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.