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…)

We have been making a lot of Focaccia bread lately. When we make spaghetti, we make Focaccia, when we just want a warm snack, we make Focaccia. If I am bored and want to make a bread, I make Focaccia. It is really one of the more flavorful types of bread out there and fortunately it is easy to make!

You can use Focaccia bread for many occasions, and lately I have been using it when I would normally make garlic bread. Its rich flavor and wonderful toppings are just what the doctor ordered some days.

Ingredients:

3 - 3 1/2 cups of all purpose (non-rising) flour.
2 teaspoons active yeast.
1 tablespoon salt.
2 tablespoons honey.
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil.
1 cup of warm water.
2 large sprigs of fresh rosemary (about 2 tablespoons), lightly chopped.
3-4 garlic gloves, minced.
Salt, pepper.
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese.
1 small onion diced.
cornmeal.

In a mixer you want to add a cup of warm water, around 95 - 100 degrees. Add the honey and the yeast and then stir together. Let the yeast proof while you get the other ingredients together (about 10 minutes).

Using dough hooks on your mixer, add the flour until mixed with the water. Add the salt, and the 1/4 cup of olive oil. Mix until a ball forms. On a floured surface, knead the dough for about 5 - 10 minutes. Shape into a - (More…)

Is there really anything better on a bitter cold night than enjoying a tender pot roast? This is another dish that every person in a family cooks a little bit different. There is no perfect pot roast, just like there is no perfect pie. There are just too many ways you can prepare it.

The way I prefer to make pot roast is the low and slow method. It is no secret that cooking meat slowly brings out tenderness in the most stubborn of meats. This is one reason why pot roast is popular because you can use a less expensive cut of meat, and yet enjoy a delicious dish.

I normally do not include side dishes in my main course recipes, however, the texmati rice recipe I am about to show you, really will not work without some parts of the pot roast.

Ingredients:

Pot roast:

1 3-4 large pot roast, brought to room temperature.
1 large Spanish onion, cut into a large dice.
4 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped.
1 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes.
1/2 pound small white button mushrooms (fresh and whole), cleaned.
1/2 to 1 cup of beef broth/stock.
Kosher salt.
Fresh ground pepper.
2 sprigs of rosemary, whole.
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin, divided (two 1/4 teaspoons).
Canola oil.
2 1/2 tablespoons flour.

Rice:

1 cup texmati rice.
2 1/2 cups beef stock
2 bay leaves.
Extra virgin olive oil.
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves.
Salt and pepper.

Preheat the over to 220 - 225.

Liberally season one side of the pot roast - (More…)

About two to three times a month lately, we have been eating meatloaf at our house. It is pretty much a staple in many home kitchens in the United States. My favorite part of the entire meatloaf genre is that wonderfully, there is no one recipe. Just like there is no one mixture of tea leaves better than another, meatloaf is as versatile as you need it to be.

With all that being said, there are some techniques that can really help make the dish regardless of what ingredients you use and let me tell you, there is list as long as the largest cookbook of ingredients you can use in a meatloaf. It used to be when I was a kid, that meatloaf was what you made with all the leftovers from the week. However, over the years it seems to now be mostly made with fresh ingredients. I think this has gone a long way to ending the “meatloaf that sits in your stomach like a rock” syndrome.

When I make it, I usually find that I make way too much and end up giving a few plates away to neighbors and friends. Many of these people are either single, or retired (no, I do not live in Florida ) so they really appreciate a home cooked meal. One comment that I keep getting is on how much they love the - (More…)