Leftovers Sandwich

People who know me often ask me what my favorite food is. For years I have confused them with the answer. Sandwiches. Sandwiches are hands down my favorite food. Above you see a beautiful example of why. This is a leftovers sandwich from the Christmas Mouth-Pleasure-Food-A-Palooza 4.0. Thick slices of rib roast on a butternut squash waffle with chipotle coleslaw. Butternut squash leftovers make great waffles in case you did not know, and waffles make wonderful sandwiches.

Candied Bacon

For some people its snow, for others its the smell of the tree. For me and my house, its candied bacon. Christmas is simply not Christmas until the sweet, salty, savory taste of candied bacon has graced my tender taste buds. Its better than you think. Its even better than that.

BBQ Pork Ribs

Yeah, I said it. and its true. You can tell by that sweet pink ring on the meat. These babies are BBQ. Three and a half slow hours under sweet cherry wood smoke. Dry rubbed and succulent, no sauce, just ribs. Beautiful, wonderful ribs. Next time, seven hours in the smoke. I can't wait.

Warm Bacon Mushroom Arugula Salad

This year's Mouth-pleasure-food-a-palooza was the dawn of a new age. Among the rich, fatty, savory, salty, bacon infused there was a new addition... a green addition... a salad. What?! A five letter word. Salad. Well to be fair, the dressing on this salad is significantly bacon drippings, so it is not in any way a healthy salad, but it is green and leafy none the less. Now we've gone there, and there is no turning back. It was good, it was the thing that every salad wishes it could be: full of bacon.

Dry Aged 7-Bone Standing Rib Roast

Once a year there is a gathering of old friends, whereupon we take upon ourselves the weight and responsibility to sup upon that which flows forth from the gracious bounty of God: richness in flavor, craft and creation, the succulence and decadence of this night is known by those who look forward to the coming of each years gastro-stravaganza as Christmas-mouth-pleasure-food-a-pallooza. Above you see a photo narrative of a 14lb 7-bone 7-day dry aged standing rib roast. It was delicious.

I Stuffed Sausage

I made these today. From ingredients. Boston Butt, Spices, Salt, Pepper. I can't wait to smoke them tomorrow. 

BBQ Flavored Chicken Calzone

Cousin to the pizza, the more crusty, still cheesy, and abundantly delicious calzone was a natural evolution in my pizza dough tomfoolery. Above you see the 'good side' of one of my mini-BBQ-flavored Chicken Calzone. Cheesey, sweet, savory, chewy crusted and delicious, I'd say it was perfect except the crimps failed on most of them letting loose the molten hot lava filling before my mouth taster could savor them. I still have much to learn.

Smoke Tri Tip MacNCheese

First things first, a few days ago I did a little late night slow smoking. Beef ribs, and tri-tip, classic BBQ rub, plenty of apple wood smoke, sweet, tender, beefy goodness. It was down home BBQ. It was good. Now, every time I pass the fridge I have been opening it up and taking a bit of left over tri-tip. (The ribs lasted a whole 10 minutes). It was just sitting there in my fridge, next to a big block of cheddar cheese. This just seemed like a natural evolution. BBQ Tri-Tip Mac N' Cheese. Way better than that blue box nonsense. Oh and a little splash of siracha. 

Prezels

Pretzels, large soft chewy wonderful pretzels. I made them, and they were everything I wanted them to be. The textures, and flavors, the colors, they were perfect. From top to bottom, classic salted pretzel, cheese mozzarella  parmesan, pecorino pretzel, and bacon, cheddar, jalapeno pretzel. Each of these beautiful twists were delicious in their own right, however I must say, classic salted pretzel with a touch of whole grain mustard is my favorite. They didn't last the night.

Homemade Pizza 3.0 BBQ (flavored) Chicken Pizza

I've done it. Perfect homemade pizza. At least the crust if perfect, toppings will always depend on the season/time of day/whats in the fridge. A tad more salt than last time, but less salt then the first time [which turned into bread sticks]. This is the perfect balance of chewey, fluffy, crusty magic with gooey cheese and sweet bqq flavored chicken [Yes I refuse to call it BBQ unless it is actually BBQ'd (smoked for many hours)]. I will never eat a pizza from a major pizza chain again.

Home Made Pizza 2.0

My desire for ultimate pizza satisfaction can never be fully satiated. Pizza has become to me what hamburger was once to me. It is a curse, it is a blessing, it is an adventure. This is a thinner crust pizza than the last one I made, topped with prosciutto de parma, natural casing capa colla, and onions. (same cheeses as last time). I gave this one a more sauce than the last, and more time in the hot box resulting in more cheese browning and more crispy crust. It was delicious, though I prefer the lightness of the risen dough, I would eat this again, and again.

Yesterday when I told you I made bread sticks, I may not have been all the way honest. I mixed up some dough and twirled it into sticks, and brushed them with garlic olive oil, however, what I left out was that that dough was a pizza dough. Today I took that dough, now fully risen and developed and worked it into this lovely pizza. topped with a beautiful red sauce that I whipped up, some fresh mozzarella and a mix of Parmesan and Pecorino, Prosciutto de Parma, black olives, and onions. This pizza is the best pizza you have ever seen. I kid you not.

Garlic Bread Sticks

The most simple things are the best things in life. Bread is one of those things, so simple, so pure, and so difficult to make well. Today I made some garlic bread sticks. They are spectacular!

Homemade Chicken Nuggets

Chicken nuggets are the best. Not the ones from that one Irish sounding place, not the ones shaped like dinosaurs, but the ones made from dark meat, seasoned, breaded in Japanese Panko and pan fried. These crisp, moist, nuggets of chicken, they are delicious. 

Chocolate Marble Marsh Mallows

Marshmallows, you know, those puffy white semi-sweet things you sometimes burn over a campfire in a poor attempt at a s'more. I know you claim that you like them burnt on the outside, but if you're honest they taste terrible that way (have a s'more with me and I will learn you how they are meant to be). Well, those marshmallows, the ones from the store, are rubbish. Seriously, they suck. Above you see homemade chocolate marble marshmallows. They soft, fluffy, sweet, and chocolate all at the same time. I made them and they are incredible.

Mac N Cheese

You can't get this out of a box. And seriously, that box stuff has ruined Mac N Cheese for entire generations. All it takes is a little know how, simple ingredients, and a lot (seriously a lot) of sharp cheddar cheese. Here you see the ingenious use of Mac N Cheese left overs, cut into slices, toasted under the broiler, and drizzled with a little homemade creamy chipotle sauce. It was good. You can't have any.

Slow Smoke BBQ 2.0

Theory meet practice. Much thought has gone into this device, my backyard slow smoking mechanism. The heat retention and radiant nature of the terra cotta pot, the high smoldering temperature of natural hardwood charcoal, the high tech application of my duel read probe thermometer and a pot full of soaked cherry chips and chunks. It all comes together into a perfect days smoke. 

A Labor of Love - BBQ

For many years of my life I have proclaimed my love of the gastro-genre BBQ, in recent years I discovered that what I thought was BBQ was in truth not BBQ, that proper diction would indicate that I loved grilling, steaks, burgers, what have you. The truth was that I had never actually BBQ'd. Until now. What I'm calling Operation Backyard Smoker 1.0 I consider a great success. The flavors imparted into this pork after hours of exposure to heat and cherry smoke are well beyond your expectation, the depth of cherry smoke, the colors and scents inspire passion and fury in the heart of those who know. This is the sight of true BBQ.

Bacon and Eggs

It would simply be un-American of anyone not to love Saturday morning. What other day can you wake up at the hour of your choosing to make the breakfast of your choosing? Above you see my Saturday morning breakfast. Black Forest bacon, two eggs sunny side up, sauteed mushrooms and onions, and a slice Challah (homemade yesterday) which was also fried in the bacon drippings after the mushrooms and onions. This meal brings me great joy.

Brioche 2.0

There are very few things in this life for which I rise from my bed before the sun. And even fewer yet for which I rise with a smile. Last last night I had a vision, a vision of baking bread. So last night I concocted a dough-ball, and this morning... well this morning I have these little brioche. 

Broken Heart

Tragic, hurtful, painful, defeat. What you see is a very broken 16-35mm 2.8 L. Did I cry? well not when anyone could see. Basically, I don't want to talk about it.

Cornish Game Hens

My grandmother, aunt and uncle are visiting form Australia. Sombody told them that I like to cook, and so tonight they asked me to make dinner. In a scurry I searched the fridge and freezer and I found these little bad boys. Cornish Game Hens. Three of them, some root vegetables, and at the last few minutes, I threw a few stalks of asparagus in the center. They were delicious.

Brioche

I learned an important lessons today. Make your own bread. If you have never made your own bread, learn to make your own bread, and then make your own bread. Because when you make your own bread the following things happen. First, your house smells like fresh baked bread. Second, you get to eat fresh baked bread. Or make a sandwich on your fresh baked bread like I did. A steak and brie sandwich on fresh baked brioche in fact. Once again, it is better than your sandwich.