Eat Cook Live

At a recent poker night, a friend brought over something new for a mixer.  Based on it’s appearance, I expect something sweet and fruity.  I was shocked by my first sip. Rather than a simple sweet juice, I was smashed with a wave of decadent spices: cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, and some other bold flavors I couldn’t identify. It tasted like a cool mulled wine.  It tasted like a Christmas.

While it does scream scream celebration, it might be a bit much as a mixer for me.  I’m thinking that this Caribbean specialty might be great boiled down as a glaze for a ham.

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If you’re not on Twitter, here is your reason to finally take the plunge: @PaulaOnTrial.  (No mom, this is about Paula Deen not you!)

Recent gem tweets include:

• Recipe of the Day: Paula’s Buttercream Pie. Fill homemade pie crust w/ one tub Country Crock Churn Style spread. Top w/ Cool Whip & serve.
• I’m not racist, I love pandas and they’re black, white and asian. They also make a great appetizer.
• Good Morning Vietnam…I mean Savannah. Damn it, I am still drunk. Were are my percocets?
• If it pleases the court, the only ‘N-Word’ I have ever used is ‘Nachos’.

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Today is my father Curt’s birthday. That may not seem germane to a food website, but my old man taught me almost everything I know about cooking. How to grill a steak, make a

Definitely dad's natural element: cooking AND camping!

tomato sauce, griddle a pancake, make gravy, you name it.  Dad was a master improviser; I’ve never seen anyone else who can just stare at a pantry for a minute or two, then know instantly what he was going to do with what was on hand. Got a couple of pheasants which have been in the freezer for several years, maybe some egg noodles and half a carton of sour cream? BOOM! You’ve got pheasant stroganoff. I’m still trying to refine that skill (and that recipe).

Dad could also teach life lessons through cooking. One of the great lessons of cooking is, of course, patience.  A few hours can turn country ribs from tough and gristly to juicy and sumptuous, and similarly waiting to stir or turn meat while searing it will build up a beautiful and flavorful crust.  One day in particular, this lesson was definitely impressed on me. We had spent the afternoon pruning the apple trees by the garden, and we used those applewood tree trimmings to barbeque snd smoke a few pounds of venison chops in the weber grill. I. of course, wanted to take them off after 20 minutes because the smell was driving me insane. Dad insisted we wait, and when we finally took them off the grill about 3 hours (and about 10 layers of maple-chipotle glaze later)they were falling off the bone and insanely delicious.

As a bit of background, my parents divorced when I was about 3. For as long back as I can remember, I only had two weekends a month with my father. When you only get to see your dad for 4 days a month, every moment really becomes precious. So when it was time to cook dinner, I wanted to help my dad instead of watching TV or playing with the dogs. Whether it was a once in a lifetime meal or just something whipped up at the last minute, that was still quality time that I got to spend one on one with my old man and I wouldn’t trade those nights in the kitchen for anything in the world.

As you may have guessed from the usage of the past tense, my old man is no longer around. I lost him to a car accident when I was in high school. I don’t have a ton of material things to remember him by. I’ve got the shotgun he gave me for Christmas one year, one of his old hunting knives and his dogtags from the Navy. But that’s OK, because he gave me this incredible gift before he left – he taught me to cook, to love cooking and to put love in cooking. I knew friends in college who made it to their mid 20’s without being able to make anything that didn’t come in a box with explicit instructions (my apologies if any of you are reading this now, but I’m pretty sure I already made fun of you for this to your face anyways). While they seem to be getting along fine, I’m not sure how.  I just don’t know what I would do if I couldn’t cook as well as I can. My absolute favorite thing to do is cook for my friends and family.  It gives me great joy to spend a few hours crafting something really incredible and then give that dish to the people close to me for them to enjoy.

So on this day, what would have been Curt’s 57th birthday, I want to say thank you Dad. Though we didn’t have anywhere near enough time together, the amount of skills and knowledge and character you passed on to me by the time I turned 17 speaks to how incredible you were as a father and a role model. There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t think about you, especially when in the kitchen, and I am undoubtedly a better man today because of our time together.

Cooking was actually second to engine repair for my dad, both in terms of his interest and ability.

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After a late start to Sunday at DUB Pies, Iggy and I made our way down to the super market to pick-up something for dinner.  Right away I headed to the meat section to see if today was a cheap roast day.  I wasn’t disappointed; pork shoulder was only $1.19 a pound.  I’ve seen $0.89 a pound, but $1.19 is still a good deal.  I grabbed a smaller, eight pound, slab of meat.  Right away, I knew what the rest of the simple recipe would be.

I came-up with this a few years ago when I was home visiting Minnesota and at mother’s house without a car.  My mom had left me a pork loin and a recipe.  Though she seemed to over look the fact that the house was missing half the ingredients in that recipe.  Undeterred, I found some apples, onions, a bit of garlic, and a bit of apple cider vinegar.  Put it all together in a ceramic roasting pan covered it and let the flavors come together.  The result was a moist piece of meat, with a sweet apple sauce on the side, that has become my template for many a meal.

What You’ll Need:

• Some pork (shoulder, butt, loin, or whatever cut you’re in the mood for)
• A bunch of apples
• A bunch of onions
• Cider vinegar
• Fish sauce

How to Cook It:

Put the meat in a dutch oven (or some other heavy roasting device with a lid).  If you have a pork shoulder, or other fatty cut of meat, be sure to put the fatty side-up so that the juices run down over the meat over the hours of cooking.

Cut some big chunks of apple and onions and fill in the sides and the space above the meat.  It’ll be packed in there, but everything is going to cook way down.  Throw in a bit of apple cider vinegar, maybe a quarter to half a cup.  Add a little fish sauce.  This is some what optional, but the umami in the fish sauce will help bring out the flavors.  Tread lightly with this stuff though, while a few tablespoons will bring out the flavors, too much will be a disaster (take a wiff of the bottle and you’ll know what I mean).  Give the garlic a rough chop and mix it in on the sides of the meat.

Now cover this bad boy, put it in the oven, and let it cook for hours.  For a pork shoulder, target maybe 45 minutes a pound.  Uncover for the last 30-45 minutes or so to give the meat a nice crisp.

The Result:

The apple and onion cook way down and fall apart and mix with the pork dripping to form a sweet and savory apple sauce perfect for pork.  After hours of cooking, the meat falls off the bone and practically shreds itself.  As an added benefit, your home will be filled with wonderful Sunday cooking smells.

After the Sunday night meal, you’re almost sure to have left overs.  The shredded pork and sauce can then easily become a great pulled pork sandwich (just add some BBQ sauce) or some pulled pork taco.  The Sunday meal that keeps on giving.

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I know what you’re thinking: how can I trust a place run by Australians?  Aren’t they are a bunch of untrustworthy criminals?  Well, don’t worry, DUB’s has the mellowing influence of New Zealanders to help you feel safe walking through their doors.  Try this Park Slope gem.

A few months ago, while sitting at the Double Windsor, I looked across the street and saw DUB Pies.  A little internet research revealed that DUB’s puts out the savory, rather than sweet variety, of baked treats.  As a Minnesota boy, I’ve never really had a savory pie–at least aside from the chicken pot variety.

After several visits, I can now safely say that those folks down under know what’s going on when it comes to making a pie that’s a meal rather than a desert and DUB’s has found its way into my weekend breakfast/brunch rotation.

The prices at DUB’s seem a bit steep at first at around $6 or $7 for personal sized pie (or $3 for a mini pie).  But a pie and coffee hits the wallet more lightly than a more traditional sit-down brunch and it leaves you plenty full for the day.

I’m a particular fan of the Steak Pie–filled with chucks of meat and a fantastic onion gravy–or the Mince Pie (ground beef).  Like bacon, gravy is always a winner.  These guys are filling, but small enough to avoid the food coma.

By weekend midday, the selection of pies can be touch and go.  As a result, I’ve tried some far less traditional fillings, such as chili or Thai chicken.  (I loved the chili. The Thai chicken was good, but not great, with a bit of hot sauce.)  I was only somewhat underwhelmed by the egg and cheese pie, though it was less a failing by DUB’s and more a personal unease with so much egg.  As a warning, the seating is limited, about six chairs, so go prepared to take your pies home when necessary.

If only DUB’s served-up great beer, as well as great coffee, it might win a place in the dinner rotation.

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Yesterday, Iggy returned from a long weekend in North Carolina bearing pimento cheese and pound cake.

I had first heard about pimento cheese from Jane and Michael Stern‘s Road Food segment on the Splendid Table (wow, that’s a mouthful).  After hearing about the stuff, I was curious and wondered how to get my hands on what I learned was a one those rare remaining regional (Southern) creations.  So I was excited to finally give it a try.

So what is pimento cheese?  At its most basic, it’s cheddar cheese, mayonnaise, pimentos (yeah, those red flecks from olives),and  salt & pepper, but additional ingredients can pop-up.  The mixture can be either blended to a smooth paste or choppily mixed together.

The mixture Iggy brought back was chipotle pimento cheese,  with a little bit of heat added to basic ingredient outline and was on the coarse side of the mixing style.  Keeping it simple, and classy, we ate this new fair onto some Ritz crackers.  And the Ritz cracker were prefect–their crispy butteriness amplified decadent fat going on in the cheese (we also tried it on some of fancy, and neutral,  little cheese toasts to get a baseline).

Now that I’ve had it I want more.  While part of me is ready to organize a second War of Northern Aggression to get my hands on the stuff, I might just settle for making it at home.  If I can get my hands on pimento and a decent recipe, it seems easy enough.  I just keep wondering what else I could do with this cheese.  Grilled cheese?  Burger toppings?  Deep frying?!  If I pull of any of this, I’ll be sure to post!

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Sloppy Joes always remind me of grandfather–it’s where I got “Untidy Josephs.”  I can picture myself, as a child, at a table, Untidy Joseph in hand over a plate of baked beans, laughing at his cheesy jokes.

But, while this cooking stirred-up memories of my grandfather, I think its inspiration came from my healthy lunch.  After eating a nice modest salad, my mind and stomach conspired to balance everything out with some meat packed bread. After a little internet hunting, I stumbled on the following.

What you’ll need:

1 pound extra-lean ground beef
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, minced
1 red pepper, diced
1 can small red beans or pinto beans, preferably low sodium drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups no-salt-added tomato sauce
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon molasses
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon mustard powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
8  burger buns (or bread)

Directions:

Brown the meat and the onion in a large skillet over medium-high heat for 5 minutes.   Drain the pan.   Add the garlic, jalapeno, and red pepper and cook 5 minutes more, stirring occasionally.  Stir in the rest of the ingredients, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 5 minutes more.

The Result:

Well, I made a slight error.  I was wrongly convinced that we had a tomato sauce at home.  Since it was already 9:20 or so by the time I discovered my mistake, I decided to improvise by putting a can of diced tomatoes into the food processor.  I think I was on the right track, but I didn’t adjust the amount of “sauce” and the mix was a little under sauced.  We managed to fix the under sauce problem somewhat adequately with ketchup.

Overall, paired up with some baked sweet potato fries, the Untidy Josephs were pretty good.  The recipe is on the path to being a chili, but the molasses adds that needed sweetness.  The red pepper and jalapeno gives nice little busts of fresh and sweet.  Forget that Manwich!

When I try this again, in addition to making sure that I have tomato sauce, I want to try turning up the spice just a bit with something more that jalapenos.  I think those two things would take this dish from a solid weekday meal to something I crave.

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Sixpoint is one of those breweries that my roomie Nick and I trust implicitly.  If I see a new brew of their’s I have to try it, knowing I’ll probably like, if not love, what I drink.  So it shouldn’t be a surprise that early in the week both Nick and I showed up at home, on the same day, having interdependently stopped by a bodega, seen Resin (the new Sixpoint brew, which neither of us had heard about), and brought it home.

The Details:

It’s an American Double/Imperial IPA with a 9.10% ABV and IBU of 103.  Serving type: can.

[As an aside, the following link is a GREAT visual depiction of the relationship between different kinds of beer:  http://popchartlab.com/collections/prints/products/the-very-very-many-varieties-of-beer.  WARNING:  before you click be prepared to spend 30-45 minutes looking at the graphic.  I’m seriously thinking about buying the poster, framing it, and putting up in my kitchen… or my office.  Okay, on with the Resin talk.]

Appearance:  When first poured, it has cloudy copper color.  But, if you can managed to hold off on drinking it all for 20 minutes or so, the cloud clears to a clear amber rust.

Smell:  Hops and yeast.  I have a bit of a cold at the moment, so there might more hiding in there.

Mouth:  Very hoppy, but very well balanced.  There is some up front hoppy-sweetness that fades to a nice roasted hoppy finish.  When I say finish, I mean finish–the stuff coats your mouth (almost like resin?) with long lingering flavor of hops that makes you want another sip.  The texture is a high octane mix between crisp hops playing/battling with thick.

Overall:  I’m a big fan.  It’s strong and hoppy, no doubt, but somehow also balanced enough for easy drinking.  I think it would pair great with any meats coming off the grill.  There is not a lot of complexity, particularly compared to Sixpoint’s Sweet Action; Resin is just a great beer.  It’s been a while since I’ve gotten excited about an IPA and  I’m very glad Sixpoint came along with Resign just in time for summer!

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Yesterday evening, with my TPS reports completed (correct covers and all), I left the office at a reasonable hour with embryonic cooking ideas in my head.  As I got to the store, I still had no solid idea of the menu.  But I had time to wander the aisles and ponder fish vs poultry, grilling vs the oven, salad vs pasta… In the end I decide to make-up a new chicken recipe.

Union Market has a hot pepper jelly that has been taunting me for months.  As my mind settled on roasting a chicken, I knew I had to make use of this jelly.  But what else…  then the universal truth came to me: bacon makes everything better (and perhaps thinking back to Meg’s butterfly chicken).  And Union Market just happens to have some pretty fine looking bacon.  Some carrots, celery, onions, and potatoes fell into my basket for side dishes.  Finally, I grabbed a thing of cilantro to top everything off.

Now this dish takes a bit of time, but almost all of that is passively letting everything cook.  You need about 20 minutes of prep.  I put the chicken in a dutch over, peeled and chopped the veggies and put them in along with the potatoes.  Next I took my pound of bacon, gave it a fine chop, and mixed it in a bowl with maybe a half cup of the hot pepper jam.  About a third of the bacon pepper jam went into the bird’s cavity, about third under the skin, and about a third on the top-side skin.  For good measure, any extra little bacon pieces on the cutting board were put on the potatoes.

With the lid on, and the oven at 375, I just let everything cook for maybe a bit more than 90 minutes–after about 30 the smells of onions, chicken, and bacon were wafting through the apartment.  I took the lid of for the last 15 or so minutes, as I made some quinoa, just to help the onions brown a bit; because of the sugars in the jelly, the chicken was already there.

And how did this improvised concoction turn out?  Well, between Nick, Fayaz, and I, we took down almost the whole bird and all the veggies.  There was a little sweet and heat from pepper jelly and bacon added all the savory you could hope for.  I realized, after it was in the oven, that I had forgotten to add garlic.  But, I think this error might have been for the best.  [You can pick your jaw up off the floor.]  There was plenty of flavor that worked well together.  I feel that the garlic might have just gotten in the way.  If I were going to add something else, it would be more heat, probably by adding diced hot pepper to the bacon jelly mix.

More than just the food, it was nice to sit down  at a table mid-week with my roommates and chat–much better than the usual take-out in front of the TV with the work laptop going.

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So after a prolonged hiatus, I’m finally getting up a post!  It’s been a little crazy, so this lazy curry recipe that I’ve made a couple of times in the interim seems highly appropriate.  It’s a great low cost alternative to take-out that takes less time than the delivery boy.

Here is what you’ll need:

• 6 scallions
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 lb boneless chicken breasts
• 3/4 cup coconut cream
• 3 tbsp Thai green curry paste
• 3 tbsp chopped cilantro
• Noodles, rice, or (my personal preference quinoa)

As your rice or noodles finish cooking: Just cut the scallions in to approximately half inch slices and cube the chicken.  Heat the oil in a pan throw in the scallions and chicken for about 3 to 4 minutes until the chicken is browned.  If you like heat, add a couple Thai chilies in with the scallions and chicken.  Stir in the coconut cream and curry paste and cook for another five minutes or so.  Turn off the heat and stir in the chopped cilantro.

Now I like quinoa, but rice or noodle are a great pairing as well.   But whatever you use, in 15 minutes you’ll have a meal as good as your usual Thai take-out, only hotter and fresher.

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