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Monthly Archives: September 2017
Wow, I cannot believe it is the end of another month. This month simply flew by, especially since I spent nearly half of it in Las Vegas! You might be thinking my trip impacted the number of dishes I made that did not become posts, but there were some. And here they are… enjoy! Prawn and Pork Thai-Style Fried Rice I had some guanciale already cut up from preparing the Spaghetti alla Carbonara, a few frozen prawns left in the freezer, and leftover jasmine rice. It made an easy and quick dinner, not too mention flavorful! Red Leaf Lettuce Salad with Red Wine Vinaigrette See, I do eat salad (once in a while)… Bacon Mushroom Swiss Burgers with Shallots,Red Leaf Lettuce and Sriracha Mayo…
Here we are on the last Friday of September, closing out the third quarter with the Sun, Moon and Earth nearly aligned at perigee and perihelion (producing king tides). What other cocktail embodies all these disparate elements than another of the classic cocktails – the Sazerac. Originally made with cognac but now typically made with rye whiskey, this absinthe laced classic is perfect for either quiet, personal reflection or raucous celebrating with a group or anything in between. In case you are worried about being poisoned by absinthe, allay your fears. Absinthe is no longer outlawed in the United States and is actually a wonderful drink in itself when prepared via la louche. You can bet I will write about drinking absinthe (and dancing with the green fairy…
Tonight’s dinner is an Italian classic – spaghetti alla carbonara. This dish of few ingredients produces a wonderfully robust meal. Like Pasta all’Amatriciana and Pasta Putannesca, this recipe is about quality ingredients and timing. I used David Leite’s recipe from his blog Leite’s Culinaria. He has an engaging post about the origins of this dish – rumored to have been created by coal miners – so I’ll defer to his research and expertise on that subject. But I will dive into this dish with enthusiasm. Getting the timing right on this recipe is not as hard as you may think if we use a little trick when cooking the noodles. I used a large skillet instead of a…
I think it is high time I posted a few appetizer recipes, so let me start with fried oysters. Of course, this dish could be made into a main course by combining with other appetizers to have a small plate or tapas styled meal. During my research I found many different recipes and I decided to go with what I see is the simplest (and the one I am most familiar with). If you have seen my Schnitzel recipe, this method is basically the same – dredge in flour, shake off excess, dredge in egg, coat in crumbs, and fry in clarified butter. The process sounds difficult, but it really isn’t… just a bit messy. Best of all, the small oysters take hardly any time…
Let’s celebrate the first day of autumn with a bright cocktail reminiscent of summer but warming for the coolness of fall. This cocktail is a kind of a variant to a Moscow Mule just based on Old Tom gin, lime and ginger beer. The ginger forward aspect of this cocktail brings the warmth while the lime reminds me of summer citrus drinks. I have read that you can use London Dry gin since the ginger takes the stage flavor-wise, but my tasting tests were not so promising. And since I picked up some Old Tom gin for the recent Ampersand cocktail, this is a perfect second cocktail based on this beautifully unique spirit. So let’s enjoy these waning days of warm weather and…
This interesting and versatile breakfast/dessert recipe comes compliments of The Baking Chocolatess. Anyone who knows me knows that I like apple fritters… I’ll even admit I like them a lot. So during my search for something other than a traditional fried apple fritter, this recipe screamed ‘Try me!’. Boy I am glad I did! This unique way of enjoying apple fritters is wonderful. Can you tell I am enamored with this recipe? Well, I am. So make room banana bread, apple fritter bread is getting into the rotation. You should add it to your baking rotation too! Save Print Apple Fritter Bread Prep time: 30 mins Cook time: 60 mins Total time: 1 hour 30 mins Serves: 8…
What? Did I just hear a collected groan and harrumph of disbelief in being able to make a delicious lasagna for one? Well, you are partially correct. This recipe is perfect for two… or one with a nice serving as leftovers. Normally I do not like leftovers, but there are a few dishes I make exceptions for – goulash, schnitzel, and lasagna among my favorites. This recipe is a little more involved than my typical quick and easy style, but this dish deserves the extra effort. But in all honesty, the toughest part may be finding a small baking dish. I use a 7x5x1.5 (3 cup) size Pyrex baking dish. Once you have that small baking dish, just think of how wonderful it will be to…
Here is a stir fry recipe showcasing green beans and prawns. The sauce in this dish is light and not the typical spicy style you probably have come to expect from me. See… I can throw you a curve once in a while! This dish is based on one I enjoy at a neighborhood Chinese restaurant and is perfect for a quick to prepare and light dinner. Need I say it is versatile? Like nearly all stir frys, you can tweak and twist the ingredients to suit your unique tastes and desires (and ingredients!). Substitute chicken for the prawns, no problem. Replace the green beans with broccoli, no worries. To add a bit more umami to the dish, I used rehydrated oyster mushrooms. They will also add…
Tonight’s cocktail is my take on the one created in the 90’s at the Queen City Grill in Seattle per Bartending with Fairness. I enjoyed this cocktail there back in the day – it really will pick you up if you are hanging at the end of a long evening. It can also mess you up in a hurry as this drink is potent, in my opinion. I think my version plays a little bit nicer as it is basically a twisted espresso martini. Since I don’t have an espresso machine (I know, right?), I decided to use High Brew Black and Bold Cold Brew Coffee. The potent cold brew coffee makes this cocktail a bit easier to prepare over making espresso…
Hey everyone, I’m back! I was recently in Las Vegas to spend time with my daughter and son-in-law for the birth of my first grandchild – a boy. Here is the obligatory picture of me with my newborn grandson! While I was there, I cooked for them each night. I had them choose a meal from the blog and these are the ones they picked. Flat Iron Steak Involtini, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, and Caprese Salad Prawn and Sausage Jambalaya Beef Bourguignon Arroz con Pollo Smoked Salmon Tortellini with Broccoli in a Lemon Cream Sauce I made dessert a couple of times as well. Here is one of them… Mini Angel Cakes with Lemon Blueberry Marscapone Cream and not pictured was Pound Cake with…