Sides
Thu Jan 19, 2012
Grilled Leeks with Romesco Sauce
Over at Serious Eats, I've been on the sauce trail for nearly a year now. This has me concocted sauces nearly as much as I've been grilling, which now dictates a life constantly on the search for new condiments to try out at home, and pair with grilling as often as possible. Romesco—a roasted red pepper and almond spread originating in the Catalonia area of Spain—is one stellar example of this. As soon as I tried it for the first time at local favorite Il Bambino, I was quickly in the kitchen making my own, then enjoying it with excellent grilled leeks.
More and recipe after the jump >>
Tue Nov 22, 2011
Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Mashed potatoes are always on our Thanksgiving table—my sister could have it no other way. Through her life, she's be a die-hard lover of smashed spuds, which brought an extra sense of accomplishment when she deemed my mashers the best ever at our last Thanksgiving dinner. That beacon of pride has stuck with me, but at the same time left me questioning, if I've created the best in the my sister's eyes, where do I go from here? Easy answer, mashed sweet potatoes!
More and recipe after the jump >>
Tue Nov 8, 2011
Crispy Mustard Brussels Sprouts
I never knew I liked brussels sprouts until I grilled them. I can say that about so many foods as grilling has been the medium that's taken me from a sheltered to a serious eater, but this goes double true for sprouts.
While growing up, I don't think I ever once encountered brussels sprouts at home. With an inherited aversion, I assumed I must hate them too. This aversion didn't end when I decided to try them either; I remember my first taste being one of bitterness and disgust paired with a feeling of comfort that avoidance thus far was well justified. Then one day I decided to take them on again, this time on the grill, and I what I learned surprised me and transformed the way I look at brussels sprouts forever.
More and recipe after the jump >>
Wed Jul 6, 2011
Fried: Tostones
Before I digressed into the virtues of an all-out barbecue bash, and how to plan one, I was on a bit of Cuban kick with pernil, followed by Cubanos. Picking back up from there, I can't image how you could have either of those without plantains— inseparable in my book. Of course, grilled plantains can be excellent, but I have a sweet spot in my clogged arteries for tostones—twice fried green plantains.
More and recipe after the jump >>
Tue Apr 12, 2011
German Potato Salad
Don't you hate it when something gets in between you and your grill? I had that problem this past weekend weekend when my neighbor was having the mortar cut out between the bricks of his house. The work spewed a fine dust across the vast expanse of my deck, and even a quick stint out there left me feeling like I had returned from a long trek across the Sahara (they're extreme mask protection and my complete lack there-of left me a little unnerved). I had a few racks of ribs going down the stairs in the backyard, and my plan was to grill up a side worthy of the new recipes I was developing, but I found that impossible in the hostile environment created just outside my back door. So I took to the kitchen, which wasn't all bad, because out of it came a German potato salad!
