Sunday, July 30, 2006
Meatcake!
This was found via B3ta.com, a UK webpage devoted to loving the interwebs for all it's tubey goodness.
I'm sure a cake of meat has been done before, but this one is extremely well done.
I'm sure a cake of meat has been done before, but this one is extremely well done.
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
Warm weather side dish
Hey all,
It's warm and humid out in the Boston area this week so it's time to keep the heat out of the kitchen. Last night I got some chicken drumsticks (96 cents for three, what a deal!) to put on the grill for dinner and was looking for an interesting side dish. I saw some good looking cherry tomatoes at the store, some decent looking corn on the cob and had some feta, red onion and fresh herbs at home. Put 'em all together and I had a plan for an interesting variation on succotash.
First I grilled the corn to caramelize the kernels and add another flavor element. I grilled them directly over very hot coals after husking them. Normally, if I grill corn I soak them in the husk first so you get a steamed effect but for this, I wanted caramelization. I let them start popping a bit and moderately charred before I took them off. Meanwhile, I sliced the tomatoes in half, cut the onion coursely and roughly chopped some basil and parsley. All this went in the bowl along with some feta and ground black pepper. When the corn was cooled, I used a knife to cut the kernels off and tossed them in. Add some good evoo, toss and you're good to go.
The salad was good. The acidity of the tomatoes was balanced by the cheese and the sweetness in the corn was a nice flavor that married well with the marinated chicken. I'd recommend it as an alternative to the usual green salad or as something to do with a hodgepodge of veggies from the farmer's market or some such.
Note on the corn cobs: slicing the kernels off this way is very inefficient. I actually nibbled on the cobs afterwards to avoid wasting such tasty deliciousness. Roommate Ian has another use for them; he uses the cobs to flavor stocks and sauces. Give it a try next time you're looking to add a unique flavor.
The chicken by the way, is a variation on the old Grandpa Bunker recipe. Take chicken parts (bone in), marinate in a blend of red wine vinegar, olive oil, fresh parsely, onion, garlic, salt and pepper for a few hours. Sometimes I'll add dijon mustard but it easily gets to be too much. Grill over high heat until seared, then move to the cooler part of the grill and let finish with the lid on. When there are five minutes of cooking left, take the parts out and put in with the marinade for a few minutes. Return to the grill to finish cooking and enjoy. My grandmother makes this amazing chicken gravy served over white rice as an accompaniment but I have no idea how she makes it. I used to eat 4 or 5 servings of it when I was a kid.
It's warm and humid out in the Boston area this week so it's time to keep the heat out of the kitchen. Last night I got some chicken drumsticks (96 cents for three, what a deal!) to put on the grill for dinner and was looking for an interesting side dish. I saw some good looking cherry tomatoes at the store, some decent looking corn on the cob and had some feta, red onion and fresh herbs at home. Put 'em all together and I had a plan for an interesting variation on succotash.
First I grilled the corn to caramelize the kernels and add another flavor element. I grilled them directly over very hot coals after husking them. Normally, if I grill corn I soak them in the husk first so you get a steamed effect but for this, I wanted caramelization. I let them start popping a bit and moderately charred before I took them off. Meanwhile, I sliced the tomatoes in half, cut the onion coursely and roughly chopped some basil and parsley. All this went in the bowl along with some feta and ground black pepper. When the corn was cooled, I used a knife to cut the kernels off and tossed them in. Add some good evoo, toss and you're good to go.
The salad was good. The acidity of the tomatoes was balanced by the cheese and the sweetness in the corn was a nice flavor that married well with the marinated chicken. I'd recommend it as an alternative to the usual green salad or as something to do with a hodgepodge of veggies from the farmer's market or some such.
Note on the corn cobs: slicing the kernels off this way is very inefficient. I actually nibbled on the cobs afterwards to avoid wasting such tasty deliciousness. Roommate Ian has another use for them; he uses the cobs to flavor stocks and sauces. Give it a try next time you're looking to add a unique flavor.
The chicken by the way, is a variation on the old Grandpa Bunker recipe. Take chicken parts (bone in), marinate in a blend of red wine vinegar, olive oil, fresh parsely, onion, garlic, salt and pepper for a few hours. Sometimes I'll add dijon mustard but it easily gets to be too much. Grill over high heat until seared, then move to the cooler part of the grill and let finish with the lid on. When there are five minutes of cooking left, take the parts out and put in with the marinade for a few minutes. Return to the grill to finish cooking and enjoy. My grandmother makes this amazing chicken gravy served over white rice as an accompaniment but I have no idea how she makes it. I used to eat 4 or 5 servings of it when I was a kid.
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
global warming and wine
The article linked to above concerns recent studies that indicate how the affects of global warming will render most of the finest wine producing regions in the US incapable of growing grapes. For the last 5 years I've been making a joke that I'm going to find some suitable land in Maine for a vineyard and wait for global warming to make it viable. Now my stupid joke may become a sad reality. That may be the worst result of my sense of humor since the last date I went on...
Oh, and this is the first post to be posted both on this blog and my other one. Congratulations to me for finding common ground.
Oh, and this is the first post to be posted both on this blog and my other one. Congratulations to me for finding common ground.
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
Meat Names
Expecting a child and can't think of a name? Why not give him or her the gift of a meat name? The following list will get you started:
-Angus, for those of scottish heritage.
-Kobe, the name may be trendy but the quality of kobe beef is timeless.
-Patty, a classic from the "what do you call someone with no arms and legs..." joke series.
-Chuck, see above.
-Frank, ditto.
-Salisbury, perhaps not for the ordinary parents but would work well for the child of British royalty or perhaps a celebrity.
-Reuben, ok, so it's a sandwich but there's still meat in there!
-Agnes, it means "lamb"
And for the vegetarians out there, here are some alternatives:
-Herb
-Pepper
-Saffron
-Francis Bean (apologies to Kurt Cobain, none to Courtney Love)
-Angus, for those of scottish heritage.
-Kobe, the name may be trendy but the quality of kobe beef is timeless.
-Patty, a classic from the "what do you call someone with no arms and legs..." joke series.
-Chuck, see above.
-Frank, ditto.
-Salisbury, perhaps not for the ordinary parents but would work well for the child of British royalty or perhaps a celebrity.
-Reuben, ok, so it's a sandwich but there's still meat in there!
-Agnes, it means "lamb"
And for the vegetarians out there, here are some alternatives:
-Herb
-Pepper
-Saffron
-Francis Bean (apologies to Kurt Cobain, none to Courtney Love)
