chimichurri

the Argentine people put this on steak. but grilled some pizza last night, and we used chimichurri instead of red pizza sauce. pretty nice. ok, blend all this in a processor. or, if you're feeling up to it, make it all by hand by mincing it all, or even grinding it with a mortar. make extra and save the extra for spreads on sandwiches, etc.

• 3/4 cup olive oil
• 3 tablespoons Sherry wine vinegar or red wine vinegar
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled
• 2 medium shallots, peeled, quartered
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
• 3 cups (packed) stemmed fresh parsley
• 2 cups (packed) stemmed fresh cilantro
• 1 cup (packed) stemmed fresh mint

quick fry of artichoke hearts with buffalo Mozzarella

Marinated Artichokes in a jar... the marinated ones
Fresh Buffalla Mozzarella
2 Shallots, sliced and carmelized
4-5 Cloves of Garlic, chopped.
Olive Oil
Lemon
Chilli Flakes
Parsley
Salt and Pepper

Caramelize some sliced shallots. Pan fry the artichokes with oil, garlic, chilli flakes and parsley just to soften and infuse flavors. Squeeze over a lemon Arrange artichokes on platter and drop on the mozzarella. Spoon the garlic/oil/chilli liquid over the platter and then finish with carmelized shallots and freshly chopped parsley.

so beet

-wash beets
-shave beets as thin as you can. try a potato peeler.
-skatter about a plate
-sprinkle over some salt and pepper, drizzle with olive oil and a little white wine vinegar
-sprinkle over parsley and or gratted horseradish and or some dry feta cheese
-maybe splash some vodka on top
-serve with little toasts

egg salad. rather, a salad with egg

this one's like, so money! to the max! especially if you have day-old bread that's crusty. it's a good lunch/brunch/lite thing. like a breakfast salad. maybe after a surf. that would be all time.

first off, make yourself a salad. include lettuces, some tomatoes. keep it lite and simple. then, take your crusty bread and rip it up. little rough bite sized pieces. drizzle with olive oil and put in a hot oven for a few until they get a little golden and crispy. as you do that, poach two eggs. if you don't know how, learn how.

ok, that's it. toss your toasty bread chunks and salad and squeeze over some lemon and olive oil. add salt and pepper. maybe layer on some prosciutto. finally slide over the poached eggs and let them sit on top. served.

egss benedict, but not. with green hollandaise and fried green tomatoes

with green goddess and fried green tomatoes

hollandaise can be real gross. especially outside in the sun. so, replace it. we tried green goddess (see recipes below), and left out the anchovies. sort of an herby-creamy thing. and a good eggs Benedict needs tomatoes, so i subbed in fried green tomatoes, mainly because our tomatoes weren't ripe yet and fried stuff tastes good. Layer on a plate, in this order:

1. two crustini or toast
2. prosciutto
   
3. fried green tomatoes--sliced green tomatoes, breaded (egg wash, breaded with corn meal), fried in oil until golded
4. green hollandaise (see recipe, subtract anchovies)
5. poached eggs

Heck yeah!

pizza

this is how we get along. i like pizzas without tomato bases a lot.

• trader joes pizza dough, flatten out for pizza and drizzled with olive oil
  
• mozzarella, torn by hand, scattered about
  
• mushrooms, torn by hand, scattered about
• thyme, picked out and scattered about

Bake as high as you can for 15. enjoy. maybe with a cl, as photographed.

bloody good

the ideal saturday morning involves this:

• clamato
• vodka
• fresh grated horseradish (buy a branch)
• creamed horseradish
  
• tabasco
• olive juice
• lemon juice
• lime juice
• pepper
• Salt the rim
• garnish with celery, olives, and whatever else is pickled. maybe a pickle... id dunno.
• drink in the sun
• take a nap
  

hot dawgs

http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/food-art/10-hot-dogs-you-can-hang-on-your-wall-112849

peppers, the red bell kind, and shrimp. And flowers.

This is a good app. For this, one needs:
- shrimp... or good big scallops. 2 per person.
- red bell pepper
- sweet onion, sliced, thick so they can be grilled and not fall apart
- a bbq
- garlic
- cayenne pepper
- cream
- arugula flowers--they are in season in spring, when arugula bolts. or, get a few leaves of arugula. or, another eatable flower.
- salt and pepper

rub the red bell pepper and onion slices with olive oil and salt and pepper. Char them on the bbq.

deseed the bell pepper and put in a blender with the garlic clove, pinch of cayenne. whirl that. then, drizzle in a touch of cream and season with salt and pepper. that's your sauce.

rub the shrimp or scallop with olive oil and salt and pepper. grill until opaque, taking care not to overcook or touch too much.

assemble. on a plate, make a pond of your sauce. over that, stack an onion, shrimp. then, sprinkle the flowers over the top and make it pretty. uh huh.

it's summer

we like the pretend it is, at least.

must have been st. patrick's day

indo fish

• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup canola or peanut oil, plus extra for brushing on the grill
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/4 cup minced or finely chopped ginger root
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic (4 cloves)
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 6 (8-ounce, 1-inch thick) swordfish steaks
• Kosher salt
  

Directions
Combine the soy sauce, canola oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, ginger root, garlic, and mustard in a bowl. Pour half the sauce in a low flat dish that's just large enough to hold the swordfish in one layer. Place the swordfish on top of the sauce and spread the remaining sauce on top. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or preferably overnight.
Thirty minutes before you're ready to serve, build a charcoal fire or preheat a gas grill.
When the coals are medium-hot, brush the cooking grate with oil to prevent the fish from sticking. Remove the fish from the marinade, allowing some of the ginger to cling to the fish, and discard the marinade. Sprinkle the fish generously on both sides with salt and place it over the coals. Cook for 5 minutes on each side, just until it's no longer pink in the middle. Place on a platter, cover tightly with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Serve hot or warm.

so meaty

Lamb Ragù
makes 8 servings

2 pounds stew lamb, cut in chunks
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 onions
4 sprigs fresh rosemary
3 tablespoons fresh sage
8 cloves garlic
1 big carrot, peeled
Olive oil
2 cups red wine
1 28-ounce can peeled whole plum tomatoes

Pat the lamb chunks dry with a paper towel. Liberally coat the lamb chunks with salt and pepper and set aside. Peel and coarsely chop the onions, and chop the garlic. Chop the carrot into thin rounds.

Place an oven-proof Dutch oven or heavy stockpot over medium-high heat, and add olive oil to cover the bottom thinly. When oil is hot, add the lamb and brown deeply. Do this in batches if necessary. Don't worry about drying out the meat — you want it browned darkly for good flavor. (brown each batch for at least 10 minutes, taking care not to crowd the pan. You want the meat to brown, not steam-cook.)

When the meat is thoroughly browned, add the onions. Lower the heat, and cook slowly over medium heat for about 10 minutes or until the onions are golden. Add the rosemary and sage, garlic, and the carrots. Reduce heat to medium-low and sauté until vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes.

Add wine and continue to simmer until liquid has reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Crush the tomatoes in the can with a fork or back of a spoon, then add them and their juices to the pot. Bring to a simmer, then cover and place in a 275-degree oven for 3 total. The longer it cooks the more tender it will be. When ready to serve, go through with two forks and shred any remaining chunks of meat. Taste and season if necessary with additional salt and pepper.

Serve over pasta (like egg noodle) with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

shrooms! of course it's good, there's butter

Orecchiete with Chanterelle, Sage, Walnuts, & Brown Butter


Ingredients
2 cups of orecchiete
1 tbsp. butter
1 shallot, finely minced
2 cups fresh chanterelle mushrooms, chopped in small dices
2 tbsp. chopped fresh sage
1 cup raw walnuts, shelled and halved
4 to 6 tbsp brown butter (look up how to make this)
Salt & pepper to taste
Optional: grated parmesan cheese

Cook the pasta according to directions, drain and set aside. In a large, deep skillet, melt the butter and cook the shallots until translucent. Add the mushrooms and cook until browned. Add the fresh sage, walnuts, salt, and pepper, and mix well. Cook over medium heat for a few minutes. Add the drained pasta to the skillet and add the brown butter, and mix well over medium heat until everything is blended. If it's too dry, add a some cooking water from the pasta.

IT'S THE REAL

Recipes are sometimes overwhelming. I love the simplicity of this one.

crab sans bibs & butter

hooray! crab! nice! by the end of this one, you'll have juice all over your hands and be the happiest little boy in the world.

This is like a Vietnamese crab thing. asia cooking rips as it's so easy, quick, and simple. just put it all together for a few minutes and it's done.

get some asian noodles as well, since they're good to soak up the juices.

1 Dungeness crab, parcooked and cleaned, claws removed, body cut in pieces
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 3-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and cut into slivers
1 shallot, minced
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp sugar
2 tsp. soy sauce
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
3 tbsp. rice cooking wine (shao hsing) or dry sherry
2 scallions, cut into 2-inch lengths
A good handful of fresh cilantro leaves

Preparation:

Clean the crab. If you don't know how, look online. It's easy. Messy, but no messier than cleaning a fish.

Heat the oil in a wok. Add the garlic, ginger and shallot and stir-fry until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add the salt, sugar, soy sauce, black pepper, and crab and stir-fry until the crab is evenly coated and the meat is opaque. Add the wine and scallions and cook for 3 minutes. Transfer the crab to a bowl, garnish with the cilantro and serve with hot cooked Asian flour-based noodles.

ravioli of eggplant and goat cheese, with a tomato cream sauce

This recipe is stolen, but they pretty much all are. Does anyone care? Probably not.

If you're not feeling dedicated enough to make the ravioli from scratch, just make the sauce and put it on regular store bought pasta. It's rich and creamy and fulfilling and really fuckin' good.

For the filling:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large eggplant, peeled and cut into 1/3-inch dice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup minced shallots
1 tablespoon minced garlic
8 ounces mild soft Napa Valley goat cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup finely grated Parmigianno-Reggiano, plus more for serving, optional
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon minced fresh chives
1 pound fresh thinly rolled out pasta sheets, or 1 package wonton wrappers, defrosted

For the sauce:

2 tablespoons olive oil
2/3 cup finely chopped yellow onions
2 teaspoons minced garlic
3 cups peeled, chopped, and seeded tomatoes
1 sprig thyme
Kosher Salt
Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons chicken or vegetable broth
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
Sprigs of fresh basil, for garnishing
Lightly toasted pine nuts, for garnishing, optional
For the filling:

Directions

In a large skillet or saute pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. When hot, add the eggplant and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the eggplant is tender and lightly golden, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the shallots and garlic and cook until the shallots are soft, about 2 minutes longer. Transfer the eggplant mixture to a mixing bowl and set aside to cool before proceeding.

When the eggplant has cooled, add the goat cheese, Parmigiano Reggiano, chopped basil, minced chives, and toss gently but thoroughly to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.

Cut the pasta sheets into 4-inch squares. Place mounds of the eggplant mixture, about 2 tablespoons each, in the center of each square, then brush the edges with water. Top each square with another square of pasta, easing the sides over the mound of filling and trying to seal the filling with as little air as possible. Using a sharp knife or a rolling fluted pasta cutter, trim the ravioli so that the edges are even and, using a fork, press the edges to adhere firmly. Transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets and repeat with the remaining pasta and filling. (You should be able to make 18 to 20 ravioli using 2 tablespoons filling for each. If you opt to use wonton wrappers, your yield may vary.) Set aside, covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated, while you make the sauce. (Alternately, the ravioli may be made in advance and frozen for about 2 months until ready to use. Defrost before proceeding.)

For the sauce:

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring, until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and thyme. Season with salt and crushed red pepper, and cook until the tomatoes give up their liquid, about 5 minutes, stirring from time to time. Add the chicken broth and tomato paste, bring to a boil, and cook until reduced by 1/3 in volume. Add the cream and cook until reduced by 1/3 in volume, or until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Add the butter and basil and stir to combine. Remove the thyme sprigs. With an immersion blender, puree the sauce. (Alternatively, the sauce may be pureed, in batches, in a blender - be careful if the sauce is hot as it may splatter.) Taste and adjust the seasoning and consistency if necessary. Return to the saucepan and keep warm while you cook the ravioli.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the ravioli, in batches, until they float, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove using a slotted spoon and transfer to shallow serving bowls. Serve the sauce ladled over the cooked ravioli and garnish with fresh basil sprigs, pine nuts, and more Parmigiano-Reggiano if desired..

chili con carne (y cerveza)

Everyone likes their own flavor (of chili), so twist and stray from this as much as you'd like. Just do it... it's so easy and so good.

1. In your biggest pot, put some oil over a medium heat. Then add a chopped onion and a chopped bell pepper. Cook until the vegi's are soft but not brown.

2. Add like a half pound of ground meat, like turkey or beef. Start to brown that.

3. While that's going, add salt, pepper, like 2 tbs of cumin, like 2 tbs of chili powder, some herbs like oregano or thyme, and whatever else. Think mexican flavors. Stir well and break up all the meat.

4. When that meat is brown, dump in a full bottle of beer. 1st choice: something dark. 2nd: something mexican. 3rd: Coors. Reduce that until all the liquid is pretty much gone.

5. Add a can of drained chopped tomatoes. Or, a can of drained whole tomatoes, crushing the tomatoes with your bare hands as you go. The texture is way better that way. Also add like 3 cups of chicken broth. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and let it go for 20 minutes while you drink a beer.

6. Then, add a few cans of beans. Dig on 2 cans of black beans, but sub in kidney, white, navy. Let that go for at least 30 minutes, or more. Just let it simmer while you relax.

7. Serve with grated cheese, sliced radishes, and/or sour cream mixed with ground cumin.

I like food, food taste good!

I like food, food tastes good!
I like food, food tastes good!
Juicy burgers, greasy fries,
Turkey legs and raw fish eyes
Teenage girls, with ketchup too!
Get out of my way, or I'll eat you
I like food, food tastes good!
I like food, food tastes good!
I'm going to turn dining
back into eating
I like food, food tastes good!
I like food, food tastes good!
—Descendents

eggs, flour, practice

Make Pasta. it's easy, and once you get the hang of it you'll be doing it every week. maybe sundays.

it's really more technique than recipe. so all you need are eggs, flour, a pasta machine and some practice. so get to it.

recipe to follow.

Them Wangs

Throw your other wings out the f-in door. These are dry rubbed, then baked, then grilled.

First make bleu cheese for dipping:

1 cup bleu
1.5 cups mayo
6 tbs white wine vinegar
2 tbs sugar
.25 cups crea
Chives

Blend that. If you can, let it sit for a few days so it gets good.


- Get like 4 pounds of wings, wash them in water, and pat them dry with a towel. Throw towel away.
- Rub them wings with dry season of lots of chile powder and not so much of paprika, brown sugar, cayene, garlic salt, old bay, pepper, salt. Just toss them in a bowl with all this.

- in a baking dish (you need 2 minimum), rub it with a stick of butter to lube it up, and put 1/2 cup water each pan. Add dry rubbed wings to the pan.
- Bake those for 45 minutes at 350, covered with tin foil

- while that's going, make hot sauce in a sauce pan on the stove. Over a simmer, mix Store bought Franks, four tbs butter, scallion, and chives

- while that's simmering, also put 1 cup water, a grated jalepeno, garlic, thyme on a simmer

- Pull the wings out of the oven, and throw them on the grill for a few and char them a bit. While charring, baste them in the jalepeno liquid. Spicy!

- After charring, toss the wings in the buttery Franks. Done! Messy! Epic!

tool talk

do work with these babys. http://www.rachev.info/

onion soup, the french kind

not sure why the french get this fucking delicious soup with their name out front. maybe because, like the french, it smells bad. it's damn good though... it's got a certain, Je ne sais pas.

disclaimer: i do not make soups (unless they have both beer and meat as principal ingredients) or desserts (unless they have liquor as a principal ingredient).

melt 1/3 stick of butter in a big soup pot or freaky deaky dutch oven.

add 2 C onions, 2 cloves garlic, a bay leaf, a few springs of thyme- cook on medium for about 20-25 min.

add ½ C red wine, scrape all the good stuff off the bottom of the pot and into the mix. cook until unions are almost dry. add a big spoonful of flour and cook for 5 more minutes- until the flour taste is gone, but before the flour burns. what you just made with the flour--it's called a rue. it makes it thick.

add in a quart of chicken stock , stir, simmer until you feel hungry.

spoon into two bowls that are safe to put in the oven. cover with crouton and gruyere. broil until cheese starts to turn brown. the more brown, the more better. gimme my fuckin' sooooop!

tools - part 1

Most tools for the kitchen are bullshit. a waste of money. space. brain power remembering how they work.

some are not. with 10 tools, you can do damn near everything. here's the first three.1. 8" chefs knife. $100. keep it sharp.

2. mortar and pestle. $30. grind garlic, herbs, and pepper like the injuns usta.

3. tongs. $3. don't buy the expensive ones. use them to stir, flip, grab, split, poke, lift, and serve.

brussel sprout hash

• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter, divided
• 1/2 pound shallots, thinly sliced
• Coarse kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 4 teaspoons sugar
• 1 1/2 pounds brussels sprouts, trimmed
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 cup water

Melt 3 tablespoons butter in medium skillet over medium heat. Add shallots; sprinkle with coarse kosher salt and pepper. Sauté until soft and golden, about 10 minutes. Add vinegar and sugar. Stir until brown and glazed, about 3 minutes.

Halve brussels sprouts lengthwise. Cut lengthwise into thin (1/8-inch) slices. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sprouts; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sauté until brown at edges, 6 minutes. Add 1 cup water and 3 tablespoons butter. Sauté until most of water evaporates and sprouts are tender but still bright green, 3 minutes. Add shallots; season with salt and pepper.

thanks mom.

its not always fancy

nachos: Put good stuff on a plate plus chips, put in the oven, and put more stuff on after. eat.

better nachos: potato chips, goat cheese, bleu cheese, chives, grilled chicken or shrimp, bbq sauce, sour cream, chives. eat better.

green goddess

our parents used to use this as a dressing. they used mayonnaise so this dressing has a bad unhealthy wrap, but if you use creme fresh or sour cream instead it's way better. put it on greens, salad, sliced tomato, vegetables. or, even as a sub for hollandaise on eggs benedict. It's good and not for old people.

green goddess:
In a food processor or blender (or bowl, all chopped up) combine:
- handful of herbs. whatever you have, but use a mix of light ones: basil, parsley, chives, and mint. but whatever works.
- garlic clove
- a few anchovie fillets (don't skimp on these)
- sour cream or creme fresh, or mayonnaise if you have to
- splash of red wine vinegar
- salt and pepper to taste.

it's mexi-can

they know food better than us.

veg

packing meat in chicago.