Smoky Chicken Chili

Clearly, this weather screams for chili. While I love the standard recipe (beef, tomatoes, beans, chili peppers, onions), there is nothing wrong with some variety. This is a composite recipe that takes several shortcuts without any sacrifice relative to flavor or nutrition.

I start chicken chili with 2 chicken breasts, which I roast (seared in a pan on the stove top with salt/pepper/olive oil and finished in the oven at 375 for 20 minutes). Once cool, I pull them apart by hand; cutting is not optimal for the texture of this dish.

The base starts by dicing 2 Poblano peppers, 1 bell pepper (any color but green), 1 onion and 3 garlic cloves. I cook these down in some olive oil, then add the shredded chicken, 2 cups of water, 2 cans of chili style tomatoes, 1 can of navy beans, 1 can of rinsed/drained black beans, 1 dark beer, 1 tsp of salt and a package of "white chicken chili seasoning". This needs to gently simmer for an hour. We serve it with cheese, scallions, Frito's, sour cream, chopped red onion or even fried corn tortillas for toppings. It heats up great for days.

Lasagna

Yesterday's snow day was perfect for making lasagna. This is another "weekend only" meal in our house, as since I enjoy the process as much as the result, I take no short-cuts. It takes about 3 hours.

I make my lasagna with two sauces, a Bechemel and a traditional Marinara. The Bechemel is basically a gravy, made by whisking 1 and 1/4 Tbs of melted butter with 1/8 cup of flour in a sauce pan over very low heat. Once it is smooth, I add 1 Cup of milk and reduce it until it is thick. It should never boil. Once it is ready, it needs to be seasoned off heat with an 1/8 of a tsp of salt (at least) and a pinch of nutmeg and white pepper.

The Marinara sauce is made with two quarts of tomatoes (canned this summer from Dad's garden), 1 bunch of basil, 2 diced onions, 4 minced garlic cloves, a tsp of dried oregano (from our garden), a tsp of sugar and salt/pepper. I puree the tomatoes and basil in the food processor while I cook the onions and garlic in olive oil until soft. Then I combine everything in the pan and simmer it until it is thick.

The final prepared layer is 15 ounces of Ricotta (NOT COTTAGE) cheese, 1 Cup of Parmesan cheese, 3 ounces of chopped Prosciutto, 1 Large Egg, 3/4 tsp of salt and 1/2 tsp of pepper. I use a mixer to combine this layer.

To put it together, I butter the lasagna dish and pour in the Bechemel sauce. Then I place 3 al dente lasagna noodles adjacent to each other and begin making layers, using some of the ricotta mixture, the marinara, some browned and finely chopped Italian sausage and some shredded provolone. I usually make 4 "levels", which requires 12 pieces of pasta. I then put some more Marinara on top and grate some Parmesan on that. It needs to warmed through in the oven at 350 degrees. For Lacey, I finish it under the broiler to brown a little cheese on top. It was pretty good last night. It was great this morning.

World Series Gumbo

Perhaps my favorite food tradition is that I make Gumbo every year for the first Saturday World Series game. The timing is perfect because it feeds a crowd, is great on a cold night and we can use a lot of ingredients from our garden (okra, peppers, parsley). Last night it came out pretty well (but to quote Tony Bourdain, I didn't offer it to anyone who (1) hadn't already spent a few hours drinking free beer and (2) wasn't already my friend). All I know for sure is that the bowls were empty.

While I personally really enjoy making gumbo, it is a lot of work to do right. It is also the one dish that I make that always has some improvisation. Unlike Dad, I am drawn toward perfecting a recipe and being content with it, but for Gumbo, I am always trying something new or adjusting based on what is available.

To make this gumbo, I first roast some chicken. I used to just use chicken breasts and cut the meat into cubes, but it is much better if you roast it bone-in, let it cool completely, then shred it with your hands. Usually I just use the breasts and put the rest of the chicken in my stock. Remember to sear the outsides over high heat and finish it in the oven.

The stock needs to boil down about 35 minutes, but more would be fine. My stock has whatever chicken I did not roast (including the skin and fat I cut off), 3 quarts of prepared chicken stock (though a few times I have made my own), 1 quartered onion, some chopped carrots, a tablespoon of whole peppercorns, one teaspoon of kosher salt and a tablespoon of parsley.

While the stock is gently boiling, I make the roux. The "magic ratio" is a half cup of flour and one-third cup of vegetable oil. I put it in a large dutch oven on super low heat and stir it constantly for at least 30 minutes. The best tool is a dollar store wooden spoon with the end cut off to be flat. You really have to keep it moving the whole time and cook it super slow. I usually recruit help. If it burns (and it is easy to smell that), trust me: throw it out. Once it burns it can neither be saved nor eaten (I actually once saw a dog - a real life dog - sniff burnt gumbo and turn away).

Once the roux is brown and the stock reduced, I add 2 diced onions, 1 diced green pepper, 2 diced celery stalks and 6-8 diced jalapeno peppers to the roux. When stirred over low heat, this holy trinity and chiles will turn soft and almost paste like. Then I drain the stock through a sieve into the roux and add 2 cups of diced okra, the chicken and diced up sausage (Andouille rocks). Then, I let it simmer for as long as it takes my Jasmine rice to steam. When it's about time to eat, I add the raw shrimp and let that cook about 3 more minutes (I promise that is all it takes). Serve the gumbo over rice. I've been adding Tabasco to mine and serving it with crusty bread.

Roasted Chicken With Hot Peppers (Pollo Alla Diavola)

We had this for dinner on Tuesday night and I liked it so much I made it for just me yesterday. Since it serves two, there's a good chance last night's left-overs will be my breakfast today. I think it is that good, for several reasons beyond the great flavors.

First, it is simple. Only 10 ingredients and most of them are staples (One of Lacey's most enduring traits is how well stocked she keeps our kitchen, enabling us to put together a meal on short notice). The preparation is also "un-fussy": rub it, sear it, roast it, make the sauce, clean the plate). We love spicey food, but we are cognizant that the degree of affection for hot dishes varies among our friends and family, so I like that all the heat in this dish is al la carte; you can add as much or as little of the sauce as you like when your eating so everyone has it how he or she likes it. It also is done in stages, so when dinner it served, the motivated can have the kitchen pretty much cleaned up. Finally, don't tell my kids, but this is also pretty healthy.

To put this together, star by mixing the rub in small bowl. It consist of 3 Tbs of olive oil, 1 tsp of course or kosher salt, the leaves from 6 sprigs of fresh thyme (still growing in our garden, but not for long), freshly cracked pepper and red pepper flakes (both to taste). Once whisked together, rub it all over 2 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts. It is probably a little better to do this the night before, but that is certainly not essential.

Ideally, you will want to let the chicken rest out of the refrigerator for about an hour before you begin to cook, so it cooks evenly (although again, this is not essential). When you're ready, you'll need an oven proof skillet (meaning without a plastic or rubber handle) with deep sides (as you make the sauce in this pan at the end). Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees and drizzle some olive oil in the pan. It is important to crank up the heat BEFORE you add the chicken so the oil is screaming hot when the chicken hits it. It should sizzle loudly, as we are looking for color. Start with the skin side down first, and once it is really brown (and frankly looks done, at least on the outside), flip it over and sear the other side the same way. With thick breasts, you may actually have three sides to sear, but you want a crust covering the external layer of the chicken, so it retains moisture.

Once the outside is well-seared, stick the pan in the oven for 45 minutes. During this time, mix together the sauce. This is where the secret ingredient comes in: It needs 1/2 cup of the pickling liquid from a jar of sweet cherry peppers and another 1/2 cup of the pickling liquid from a jar of hot chili peppers. I know this sounds weird and, well, it is. Please don't let that stop you from trying this. We used "Mezzetta" peppers and they are so good (but not for the faint of heart; their website is cool too). To this pickling liquid add 1 Cup of chicken stock (I don't expect you to make your own, but if you did from the rest of the chicken you self-butchered to get the breasts, I would be super impressed [Dad]). The only other thing in the sauce is 2 Tbs of tomato paste.

When the chicken comes out of the oven, remove it from the pan to rest. Then pour in your sauce and turn the heat back up. While it cooks scrape up whatever stuck to the pan (fond). When it cooks down and is somewhat thick, serve it with the chicken. I did it like a dipping sauce in a ramekin. This works great with roasted potatoes as the sauce is a natural accompaniment for them too. Toss some of the peppers on the plate for garnish. I expect this to be a regular in our rotation for a while.

Pig Roast

Over the weekend, we roasted a pig. "We" is the operative word in that sentence, as this undertaking was more than I could handle alone and it certainly would have failed miserably without everyone contributing. The end result fed around 16 grown men with about 75% of the pork left over and everyone seemed to enjoy it (I understand Josh had a sandwich today which his girls weren't up for sharing). Here's the story.

I wanted a 150 pounds pig initially, but like always, I am nothing if not coachable, so I took some sage advice from Dad and bought 125 pound one that dressed out to exactly 100 pounds. As will be evidenced below, that was key. I got the pig from a local farmer who was very cooperative and a pleasure. Unfortunately, I am afraid I can't identify him (USDA rules or something), but if you truly want to know, call me. Anyway, our pig was scalded and scraped (meaning hairless from his neck to his feet) and good to go on Thursday morning. He spent Thursday on ice in my garage (as I have a very understanding wife). Thursday evening, Sam and I mixed up the brine. Sam's role was to pour 72 cans of Milwaukee's Best on his head (and in his ear) (Sam: "Dad...I'm going to smell like beer"; Me: "Only until your next bath"; Sam: "I have to take a bath?". Me: "well, yes, eventually"; Sam: "Oh..Fine").

To the beer I added the juice of 60 limes, the juice of 60 lemons (again, this was no sweat thanks to another great gift from Lacey, my industrial squeezer), 2 gallons of olive oil, 2 pounds of salt, 5 pounds of brown sugar and enough water to make the pig float (not a "pig float", as even I, Mr. Pork, think that sounds a little yucky) . On ice, he brined until Friday afternoon, then I drained it so I could muscle it into my truck (not easy).

Once at the lake, Gary and I spent a hot afternoon transporting everything we needed down the hill to the pit. Gary is fresh from a knee replacement, which I now can proclaim has been well-tested. He never complained, but I'm guessing ibuprofen kept him going. This work made me realize something about gravity - it can be your best friend for a while (no way we could have pushed this pig and a zillion pounds of ice and tools up a hill), but it demands repayment (everything we carried down had to be lugged back up, mostly on Sunday morning).

Larry suggested I start the the fire ASAP as his last pig experience ended with raw pork and no one ever eating any, so we got it burning about 5:00 PM. The pit was about 4 feet long, 2 feet wide and 2 feet deep and I built a stone ring around the top on three sides with concrete and lake rock. I would guess Ryan dug about 80% of it a few weekends back. Dad cut a steel road sign for the bottom and donated metal flashing for the sides, so it was a true hot box. Every ounce of wood was fully consumed and generated heat which was tunnelled directly up to my pig. We hung a thermometer off the spit to keep it mostly between 200 and 250 degrees, which required an amazingly scant amount of firewood (and no charcoal). The pit was the great success of this story (I'll list the lessons - meaning dumb mistakes - later).

I rubbed the pig him with Mustard and then coated him with my rib rub (brown sugar, garlic, paprika, cloves). After a "tongue-ectomy" with my pocket knife (best father's day present ever), Larry used a hammer to drive the spit through (where is best left to imagine, but lets just say the pig's dental work was not maintained). Despite an over-zealous and good intentioned neighbor literally running over my spit with his bull-dozer, the pig was over the fire at 5:40 PM Friday night (right after I dug out the spit and cleaned it with my shirt and some beer).

Every hour thereafter, with considerable assistance from whomever was awake and reasonably coherent, we turned him 90 degrees (Kevin had to stop catching fish to help, for which I am thankful; he catches fish everywhere, so he didn't seem to mind). Todd, Josh and I slept right beside him (some at least). Turning him was not easy, but leverage and resourcefulness (and Nate's inherent ability to drive a stake with a sledge hammer mostly in the dark) got it done. If Scott hadn't caught a tipping jack at one point, the pig would have been on his way to the lake, but again, we fixed it and soildered on. At 8:30 AM he was done (160 degrees in the shoulder), but I left him on another hour on low (around 150 degrees) to be absolutely sure and to work on the sides (pit-fire roasted potatoes, corn on the cob, Lacey's Baked Beans which nearly stole my thunder and Dad's Coleslaw, which Jeremiah proclaimed sufficient to sustain him for the rest of his life).

Our pork was cooked through but tender and juicy, although it was not especially seasoned. It took 6 of us 30 minutes to butcher it and my understanding of porcine anatomy is no longer theoretical only. We ate like pigs (pun intended - as Maggie has called me a cannibal all week).

Here are the lessons: First, October, not July. What was I thinking?? Eating him practically for breakfast was a necessity. Next, he was plenty big enough. Even if everyone I invited had been able to sacrifice a weekend, there would have been more than plenty. Any bigger, and the mechanics would have been much harder. Also, the rub was useless. The sugar caught on fire (glad we had a hose) and it was all gone by the time we ate. Maybe it formed a crust which maintained some moisture, but I won't rub the pig next time. I think I will stuff him with maybe garlic and fennel. Also, he could have spent more time in the brine. I was worried I would make him so soft he would fall off the spit into the fire, but I didn't get close to that. The O-rings were essential as they could be tightened as the pig contracted and without those rings ($22 bucks), I expect we would have been having pizza. I also could have used re-bar to stake my flashing inside the pit, as it moved in a little, but this was probably just cosmetic.

I think this spit roasted whole pig over just wood (that bag of charcoal in the picture was just insurance) without a rotisserie is the signature accomplishment in my decidedly amateur culinary career. Dad said there are 12 ways to cook a whole pig and I picked the hardest and I won't argue that point. I am both relieved and happy we pulled it off (again, another pun). Let me know if you would like some pork.

Fried Chicken

I am a Kentucky boy. That means I understand certain things, like the appeal of fast horses, the beauty of a pick and roll, and fried chicken. Tonight, we had that epitomy of Kentucky cuisine for dinner, with corn and peas (peas that traveled exactly 33 feet - 15 from their vine to my sink, 10 back to the grill, and then 8 to the table). Simple and perfect; here's my recipe.

Despite the understandable cries of blasphemy, we fry chicken tenders rather than "bone-in" pieces. The reason is that we generally prefer white meat and we generally do this on a week night. I will readily concede food is mostly best cooked on the bone and in the right spots, I agree that holds true with chicken. But for this recipe, a pound of well-trimmed tenders is perfect. Those tenders spend the night (or a long afternoon) in a salt-water. When they come out, I pat them dry and they are ready for the coating.

For my "breading", I use 1.5 cups of flour, with the following mixed in: 1 tablespoon of garlic powder, 1 tablespoon of paprika, 1 tablespoon of onion powder, 1 teaspoon of Cayenne Powder and generous amounts of salt and pepper. I also make up a wet coating, which is just 2 cups of buttermilk and 1 tablespoon of "hot chili sauce". We use "Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce". This should be in your referigerator. It keeps, well...forever, and has a rooster on the bottle; beautiful.

The chicken is double breaded: rolled in the flour mixture first, then dipped in the buttermilk, then again in the flour. When all the pieces are done, it needs to chill out thirty minutes or so in the refrigerator to "set up".

I fry it in peanut oil (for the high smoke point). I put about 2 inches of oil in a large pan and add bunches of thyme, rosemary, sage and a head's worth of garlic to the oil. No need to chop it or even remove the stems - just dump it in the oil. Turn the heat on the stove, and when the herbs begin to boil, add the chicken. When it looks perfect, it probably is, so cook it another 2 minutes to be safe (no one likes sushi chicken). There won't be left-overs. God bless Kentucky.

Mussels

We are a seafood family. If you are expecting a joke about eating whatever we "see", while it would be fitting, that is not what I meant. We love food from the ocean: fish, lobster, crab, oysters, shrimp, scallops, calamari and tonight: mussels. Here's how we make them.

First, you have to buy fresh, meaning ALIVE mussels. They sometimes have them at our Kroger, but they always have them at Fresh Market. For those in Lexington, Charlie's Seafood should be on your phone. Do remember this: if it is alive, it is going to urinate. So if you buy them any length of time before you plan to cook them, you cannot store them in a regular bowl (unless a "pee marinade" sounds good to you). You have to store them in a colander over a bowl, so whatever comes out of them drains away from them. Put a bag of ice on top. Don't spill the contents of the reservoir bowl in your kitchen floor. When you're ready to cook, scrub them under cold water and remove anything clinging to the outside (it's called a beard and isn't edible). You'll need between one and two pounds for two people. As a side note, because keeping them from ending up in their own excrement is cumbersome, Anthony Bourdain won't eat mussels in restaurants; he says it's not worth the risk the staff didn't bother. Hard to argue. Make your own.

You also have to make croutons. While chocolate cake, marinara sauce and pancakes may be just as good from the grocery store, store-bought croutons taste like packing peanuts next to mine. I'll confess it is a little work, although simple. I slice up a french loaf, paint the rounds with olive oil and kosher salt and toast them under the broiler until browned (on high if I am paying attention, on low if the kids are in the house or a ballgame is on). These croutons are mindless, but the window between golden and charcoal isn't huge.

Next, I make the broth. To a stock pot, I add some squirts (about 3 tablespoons) of olive oil in which I cook down half an onion, cut into thin slices. Once the onion is soft, I add 2 teaspoons of fennel seeds, 4 minced garlic cloves and 1/2 a teaspoon of red pepper flakes (like in the shaker at Pizza Hut). After one minute, this should smell wonderful. Then I add a quartered lemon, 1/4 C parsley and 1 Cup of white wine (this leaves about 2/3 of the bottle; I expect you know what to do with the remainder while you are finishing this dish).

Once the broth boils (producing the steam we need), it is time to add the mussels. Pop them in and cover your pot. After about three minutes peek in to make sure some are opening and then stir them around. Three minutes later, take them all out, discarding the ones that failed to open (as they were dead to begin with and their consumption is not the healthy way to lose weight, although it would be quick and effective, albeit with some risk of death).

Once you have the mussels out and resting, bring the broth up to a boil and reduce it to concentrate the flavor (just a little). Then place 3 or 4 (maybe 5) croutons in each serving bowl, add some mussels and broth, and top it all with diced tomatoes and parsley. If you can maneuver a bite of broth soaked crouton into your mouth with a mussel and some of the garnish, you will be well rewarded.

Ribs

This is it: the best thing I make. It is the perfect union of (1) experience (lots..I promise, I initally struggled), (2) a great ingredient (pork rules) and (3) the willingness to be patient toward a great result. Nothing in this plan is complicated or requires any talent. You just have to want to do it and plan ahead a little.

First, you need pork babyback ribs. Sam's Club sells them in packs of three for about $20 and that will feed six normal people (or 3 really hungry boys). You can freeze what you don't use for several months, so this is about as cheap as protein gets these days. The proportions below are for one rack of ribs, which is what we always make for one family dinner (I eat half and Lacey and Maggie eat the other half; Sam usually has an apple and a popsicle; he plans to live forever).

I cook them in three steps. First, a chemical cooking, in a brine. I mix together 3 Tbs of kosher salt with 1/2 Cup of brown sugrar and then pour in 2 Cups of boiling water, which I stir up to dissolve the solids. Then I add the juice of a lemon, the juice of a lime, 3 Tbs of olive oil and 2 beers (the cheaper the better). The beer cools the mixture down because I am not ready to use heat to cook anything (yet). The ribs need to sit in this cruel mixture in the refrigerator one night and one day, so do it in a freezer bag before you go to bed the day before you plan to have them for dinner. It won't smell good and it will look worse; don't sweat it. This is essential to making them tender.

The next day, take the ribs out and pat them dry, then spread on some ballpark mustard (even if you don't like it - trust me). Now they should be ugly, gray/yellow and sticky. Then I rub in (not sprinkle on) my first rub: 1/4 C brown sugar, 1 Tbs of Summer Savory (a spice), 1 Tbs Garlic Powder, 1 Tbs Paprika (Sweet) and 1/8 Tsp of ground cloves. Once rubbed down, wrap them TIGHTLY in aluminum foil and place them on a cookie tray. Then bake them for 2 hours at 350 degrees. This way, the fatty ribs cook in their own juices; anyone who boils ribs doesn't understand where flavor comes from (or doesn't care).

When they come out of the oven, they will be cooked through and perfectly edible, but they won't be much to look at (and we eat with our eyes). So, I add a second rub, although this time, I do sprinkle it on (usually through a wire sieve). This one is made of 1/3 Cup brown sugar, 1 tsp of Cayenne and 1 Tsp of Dry Mustard. Now here's the trick: I then flash grill them on a piping hot grill for about 1 minute a side. This does nothing but carmelize the sugar and add grill marks, making them look as great as they taste. We usually have some spicy sauce on the side, but you don't need it.

Weeknight Pasta - Quick and Truly Different

Like everyone else, sometimes life intervenes so that rather than spend an hour prepping food, we just need to get dinner on the table (even if lately that table has been on the porch or deck). This recipe satisfies the need for efficiency without sacrificing my ever-present desire for food that is good and good for us. I also love it because it is so unlike anything else we make. Please note this comes almost verbatim from the February 2010 issue of Southern Living- "a reader recipe" no less. It's not plagiarism if you cite your source, right? I did make some subtle changes, but the core idea is "xeroxed".

The "mise-en-place" here requires 3 cloves of garlic minced, 2 bunches of basil roughly chopped, 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts and 4 ounces of crumbled Feta Cheese. (Toasting pine nuts is way easy: put them in a saute pan over medium heat - without oil - until they brown). You'll also need a seven ounce jar of "sun-dried" tomatoes, packed in olive oil. Reserve 2 Tbs of the olive oil from the tomatoes and slice the tomatoes into thin strips (but don't dice them - chunky is great).

To avoid stress, I don't start cooking my pasta (in this case wheat linguine, about half a package or 8 ounces) until everything I need is prepped and ready, but if you are cooler than me, feel free to chop while it boils. Do salt the heck out of the pasta water (to make it boil faster and to add flavor) and squirt some olive oil in the water too (to keep your pasta from sticking - perhaps the remaining oil from the tomatoes?).

The eleven minutes the pasta needs to cook provides 8 minutes of time to clean up (no kidding - this comes together FAST). Dump the basil, cheese and pine nuts into a large bowl. Then with about three minutes to go on the pasta, drop the garlic into a saute pan with the 2 tbs of olive oil saved from the tomatoes and cook it until it softens and smells great (but not until it browns). Then stir in the chopped sun-dried tomatoes just to heat them through (30 seconds). Drain the pasta then add it and the tomatoes and garlic to the bowl of nuts, cheese and basil and stir.

Maybe this takes 25 minutes the first time you make it, besting even Rachel Ray without being so annoyingly chipper. However, if you do it twice, I am guessing an average cook can do this in less than 20 minutes. We like it so much I expect I will be able to do it in 15 by the end of the summer. I understand whatever you don't scarf down heats up well the next day for lunch.

"Key" Lime Pie

I'm not really a baker, but I do really like pie. I heard one of my partners (who was especially fond of pie, so much so that for his birthday every year the office had "Birthday Pie") once say "if you don't like pie, I don't like you". Perhaps a little harsh, but I understand the sentiment.

Thus, to celebrate Spring, tonight I am making our 2-layer "Key" Lime Pie to take to dinner at the neighbors tomorrow. I put "Key" in quotes as I don't actually use "Key Limes". Our Kroger typically doesn't carry them, but even if they did, they are so small that squeezing them is overly burdensome relative to the added value. I understand they are a little sweeter, but to us, the difference is nominal. As is shown below, I'll make up for the regular limes with sugar.

The crust is simple. Put 3/4 of a Cup of granola in a food processor and pulse until a powder. Add 3 tablespoons of sugar, 1/4 Cup of graham cracker crumbs and 1/4 Cup of butter. Press this into a prepared (meaning sprayed with Pam) glass pie pan and bake at 350 degrees for eight minutes.

For the first layer, which is baked, whisk together 14 oz. of sweetened condensed milk, 1/2 Cup of lime juice (about 4 big limes) and 3 large egg yokes. Pour this over the crust and bake for 25 minutes. Once it is done, it has to COMPLETELY cool before proceeding to the second layer, which is chilled.

For the chilled layer, I add another 1/4 Cup of Lime juice (roughly 2 large limes) to 1/2 C of sweetened condensed milk, 8 ounces of cream cheese, 2 tablespoons of sugar and 1 one teaspoon of vanilla extract. This has to beaten with a mixer until smooth. Then you spread the second layer over the cooled first layer and refrigerate it overnight. Feel free not to like anyone who doesn't like it.

Osteria

This food blog was originally intended to be about my cooking, as is evidenced by the subject matter of all but one post so far. However, no one lives - or cooks - in a vacuum. I never once pretended to be a culinary genius, merely an enthusiast, and as such, I am often awed and inspired by great meals out. Tonight was one of those occasions about which I am eager to share.

I ate tonight at "Osteria" in Philadelphia on Broad (not Broadway) Street with one of the best guys I know, Scott Kozin. Scott was born close by and except for school/training, he has never lived away from Philly. He both loves and knows good food, as our previous meal together was also phenomenal (too bad this blog didn't exist then so I could enjoy the memory with better information). When he heard I was coming back tonight, he clearly was excited to take me to this place, who's name translates to "meeting place in the center.". True to this name, even though it was a Sunday night, Osteria was packed and alive. However, our waiter certainly was not stretched to thin; our service was exemplary.

Speaking of said waiter, since they only have Italian wines, we needed his help on that front. He came through by picking a bottle based on my confession that we mostly drink domestic pinor noir at my house. He brought a bottle from Pecchenino Vineyards that was soft and fruity and so drinkable. I could tell this was going to good night right away.

Next, we shared a Roman style pizza (crispy thin crust) with arugula, shaved Parmesan cheese and prosciutto. It was salty and spicy and light and perfect. We agreed it was the perfect example of the current (almost cliche) mantra heard everywhere in food these days: pick great ingredients and then stay out of the way. This "pizza" had nothing in common with Domino's (which I do like), but it was so very good (and I suspect authentic).

We turned down the suggested "sweetbreads" salad (after all, it was just one bottle of wine that we weren't half way through at this point) for the salad with "grilled octopus with cured lemon and potato". Again, simple ingredients done delicately. It was light and perfect.

The pastas came family style and thus we had both ravioli with trumpet mushrooms and thyme and the boar bolognese. The boar was hearty - the ravioli flavorful and light. Both were great.

To finish, we had the polenta chocolate mouse with candied hazelnuts. It was sweet and creamy and just right.

While everything was great and I can't think of a criticism, my biggest impression was that the experience was better than the sum of its parts. I am fond of Scott and my time with him is limited, so I expect this played a role in my overall joy. Still, I am very aware that although we finished everything they brought us, I still feel good enough to write this entry instead of being in my normal post-big-meal coma. Real food is better on so many levels.

Carne Asada

There admittedly isn't much art in taking a beef tenderloin and making a great meal. In fact, it is easier to get in the way and mess it up. However, taking a more humble (read "cheaper") cut with less marbling (which means less fat and flavor making it much healthier) takes so work and some knowledge. As Mexican is our favorite genre of food, we most often accomplish this goal by turning flank steak into carne asada (which translates to "roasted meat", although that isn't perfectly descriptive). I am confident this will work with any protein, and thus for game cuts, this would be ideal.

The key to my method is to first cook the meat in the refrigerator overnight, using chemistry and not heat. This is exactly how cerviche is made with seafood (scallops, shrimp, fish). I do like cerviche, but I will confess I have to be in the right mood, because the texture is so odd. For my purposes, I use lime juice and lots of it. About 8 limes will usually produce enough juice, to which I only add a few squirts of olive oil, a generous amount of salt and freshly minced garlic. In a freezer bag with your steak overnight, this caustic acid and salt brine will literally cook your steak, turning it an ugly gray. Then flash grill it (see my previous post) to seal in the juices and caramelize the outside, let it rest, cut it against the grain and enjoy. The options for how to serve it are limitless (nachos, quesadilla, over rice, burritos, etc).

Bistro Chicken

This is our family's go-to weeknight dinner. It is quick, easy, satisfying and not so bad for you. Plus, we pretty much always have all the ingredients on hand. Because of these factors, we have probably had this twice a month for the last ten years, which means in my kitchen, I am pretty sure I could make it in mammoth-cave like darkness with only my left hand (and I am the least ambidextrous person on Earth). It can be doubled or tripled easily and the left-overs heat up well for lunch the next day. We also love it because it cooks in stages, so you can easily clean up as you go, meaning there is no mess to deal with after you eat. That's huge, because if you make this, you'll be so full and content, the couch will be calling.

First, start some rice. As I have mentioned before, unless you actually physically labor for a living (like as a lumberjack maybe), I suggest brown rice. My steamer takes about 45 minutes to make rice, which is about how long the chicken will need. Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees.

Next, squirt roughly 3 tbs of olive oil into a very large, oven-proof saute pain, preferably a deep one with high sides (we're going to fill this pan up later; also, you do keep olive oil in a squirt bottle right? everyone does, right - so convenient). You will also need to toss in a little butter to drop the smoke point. Raise the heat to high and wait until the butter is melted and the pan is literally screaming. This is so key. Flop in two seasoned (lots of salt/pepper) and room temperature (so it cooks evenly) boneless chicken breasts and sear both sides. It has to sizzle LOUDLY when it hits the pan and you have to leave it alone until it really browns before you flip it. We are creating flavor with heat here, so don't chicken out (pun intended) or get bored and end this stage before the chicken is well-browned. However, do not try to cook it through; as odd as this seems, for now, I want it raw in the middle. When it is beautifully browned on both sides, remove the breasts and set them in a bowl (not a plate - they are going to leak and you want to catch the juices). Please not on a paper towel.

To the pan and fond (which means "base" in French and describes the caramelized bits left stuck to the pan that add a tremendous depth of flavor), add one diced onion and cook it down. You can turn down the heat a little if you are nervous or need to step away so you can't scrape/stir constantly (better - pour a glass of wine and hang out of the stove - we're pretending to be French tonight). If you skimped on the fat (butter/oil) in the beginning, you may need to re-dose here. If you scrape out the fond to clean the pan, I will come to your house.

Once the onions are soft and brown, pour in one can of diced tomatoes with all the juices and cook this down about 5 minutes, until it looks thick and bubbly. Then (please forgive me) add a can of french onion soup. Yes, this is cheating. Yes, you don't really know what is in it. Yes, I could make it with salt, onions and beef broth in about 10 minutes and it would be better. But in my defense, this is a "weeknight" dinner and it's one can of soup. I am an idealist, not an extremist. Using this shortcut does not mean we are practically having McDonald's.

Again, reduce your bubbly mixture about 10 minutes until it thickens. Invite someone to smell it at this stage - waiting after this tease enhances dinner. Then place the chicken back in this pan on top of the sauce and cover the chicken (and as much sauce as you want) with Swiss cheese. White cheeses are better for you than yellow ones (generally), but you can go light here without much sacrifice. However, if work was typical, I'll confess I usually use a whole stinkin' bag. Food is comfort. Also pour back in whatever accumulated in the bottom of the bowl where your seared but rare chicken breasts were hanging out and resting. Why pour flavor down the drain?

Pop the pan in the oven for 20 minutes so the soft oven heat can finish the chicken gently with the steam from our sauce while it melts the cheese. Then take it out and place a chicken breast over some rice on top of which you ladle on the sauce. Stop eating out so much.

Huevos Rancheros

Big weekend breakfasts are a great treat and provide a nice contrast for me from my hurried weekday morning fare. Today, we "put together" our huevos rancheros, which for our version, is really more combining the four elements than actually making a dish. The key is to have the constituent parts ready at the same time.

First, I make Lacey's Salsa. I mix together about a third of a red onion (diced), 1 can of tomatoes with green chiles, 1 tbs of lemon juice, 1 tsp of chopped cilantro and 1 tsp of cumin. This actually is much better on the second day, so doing this the night before is ideal but not absolutely necessary.

Next, I broke 5 eggs (from my Dad's hens; they are so much better than store bought) and mixed them really well in the bowl and set them aside. Then I browned about 1/4 lb of chorizo, which is Mexican sausage. When I'm lucky, I have some homemade sausage from Tom Parlanti, who makes sausage as his hobby (his father was a butcher in NYC). Let me know if you want to try it and I'll hook you up.

While the sausage was cooking, I deep fried 4 corn tortillas in oil to make them crunchy. When the tortillas were almost done I quickly scrambled the eggs.

The tortillas go on the plate first, followed by the eggs and sausage. On top, spoon on the salsa. You can add some Mexican cheese to cut some of the spice, but if you skip it, you won't even notice. It is crunchy, savory, spicy goodness.

Giuseppe's Ristorante Italiano

The kids are at their Grandparents, so we're going out for dinner tonight. Thus, today's entry will be shorter, but I still wanted to share my thoughts on what we'll be eating. I'll admit I have struggled to come to this conclusion, but I have to just admit it: I love Giuseppe's (http://giuseppeslexington.com).

This is somewhat of a concession for me, because the "thing" in our marriage is that we don't agree very much. This isn't a relationship blog so I won't bore anyone, but the thumbnail version is we come to our decisions by debate. It works for us, even if it makes my parents uncomfortable. My wife long ago announced Giuseppe's is her favorite place to eat in town and she would eat there happily four nights a week for a year before she ordered something other than the manicotti she'll be having tonight. With her so committed to, and confident about, this decision, I was compelled to resist: they don't really do anything creative or original and where is the art in covering everything with cheese? The problem with my position is that the food there is so darn good. Every time. And the service rocks. And its kind of hidden and not very popular with people who don't live here so you can get a table on Friday night. And they take reservations. And did I mention the food? They do have specials and if you can pass up your favorite on the menu, maybe something new will be phenomenal, but I rarely can. I usually have lasagna, which they make with sirloin and sausage and yes, lots of cheese and it is simply great.

So here's the bottom line: the next time you're in Lexington and are thinking Italian, try Giuseppe's. Order the Fontina cheese gnocchi as your appetizer and then try to tell me you ever ate something better. Anywhere. I kind of hate it when she's right....

How to Grill Steak

I guess it's possible reasonable minds could differ, but I don't really see it. This is how I think you grill streaks and no one I have ever made one for has disagreed. Of course, most of those people either love me or had a few drinks in them. Still, I've done the work and these are my keys:

(1) The Goal - A well-seared crust with gorgeous grill marks on the outside and a tender, pink center, seasoned to bring out the flavor of the beef without overpowering and thus masking it. Red meat in moderation is nutritious, with lots of protein and iron, but it is sufficiently bad for you that you should avoid it if it isn't delicious.

(2) The Cut - I have two favorites: Rib-Eye and Filet. If steak isn't your thing, choose filet, as the texture is consistent without sacrificing taste. For the true experience, Rib-eye is the prima facie cut. Fat (marbling) is flavor; don't fear it. Even if you cut if off and leave it on the plate, what it imparts during the cooking can't be replaced or replicated.

(3) The Preparation - Steaks must be room temperature before being placed on the grill to ensure even cooking. Thus, take them out of the refrigerator a few hours early. As noted above, try to resist trimming off the fat. Most of it will dissipate in the heat anyway, helping so much with how your steak ultimately tastes.

(4) The Seasoning - Drizzle generously with light olive oil, then rub in (not sprinkle with) kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Table salt is an acceptable substitute, but shaker pepper has oxidized and is way too bland.

(5) The Grill - Screaming hot is key. If the grill is only lukewarm when a cold streak hits it, you are steaming, not grilling and the result will be gray and awful. It needs to sizzle loudly when it hits.

(6) The Cooking - Don't crowd them; the heat needs to be able to escape around each steak. Also, close the grill lid and leave them alone. After four or five minutes, flip them once (and only once). If they want to stick, they aren't ready to be turned; once carmelization occurs, they will release. If you flip them more than once, you are breaking down the crust which holds in the moisture. This is bad.

(7) The Resting - Once they are off the heat, they need to rest for around eight minutes to allow the juices to re-distribute. They will continue to cook during this time. Threaten anyone who moves to cut one during this phase, as any piercing will drain them and make them dry.

(8) The Serving - I suggest an Oregon Pinot Noir (http://kingestate.com/) and one side. Too many sides distract from the steak and if cooked properly, it won't be hot for long enough for such distraction. I like mushrooms, but wilted greens are great and potatoes are classic.

Shrimp Scampi

Tonight, we're having shrimp scampi at my house. I think this is the oldest recipe in my book, as I can remember making it before I finished school. LDE didn't much care for it 10 years ago, so it used to be my go-to "Benny's home alone" dinner, but lately she has starting liking it enough that it has worked its way into our rotation.

I like this recipe because it is not so wet. I've certainly slurped down my share of Red Lobster's version (one of my daughter's favorite places), but it is super oily/garlicky and frankly, lousy. I also like to make this because you can do all of the prep work (mise en place) before you start cooking and after that (which is therapeutic for me), putting it together is effortless and rewarding.

The first step is to get the rice going; we ate a lot of super delicious white jasmine rice (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jasmine_rice) in our 20's, until an endocrinologist told me to just eat ice cream and save my body the trouble of turning all that starch into sugar. Thus, as an adult, we have switched to brown rice, which is a big nutritional upgrade without an intolerable sacrifice of flavor. I make all our rice in a reasonably priced steamer we actually bought a Lowe's (http://www.oster.com/ProductDetails.aspx?pid=2002), because the rice bowl is plastic and while that means some day it might crack, it also means rice will not stick to it. We had a really nice steamer a few years ago with a fancy metallic rice bowl; it was beautiful but you had to be so careful not to burn the rice. I threw it away one night in what could fairly be called a bit of a fit. In my new steamer, you actually can "set it and forget it". It will be ready when you are. You will need about a 3/4 Cup of rice for each person. Once the rice is going, turn your oven broiler on to high.

Next, measure out the spices. In one small ramekin, place 3 minced garlic cloves, 1/2 tsp of white pepper, 1/2 tsp of red pepper flakes, 1/4 tsp of Cayenne pepper and 1/4 tsp of oregano. (We grew a ton of oregano this year so I still have some we dried; I'm pretty proud of that; it was super easy to do). This is pretty spicy, so if you need to, adjust the amounts.

In a separate container, add 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese, 5 Tbs of bread crumbs (wheat is fine for the health conscious) and 1/4 Cup of chopped parsley. Then cut a lemon in half and have your shrimp on stand-by and you will be ready to cook.

To a large oven-safe (meaning no rubber handle) saute pan, add some butter and olive oil (about 2 Tbs each). You do have to use both, as they have different smoke points. When the butter is melted, dump in the spices and toss them around a few minutes, letting the garlic soften but not burn. Then add the shrimp and cook them until they are just pink, which won't be too long (2 minutes maybe). Shrimp are so easy to overcook and turn to rubber. Next comes the juice from the lemon half, followed by the parsley, bread crumbs, and cheese. Mix it up well and put it in the oven until the cheese browns a little. Then serve it over the rice.

Grilled Caesar Salad and French Onion Soup

For years now, we have been making a pretty good run at blatantly plagiarizing the "Grilled Caesar Salad" from Jonathan at Gratz Park. This is my wife's favorite restaurant in town or maybe anywhere. Although I think it can be a little stuffy (read "old") at times, there is no denying the food is consistently fantastic and the place is gorgeous. The one part of the salad I never before replicated is the crunchy black-eyed peas, which replace croutons as the texture providing topping. I am now pulling this off. First, I soak the black-eyed peas in water. Once drained and completely dry, I fry them until they are crispy and then season with salt and pepper. In addition to complementing this salad, they make an excellent snack, as they will keep well for at least a week in an air-tight container.

My Caesar dressing is the product of a lot of experimenting and reflects my fondness for salt, so you may need to adjust it to your taste. In a small food processor, I first combine 3 cloves of garlic, 2 anchovies, 1 Tbs of fresh lemon juice, 1/2 tsp of salt, 1/4 tsp of pepper (freshly ground), 1/2 tsp of Worcestershire Sauce and one egg yolk. I expect this sounds pretty icky to some (well..most), but please don't be afraid. The fish will completely dissolve and there isn't enough raw egg to hurt a reasonably healthy person. The egg is essential for the consistency of the dressing (thick) and the fish provides a level of "brininess" that can't be left out. You'll like it. This is real food. Once I puree these base ingredients, I stream in 1/3 cup of olive oil and chill the dressing in the refrigerator. This serves two.

Next, split a head of Romaine lettuce lengthwise. I use my long bread knife and saw it gently, as you need it to be in only 2 pieces. I brush on some olive oil, season it with salt and pepper and flash grill it on a piping hot grill for about a minute per side, with the lid down, until it is somewhat wilted and some edges are black. Plate the lettuce, smear on the dressing (which may need a quick stir), toss on lots of your peas and grate some Romano cheese over the top (please don't skip here with canned Parmesan and then e-mail me that the salad wasn't all that great; if it won't spoil, it is not food). Serve the salad warm.

For our second course tonight, I made my very simple "French Onion Soup". I describe it as simple because my wife has successfully lobbied for the omission of some classic components of this traditional dish (white wine, herbs, bacon) so as to make sure nothing obscures the essential flavors: beef, onion, cheese. She is so right.

First, I made some croutons from the remnants of last night's French Loaf, slicing it thin, painting on some olive oil and toasting them on both sides in the broiler until they were golden brown. Normally, I would steep the oil in garlic first and salt the croutons, but since I plan on drowning them later, there is no need. Do be careful while they are in the oven, as the gap between "perfect" and "charcoal" is pretty small. I do it with the oven door open (this is the lone exception to the "its not cooking while you're looking" mantra).

While I am typically a stickler for exact ingredients, this is more art than science, but the room for error is very generous. Cook down 3 roughly chopped onions in half a stick of butter until they are very brown (about 20 minutes at medium/high heat). Don't worry if some of them blacken and stick; in fact, be glad, as these pieces are full of flavor). To the well-cooked onions, add about 6 cups of beef stock (not from a powder - it is immeasurably worse and more work than the real thing from http://www.kitchenbasics.net/.) Then add only some salt and a healthy dose of Worcestershire Sauce. Adjust the heat to simmer and let it cook as long as you can stand to wait. Then place 2 or 3 of the croutons in an oven safe bowl, ladle in the soup, float one more crouton on top, and cover it with Swiss cheese. Finish the soup under the broiler until the cheese is melted and some is even brown.

Please let me know if you tried it and what you thought.