Tue Apr 16, 2013
It's never too early to start prepping for Cinco de Mayo. Yup, my favorite cooking holiday usually has me planning weeks in advance to put together the best Mexican/Tex-Mex fiesta possible. In a New York, where the standard for Mexican food is sub-par, this means doing just about everything from scratch. The combination of a hunt for ingredients and process heavy recipes almost requires a few weeks of prep to make it all manageable. Of course freshness is key to so much Mexican cooking, so I start by focussing in on the things that can be done well ahead of time and held until the holiday arrives. Sausage is one of those things—it can frozen and then defrosted—and no Cinco de Mayo passes by without at least some Mexican chorizo making an appearance.
More and recipe after the jump >>
Tue Apr 9, 2013
If all has gone well, I'm into my second week of a three-week jaunt around Spain, now enjoying the sights and tastes that Sevilla has to offer. Even on vacation though, the wave of meat shall not cease, and I've done some prep ahead and put the blog on autopilot to continue to fill your eyes and bellies with great grilled treats. Getting giddy by the thoughts of what this trip may have in store, I busted out another Spanish-influenced recipe from the archive with these Spanish spice-rubbed chicken breasts with parsley-mint sauce.
More and recipe after the jump >>
Tue Apr 2, 2013
Hell yeah! I leave tonight for a nice long trip to Spain. It's been nearly four years since my last extended vacation out of the country, and over 14 years since I was last in Europe. Needless to say, I'm stoked. I even went back to read my old journals from my last European outing, and while I liked reminiscing about all that I saw, I was a little aghast that my backpacking buddy and I mainly sustained ourselves on pizza and pasta while in Spain—my modern day self could never go to San Sebastian without partaking in its culinary delights. With priorities changed, this trip will be decidedly different, and food culture is a top priority. In honor of my trip, and its mainly Andulician focus, I give you these pincho morunos, or "Moorish skewers."
More and recipe after the jump >>
Tue Mar 26, 2013
I was looking back at all my Easter recipes and noticed that year after year I've been cooking the same thing—leg of lamb. I had a bit of a breakdown thinking I've lost some creativity and fallen into a predicable pattern that's not representative of the experimentation that I love in cooking. So I went off racking my brain about what else I would love on Easter, and the more I thought, the more nothing came up that could rival a leg of lamb. Instead of making something inferior, I decided that maybe the repetition isn't such a bad thing. For one, it's incredibly delicious and a treat that I usually need an excuse like a holiday to make. Second, there are no limitations on how to introduce new flavors into a leg of lamb—while I've been doing the same cut each year, each subsequent recipe is pretty unique from the last. So another leg of lamb it is, this year adorned with a rosemary, garlic, and mustard crust.
More and recipe after the jump >>
Tue Mar 19, 2013
I was late to jump on the banh mi bandwagon, so much so that the all out craze they had going so many years ago was breathing its last breath when I finally joined. Still, my first taste of one of these Vietnamese sandwiches was a revelation—the contrast between the sweet and salty meat, pickled diakons and carrots, fresh cilantro, and airy, crusty bread was nothing short of spectacular. Whether in or out of food fashion, I still think these are royalty among sandwiches, deserving continued prominence, which is why I'm bringing you this grilled steak banh mi today.
More and recipe after the jump >>
