Lemonade the right way

Still drinking that old fashioned lemonade powdered nonsense? Give this a try.

Step 1: Squeeze 1/2 lemon into a shaker

Step 2: Add 2 big handfuls full of ice

Step 3: Add 4 heaping spoonfuls full of sugar (granulated) the fine granulated works best

Step 4: Add spring water or tap water just until the ice begins to float

Step 5: Shake like crazy until the sugar dissolves almost completely

Step 6: pour into a clear glass and serve with a sprig of mint to your guest or guzzle down a glass yourself

Grillin' and Chillin': Part 2

Burgers, Chicken, Lemonade, and Grilled Zucchini!



Lets chat about burgers shall we?

Beef
Ground Chuck is going to give you a juicer, moister, more flavorful burger. If you want to go the healthier route, ground round or ground sirloin is going to be a higher lean %. Ground sirloin is 85% lean and ground round is 90% lean. During grilling, a lot of the fat drips off the burger and gives you a juicy burger that is not too much more unhealthy than the leaner cuts. When I have burgers (which isn't very often) I like to make it count. Burger seasoning? What else do you need other than some kosher salt and some fresh ground pepper!



Bun: it makes or breaks the burger
Next lets talk about the bun. This is what makes or breaks a burger. Don't go for those soggy bagged buns you get in the sliced bread section. They fall apart, are a tad sweet, and just don't hold together. Instead, go for the buns that your grocery bakes themselves! They are fresher, chewier, hold together better, and in some cases cost less than their counterparts.



Toppings
Then we come to the toppings. Oh the toppings. Fresh greens? Juicy tomatoes? Crisp sweet onions? make sure you have everyone's favorite burger toppings even if it isn't your favorite. Make sure you get the best looking, most colorful vegetables in the store. Don't skimp. There is nothing worse than an unripe tomato.

Chicken is very easy and many people like to make it way more difficult than it needs to be. Cut the chicken in half so that it is only 1/2 an inch thick (cooks better) and so the marinade is able to seep through the meat without marinating it for days. I like to use Italian dressing. 1 bottle of Italian dressing will marinate 6 pieces of chicken or more. You have to make sure the chicken is in a covered container and placed in the refrigerator for 2 or more hours.

Once you are ready to grill, place the chicken directly on the grill and cook until you obtain some nice grill marks and the chicken is no longer pink in the middle (completely opaque). Cut into one of the thicker pieces to check.



Sides? looking for a healthy alternative to french fries?

Zucchini and yellow squash is the answer! They will sure to be a hit. Great finger food and you can watch as everyone attempts to eat the piping hot squash slices without burning every part of their mouth. It is a funny scene.

Just slather some Olive Oil on some zucchini and yellow squash slices along with some salt and pepper and literally throw onto the grill. Cook until tender and have gorgeous grill marks!


Pineapple
How should we compliment these dishes with something sweet and healthy at the same time? Grilled pineapple I think is the answer. Slice up some FRESH pineapple and place it on the grill until each side is laden with grill marks. The flavors from the grill will rub off onto the fruit while caramelizing the sugars on the pineapple's surface. When you bite into a slice, it is juicy, warm, grilled and delicious!



Lastly, get some good music going, activities, good friends, and beautiful weather, and you have yourself a springtime grill out!

Special thanks to my photographers Jessi and Crew. They deserve all of the credit.

Drool Gallery: Boston Cream Pie

Pass the Salmon Please!

So I have had a request for how to cook salmon so it isn't dry and chewy. I could post a few recipes but i think the best way to tackle this dilemma is to give a few points and rules of thumb to have a delicious salmon dinner.


1. Choosing the salmon you buy
-know your local seafood market (I only buy at Biggs)
-ask about the fish (when it came in, if it was frozen, if it was wild caught, does it have coloring added to it)
-don't buy frozen or thawed (Go Fresh or Go Home!)
-don't buy artificially colored (will say color added)
-buy wild when you can (the more color the better)
-look for fat (salmon is a fatty fish and the fat is good! It is good for you and keeps your fish from drying out while cooking) the fat should be evenly marbled throughout the fish.

2. Marinate
-By marinating the fish, you are opening up the meat of the fish and giving it more moisture. This way you also don't have to put as much sauce or seasoning on it.

3. Sear or grill quickly (use a higher heat and grill with the skin ON!) the skin becomes crispy and tastes delicious! if you don't like it, it is easily removed after cooking.
-If you are baking it, use some sort of covering to prevent drying out (foil) and use an oil to prevent the top from drying (butter, olive oil, or cooking spray)
-DON'T COOK TOO LONG!!!! salmon is best when seared on theoutside and cooked just untill it flakes. Make sure the inside is opaque with a fork and it is done. If you have and instant read thermometer, it should read 145º Fahrenheit.

4. Give the salmon some time to rest. Set it on the table and then gather your guests. This gives the salmon enough tim too cook down and absorb the juices. Dont let it get cold though!

Some cooking suggestions:

-cook on a cedar plank (gives flavor, distributes heat, and makes clean up easy!)

-soy sauce and honey marinate (all you need!)

-citrus goes well (make a orange mango chutney or throw some lime salsa on top)

-combine ingredients (vegetables like squash or peppers on the grill with your salmon!)

-easy on the extra fats (if you buy the right salmon (when it is in season and fresh) you don't need a lot of extra butter or oil to cook. maybe just a brush or two to prevent sticking)

- Smoking the salmon is a great way to have a nice cold lunch! a barrel smoker, some hickory or apple wood chunks and some time will give you some moist, tender, smokey salmon that is great on crackers!

The salmon pictured above was caught fresh in Alaska. We asked a fisherman for some salmon and since they cant legally sell it to you right off the boat (regulations) he gave us 5 fillets that he cut right before our eyes of some AMAZING blood red salmon. We were so thankful we gave the man a "tip." we are win a cabin and it was Sunday so all we had in the house was some salt pepper, some oranges, and some cedar planks. I dressed them up, took them out to the grill and put an aluminum tent over them to keep the rain off them. Amazing what you can do with a few basic supplies and some really really fresh fish!

Nutrition

So listen up Y'all, nutrition is important. Leave it to Paula Dean to soil the name of Food Network by creating heart clogging dishes and promoting an egg, hamburger, doughnut, bacon sandwich... This is a disgrace to human nature and I wouldn't be surprised if she dies very early due to these eating habits. Now lets get this straight. I am not hating on Paula Dean. Whether or not you like her personality is your own business ...but to show this to mothers who are trying to cook wholesome meals for their children I think is blasphemous. I don't want this type of trash on my television epitomizing the gluttony of our nation. Is it just me or does this bother you too? Way to aid the stigma Paula....

Grillin' and Chillin' Part 1

Wow its been a crazy week. I bet all of you just wish it would be nice outside. And if it is nice outside where you live, I bet you are wishing you had time to enjoy it. Well I have some tips if you are planning on getting out and enjoying the sun this weekend.

GRILL OUT!

How about throwing some burgers on the grill and grabbing a cold one while your friends play in the park. nothing like being the grill master. you are in charge of things, you control the food, you get all the praise when they are biting into a juicy burger that they have been waiting 3 hours for.

But! instead of burgers and you want to impress some friends and family with your charcoal skills and your expertise on some backyard BBQ, how about doing some RIBS! or maybe a beer can chicken, or even some brisket if you dare.

Recipe for Noah's' Ribs (never before released in print)

2 racks Baby Back Ribs (pork)
-pick a nicely marbled rib (no large fatty layer on the top) and choose unfrozen if possible

Take a screw driver to poke through and remove the bottom membrane on the ribs before cooking.


Rub:
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 bay leaves (crushed)
2 Tbs fresh crushed black pepper
1/2 tsp ground Cayenne pepper (adjust for spiciness)
1/2 tsp ground mustard
1/2 tsp ground white pepper
2 Tbs kosher salt

Spray:
Apple juice

Glaze:
Honey

Mix rub ingredients together and rub all over the ribs in a thick layer with your fingers. Grind the rub into the meat and use all of it until it is gone. Set ribs covered in the fridge for 1-2 hours to allow rub to turn into a glaze.

Prepping barrel smoker
Soak hickory or cherry wood chunks in water overnight or for a few hours. put a good amount of charcoal in the bottom bin of the smoker. Light it like a grill with lighter fluid. let the coals turn mostly white. Place the water bin in and put 2/3 water and 1/3 apple juice in the water bin. Put into place your grill grates. Take your ribs out of the fridge and cut in half to fit on the smoker if necessary. Place ribs on the top grate and cover. Place 2 or 3 wood chunks on the coals and shut the door. Throughout the first 3 hours of cooking, continue to add chunks of wood to keep the smoke forming.

Cook for 30 min

Continually watch the bottom coals to make sure a fire doesn't start on your wood chunks. If it does, use a squirt gun to put it out.

Spray down the ribs with apple juice in a spray bottle every half hour. this keeps the ribs moist while slow cooking.

Continue this process for 3 and a half hours. Flip every hour.

At the end of the 3 hours, slather each rib generously with local honey using a basting brush. Then stack the ribs and wrap in foil to prevent the escape of steam. Then let cook another 30-40 minutes.

This gives you time to get the guests ready and seated or in line when you take the ribs out and slice them in between each bone. The honey makes a nice BBQ baste on the outside and doesn't need any help from conventional sauces. you can add some at the end or let others pick if you really must. I recommend Sweet Baby Ray's or Stubs BBQ sauce.

Dinner Date in the Park

So many of you suave men are looking for some date ideas? You have done the wine and dine thing? Need some new material? How about this! Make dinner in the park! set up the table with a white table cloth, some candles, some flowers, and serve up some gourmet food of your choice. I tend to go more extravegant because if I am going to do something like this, I am going to go all out because I am not doing it every weekend. the evening's dinner selection consisted of :

Ferrari salad: Romaine, field greens, sun dried cranberries, toasted pine nuts, and Gorgonzola cheese drizzled with our house vinaigrette

Scallopine al Marsala: Sautéed veal scallopine in a rich marsala mushroom sauce atop a velvety pesto risotto

Banana’s Foster: Flambéed rum bananas over a rich vanilla ice cream

Pudding Chip Cookies

Award Winning Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies

"Everybody wants this recipe when I take them in for a carry-in. To make them award winning, my daughter, Tegan, made them for a cookie baking contest and won a red ribbon! You can use any flavor pudding you like for this recipe."RECIPE RATING:

Ingredients

1. Nutrition)
2. 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3. 2 teaspoons baking soda
4. 2 cups butter, softened
5. 1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
6. 1/2 cup white sugar
7. 2 (3.4 ounce) packages instant vanilla pudding mix
8. 4 eggs
9. 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
10. 4 cups semisweet chocolate chips
11. 2 cups chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Sift together the flour and baking soda, set aside.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar. Beat in the instant pudding mix until blended. Stir in the eggs and vanilla. Blend in the flour mixture. Finally, stir in the chocolate chips and nuts. Drop cookies by rounded spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.
3. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven. Edges should be golden brown.

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For the love of cookies...

So what is the verdict? I am not particularly a fan. The phenomenon of putting pudding mix into your cookie dough to make them softer seems to be a fad. I personally am phasing it out of my repertoire. Yes they look delicious! Yes they are gooey and soft. But I don't think they are what a cookie is all about. You could call them something else like cookie shaped chocolate chip scones...yeah. that might be more appropriate. They are not sweet enough, not crispy enough, and not chewy enough to be a proper chocolate chip cookie. They are just too cake like. On the flip side, every single person I gave these to was dyeing and going to heaven saying they were the best cookie they have ever had. So maybe it is just me. I don't know. I will let you be the verdict.

Brewer's Association Names Top 50 Breweries in the U.S.

Link

Now Boston Beer Co. sounds misleading but that is actually Samuel Adams. not surprising that they made it to # 1. I am a fan of Sam. It is a good beer to get on tap when there is not much else to get. Personally, I am quite partial to Flying Dog and Magic Hat. It is a real treat when one of these are on tap.

What is your favorite Beer of this list? Is there a craft brewery that is your favorite that is not on the list?

Nasty Weather=Pie Baking!

What to do on a rainy day? well bake of course! Some hot bread perhaps? Muffins? maybe some cookies? I think Pie is the ultimate answer! and who better to teach us pie making than Jamie. A few tips for this recipe...Add more sugar and I like to add some cinnamon to spice it up. Also cut the apples in any size or shape you like. I like them smaller than he makes them.


Jamie Oliver's Apple Pie

INGREDIENTS
:: sweet pastry ::
2 cups flour
10 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup sugar
Finely grated rind of 1 lemon
2 egg yolks
Water

:: the filling ::
A small knob of butter
Flour, for dusting
1 large Bramley or Rome (or any cooking apple)
2 eating apples (try Granny and Braeburn, one tart, one sweet)
3 tablespoons Demerara or Muscovado sugar (you can substitute with raw or brown sugar)
Zest of 1/2 a lemon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
A handful of sultanas or raisins (you can substitute with any dried fruit)
1 egg yolk mixed with a splash of milk

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 300ºF. To make the pastry, in a food processor, whiz up the flour, butter, sugar and lemon rind, then add the egg yolks and a tiny drop of water to bind the mix together. Butter an 8-inch metal pie dish (metal conducts heat better than glass, so the bottom of the pie will cook at the same time as the top).

Divide your pastry dough into two and roll half of it out on a flour-dusted surface until 1/4 inch thick. Lay the pastry in the pie dish and gently push it down into the sides. Don’t worry if it tears or breaks — just patch it up — as it will look nice and rustic! Pop the pie dish and the remaining half of your pastry into the fridge while you peel your apples. Quarter the Bramley apple and cut the eating apples into eighths. Toss the apples in a small pan with the sugar, lemon zest, ginger, sultanas or raisins, and a tablespoon of water. Simmer gently for 5 minutes or until the apples are just tender. Remove from the heat and allow to cool completely.

Remove the pie dish and pastry from the fridge and pack the apple mix tightly into the pie dish. Egg-wash the pastry rim (using the yolk mixed with milk), then roll out the other half of the dough. Drape this over the top of the pie and roughly pinch the edges together using your finger and thumb, then trim any excess pastry. Egg-wash the top, make a couple of small incisions in the top crust, and bake for 45 to 50 minutes. Spoon out the portions of apple pie and serve with some custard!

Easter Breakfast Done Right

Easter Doughnuts

Fancy Easter breakfast seem out of reach? Nonsense! your local bakery has done all the work to make you look like a pro without having to break a sweat. sure homeade is always a nice touch...but when you are crunched for time, trying to get to church, stayed up late the night before, and have hungry mouths to feed, buying from your local bakery is sometimes the best option.

Hot Cross Buns

And because of the high demand for baked goods this time of year/weekend, you are bound to get some really fresh coffee cakes, hot cross buns, and even fruit pies! This spring, let the brunch be in the hands of the professionals and sit back, do some decorating, and invite some friends and family to feast!

Strawberry coffee cake

Coffee Cake (cherry)

Review: Cafe Mediterranean

Cafe Mediterranean
4.5/5
$$$
So there is this new restaurant in town. It went in the new Anderson Town Center. I was excited because of the emphasis of freshly made EVERYTHING! I had heard great things so my expectations were high. The first time I went, the service was near perfect. My second time, when it was busy, it was actually even BETTER! I enjoy that the owner personally greets his patrons when you are seated and checks on you throughout the night to see if you are satisfied. This was a nice touch but this only increased my expectations of the food even further.

We ordered the sampler appetizer. First of all, BEST Hummus I have ever had! The Pita bread has a taste that can't be replicated by store bought. They make all of it there and in large quantities. If you ask for more Pitta bread, they bring you more than you can eat. But beware! Don't fill up on just this! I know the mouthwatering Baba ghanoush is just too good to put down, but trust me. you will need your appetite. I ordered the lamb tandoori. I was pleasantly surprised but the best dishes I have tried there were the chicken kabobs over rice pilaf and the Sword Fish steak which was BY FAR the juiciest most tender, least dry but not undercooked delicious marinated piece of fish I have EVER had. and that is saying something as I have spent many weeks on the Atlantic and pacific coast including Alaska. I was Blown away. Another tip tho is don't let your appetite blow away your credit card limit as well. the food may be outstanding but all of these amazing flavors cost a pretty penny. Don't forget to try the Baklava as well, topped with green pistachio dust!


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Miami Redhawks and a Beer on the side!

............. THE FIRST TIME MIAMI UNIVERSITY HAS EVER BEEN TO THE FINAL FOUR AND NOW IS ON TO THE CHAMPIONSHIPS! Tonight 7:00 pm ESPN DON'T MISS IT!

Speaking of which, I think it is appropriate to grab our glasses and raise a toast. That's right....Hofbrauhaus in Newport is calling! if you are in the area and want to celebrate this monumental moment with some friends in Red and White, Come on down and grab a pint!

Speaking of which, lets talk about the topic of German Beer and why it goes so well with food. First of all if you try to drink real German beer on an empty stomach, you better have a designated driver...cause you will be in a world of hurt. this aint no Bud Light my friends. At an average of 5.0% alcohol, it is nearly twice of some light beers. Food slows the absorption of alcohol and it also tastes GREAT! German food is very filling, starchy, delicious food that goes great with beer. So don't hesitate to make your German outing more than a drink fest. I say go all out and grab some grub while you are at it.

Dim Sum

Anyone have any good recipes that they are going to make this Easter? I am going to Dim sum on Easter morning. In case anyone is wondering, Dim Sum is a Chinese style breakfast. Little Chinese women run around with carts and you point and grunt at something to get their attention as most of them don't speak much English. don't even think about asking what you are getting because the only answer you are going to get back will be like "chicken" or "pork" or "beef" or "rice". First of all the food is cheep, second of all remember to branch out. if you don't like what you got, then get something else. each dish consisting of 3-4 dumplings or so only sets you back 2-3 dollars. be adventurous. the Dim Sum place we are going to this Easter is called Grand Oriental Chinese Restaurant. Here is a review.

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NAAN

This is how you make fresh Naan bread! Indian food is incomplete without this! I am going to make a full out Indian meal and let you guys know how it goes!  Naan Bread Rocks! My favorite is garlic Naan.  just slice up a few garlic cloves, throw them on the dough and then cook as normal.  A little parsley never hurt to give it some color and maybe a little butter;)

Puerco Pibil

so...you want to impress some friends with a dinner party that you really do know how to cook.  you want it to be easy enough that you cant really screw it up but good enough so that your friends didn't wish you all had just gone to bdubs instead....  I have the solution-->  Puerco Pibil.

You want something moist, tender, delicious and is versatile with almost any side!

also with the banana leaf presentation, you show off that you use things others don't in the kitchen... plus what is easier than following a video!  I promise you.  people will be talking about this dinner for years to come if you can pull of the right atmosphere to go with everything.  Some good beer (corona and lime...and maybe some tequila added to it) some white rice (long grain) some fruit salad or grilled pineapple, some margaritas for the ladies and some salsa music or mariachi band music for good taste....YOU ARE GOLDEN! don't forget the white linen shirt you have to wear while serving it! 

Success of restaurants

Can we please take a moment and discuss this issue.  Lets take a look at some of the reasons restaurants are recently having some success and why some are not faring so well in this hard economic time we have all found ourselves in.

1. Consistency (people don't want a surprise that might be bad when they go out to eat)

2. Quality (foot must be a good bargain for the price or you must offer a dish that cant be made at home that people love)

3. Originality (why go here if the place across the street has the same thing)

4. Good atmosphere (lets face it...some of the most successful restaurants are total holes in the walls...but be forewarned...if your restaurant doesn't have good decor....your food better be AMAZING!)

5. Friendly staff/service (if the food is good and the atmosphere is good but I have to wait an hour to get it every time...Time is money and you are taking mine)

I want your all's thoughts.  anyone go to places to eat because of something else? popularity/social scene perhaps?

Delirium Tremens...REMEMBER THIS NAME

No no no...for all of you who know this term to be synonemous with the alcohol withdrawl syndrom that it usually is...take a step back and consider this....THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST BEERS I HAVE EVER HAD!  Don't be alarmed by its high price (nearly 4 dollars a bottle) because this sucker punches at 9.8% alcohol and is a sipping beer.  the light color is carmely but has distinct odors of fruitiness and a sweet aftertaste.  amazing....would be good with pretty much any meal although I would pair it with pork or something of the sort.  maybe a nice roasted chicken.  so enjoy your easter all you food lovers and sit down with family and enjoy a nice beer that can be appreciated as one of the best in the world....thank you belgium.

Making some tasty spring time easter treats this weekend! stay tuned!!

CORNED BEEF!

Slow Cooked Corned Beef for Sandwiches

This is an excellent recipe for party sandwiches. I always make 2 (and sometimes 3) briskets because it goes so fast.

Ingredients

1. 2 (3 pound) corned beef briskets with spice
2. packets
3. 2 (12 fluid ounce) bottles beer
4. 2 bay leaves
5. 1/4 cup peppercorns
6. 1 bulb garlic cloves, separated and peeled

Directions

1. Place the corned beef briskets into a large pot. Sprinkle in one of the spice packets, and discard the other one or save for other uses. Pour in the beer, and fill the pot with enough water to cover the briskets by 1 inch. Add the bay leaves, peppercorns and garlic cloves. Cover, and bring to a boil.
2. Once the liquid comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer for 4 to 5 hours, checking hourly, and adding more water if necessary to keep the meat covered.
3. Carefully remove the meat from the pot, as it will be extremely tender. Set on a cutting board, and allow it to rest until it firms up a bit, about 10 minutes. Slice or shred to serve. I discard the cooking liquid, but it can be used to cook cabbage and other vegetables if desired.

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GIANT COOKIES!!!

Best Big, Fat, Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie

Ingredients

1. 2 cups all-purpose flour
2. 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3. 1/2 teaspoon salt
4. 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
5. 1 cup packed brown sugar
6. 1/2 cup white sugar
7. 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
8. 1 egg
9. 1 egg yolk
10. 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.
2. Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended. Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon. Drop cookie dough 1/4 cup at a time onto the prepared cookie sheets. Cookies should be about 3 inches apart.
4. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are lightly toasted. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

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