least processed you can find) and 1 cup - (More…)

We are all moved into the new house.  Sure, we still have some things to put away, but I (and the site) are back online.  Whew, what an adventure.  I put my foot down, which is something I do not do very often, and made a proclamation to my wife that the next time we move, we must have enough money to easily pay movers to do it!

Anywho, things are settling down and I hope to be able to get back to sharing recipes again.  I have a couple in the pipeline that I am still tinkering with (when I get time).  One thing I am really looking forward to writing about is kitchen layout.  Now that I have spent a couple weeks getting ours in order, it is fresh in my mind.

So be ready, the recipes are coming in!

Ok folks, the wife and I bought a new home in upstate NY and the move takes place Friday.  The new connection will not be available until Monday so I hope to get everything back online by Tuesday the 15th.

We have quite a bit to do, so bear with me if it takes a little while.  The site will down sometime Friday.

Cheers,

Jeff

Sorry, it has been a while since I have written, but work has kept me quite busy. I hope to be able to get some more recipes here!

Since the grilling season is upon us, I have been cooking a lot of steak. Not only is it quick in these busy times, but of course, delicious! Lately I have been working on pan sauces and quick marinades. I have begun to find that most marinating going on out there is too much. I see no need to marinate most anything over night in the fridge. Don’t get me wrong, I am just as guilty as the rest of you as I have done the same thing for years, but you know what? I have found that most of the time you can get the same results by marinating quickly at room temperature.

Think about it, most marinades have some sort of acidic component, such as lemon, or vinegar, and then an oil like olive oil or canola and then a few spices. What happens when you put oil into the the fridge? It coagulates and basically seizes. In my mind, once this happens, the marinating is over and all that is left is pickling of the meat.

The acidity and salt added to marinades kills most of your flagrant bacteria that will quickly spoil meat so why put it back in the fridge? - (More…)

Ahh yes, St. Pattys day is just around the corner, and we are already planning our party. Since the holiday is landing on a Monday this year, we are throwing the party on Sunday the 16th as probably most of you are. After our big hit party last year, we can’t wait until this St. Pattys day.

We will be making pretty much the same menu this year, but it will have one important difference. We are brining the brisket from scratch to make a truly home made dish. Our test batch last month came out wonderful so today we picked up about twenty pounds of beef brisket and got our corned beef brine going. For those of you who have never done it, you should know it requires eight days of brining so you better hurry!

Here is the recipe we use for turning 4-6 pounds of beef brisket into corned beef:

6 cups of water
2 cups beer
1 1/2 cups kosher salt
1 packed cup of brown sugar
1/4 cup pickling spice

Stir all the ingredients together in a large wide pot and make sure the sugar and salt are dissolved. Add the meat and weigh down with a heavy plate and then cover. Refrigerate for 4 days, stir the brine and turn the meat, and refrigerate for another 4 days.

You can multiply this recipe if you are using more than 6 pounds.

Now all you have to - (More…)

Pork loin can be one of those dishes that will test your patience. If you over cook it, be prepared for a dry experience; if you don’t spice it up right, a bland one. I have always assumed this is why that particular cut of meat is cheaper than most of the other pork cuts. I am of course referring to the center cut loin, not the tenderloin.

This recipe has gotten me through many a dinner with wows and exclamations on the flavor and juiciness.

Ingredients:

1 3-5 lbs. pork loin (not tenderloin).
3 cloves of garlic minced.
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary (about 2 tablespoons) chopped fine.
1 tablespoon fresh thyme.
5-8 slices smoked bacon (the good kind that you get at a deli or butcher, preferrably apple wood smoked bacon).
About 3-4 cups chicken stock or broth.
About 3 tablespoons of flour.
Extra virgin olive oil.
Salt and pepper.

Preheat your oven to 225.

Take the garlic, rosemary, and thyme and if you have a small food processor, process until well combined. Add olive oil slowly until it forms a liquidy paste. About 1/4 cup.

Sprinkle salt and pepper all over the pork loin.

Heat a dutch oven or any other heavy pot (that has a lid and can be used in the oven) on your stove to medium high heat. Add enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan. When the oil starts smoking, add the loin, fat side down to the pan and sear - (More…)

Years ago, beef brisket was considered one of the least desirable cuts of meat. Cooked like other meats, it will come out tough and stringy. With no surprise, it was usually purchased by those with less money. Over the years recipes came about that made brisket one of the most sought after dishes in the Americas.

There are many ways to cook brisket, but generally all of the techniques have one common thing: low and slow cooking. By cooking (or smoking) the meat slowly, the tough connective tissue begins to break down leaving the meat soft and letting the flavor out.

One of my favorite ways to cook brisket is by braising it. This basically means cooking it slowly with liquid. Although this may remind you of a pot roast, it is really a bit different. Here is a recipe of mine that is very simple but has wowed more than a few people at my table.

Ingredients:

1 4-5 pound beef brisket (fresh, not corned).
1 large Spanish onion.
4 cloves of garlic, lightly chopped.
About a half teaspoon ground cumin.
1 - 3 cups of beef broth.
All purpose flour (about 2-3 tablespoons).
1 sprig fresh rosemary (do not remove leaves from sprig).
Salt and pepper.
Canola oil.

Preheat oven to 225.

In a large heavy pot with a heavy lid, preferably a dutch oven (must be oven safe), bring up to a medium high heat. While you are waiting, liberally salt and pepper - (More…)