Since this is our first post of this series, we thought we would make things simple and start at the front of a cattle- hence, the brisket. Most of us have encountered brisket in one form of another – usually at the deli counter (as corned beef) or from the pit of our favorite BBQ… Continue reading Getting Deep with Brisket
Author: Rusty
Delicious Cavatelli with Sundried Tomatoes
This is a really easy and satisfying pasta dish that was definitely a hit in our house. Follow up: As I said, this a combination of 2 recipes because I originally made the sun dried tomato pesto for a different cold pasta salad that I never prepared. She notes in her book that this pesto… Continue reading Delicious Cavatelli with Sundried Tomatoes
Satisfying Corn and Pepper Muffins
Savory Corn and Pepper Muffins. I do love her blog but I was disappointed with these muffins. After looking over the ingredients, I knew before I made them that I was probably not going to like them. I generally do not enjoy spicy foods. This dish is not something that I would chose to make… Continue reading Satisfying Corn and Pepper Muffins
Lemon Curd Gelato Recipe
Meyer lemon season is upon us. A Meyer lemon is a hybrid of a lemon and a Mandarin orange or a sweet orange (Wikipedia entry). They were originally imported from China in the early 1900’s and were given the name Meyer lemon after agricultural explorer Fred Meyer, an employee of the USDA who first introduced… Continue reading Lemon Curd Gelato Recipe
How to Infuse Olive Oil the Right Way
I find myself reaching for this ingredient constantly. This is a go-to item for whenever you need to sweat aromatics, grill protein, or build a complex sauce; the execution is simple, the payoff high. This roasted garlic and basil infused oil is at home ‘raw’ in Insalata Caprese or as a base for homemade breads… Continue reading How to Infuse Olive Oil the Right Way
Food Shortage
Bad news: In these tough economic times, even the lambs are lean! I just found out that our annual lamb purchase from my local butcher will be delayed until May. They informed me that they want the animals to get some “good spring grass” in them before they are taken to slaughter. While the delay… Continue reading Food Shortage
A Trick about Bread
Bread doughs develop plenty of gluten if properly kneaded and in appropriate flour to water ratios. Missing the additional water from a dry(er) butter will do little to no damage whatsoever. While the additional butterfat will coat some of the flour molecules and prevent them from stringing together, the difference will be modest at most.… Continue reading A Trick about Bread
The Secret of Quality Ingredients
If you ask any culinary professional worth their salt: “What is the key to success in the kitchen?” they will almost always respond with “start with the best ingredients available.” If one can perceive the unspoken, yet inherent, addition of “and don’t screw them up,” one would be 75% of the way toward making a… Continue reading The Secret of Quality Ingredients
Rules for Meat
Many of my posts are going to revolve around one topic: the purchase, preparation and consumption of meat. To save myself the hassle of re-typing the same things over and over again in every post, I thought it prudent to jot down some simple rules for buying and preparing meat. If you’re a protein enthusiast… Continue reading Rules for Meat
The Popularity of Magnolia
For those of you who are not familiar with Magnolia Bakery, it is a well known bakery in New York City and they are famous for their yummy pastel frosted cupcakes. I believe they are credited with starting the “cupcake craze” of the 1990’s. I had a hankering for cake after watching Paula Deen make… Continue reading The Popularity of Magnolia