Prepare the ribs by removing the silver skin on the rib side. This is not easy, but there is a trick. I will try and make a video soon for you.
Season spare ribs on both sides with onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, and salt (dry rub).
Cook ribs until brown on both sides BUT NOT DONE!
Preheat oven to 300 degrees
Place the under-cooked ribs in baking dish and then put in the oven uncovered.
Cook 2 hours. Making sure the heat stays low….you may even turn it down as low as 225 degrees. It just takes longer, but they are well worth the wait.
After two hours, check for doneness. The meat should separate from the bone fairly easily. Drain most of the fat from the dish, but not down the sink drain; it will clog it. Cover ribs with Bar-B-Que sauce in the same pan, mixing in some of the fat and coating the ribs well. Then, return to oven for 20 minutes or heat on barbeque for BEST results.
NOTES: This recipe is the result of years of practice, but in the end it produces a consistently good batch of ribs and can be done in a large enough batch for a party.
Juice the lemons to make about 1 cup of juice. Don’t forget to roll those lemons on the counter top before cutting them in half. It makes the whole juicing thing easier.
In a gallon size pitcher, combine the lemon juice, sugar, and icy cold water. Stir. Adjust water or sugar to taste. Chill and serve over ice cubes.
NOTE:
You can also make this by the glass as I did on Friday. The per glass instructions work like this: One lemon, juiced and poured into tall cocktail shaker, sans seeds. Add 3 tablespoons of sugar and one and a quarter cups cold water. Shake well. Serve over ice with a straw.
Season the beef with garlic, onion powder, salt, and pepper on both sides. Let meat “marinate” on the counter for 30 minutes or at least while the grill is heating. For best results, this can be done the night before, and you can wrap the meat in plastic then put it back into the refrigerator. Remove from refrigerator and let rest on the counter anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour.
Now that your grill is HOT, cook the london broil starting on high. Then after cooking each side for five minutes, turn to medium low until it has reached an install temp of 140 degrees. This should take about another 5 minutes per side. Avoid using a fork to turn the meat over and always use tongs. I turn my steaks a total of three times to get a nice crisscross pattern if possible. Remove beef to a plate and let rest ten minutes before slicing. Avoid turning or pressing on your steaks or hamburgers as they cook because this will cause them to dry out and become tougher.
Once the beef has rested slice the london broil across the grain (see below).
Serve with steak sauce, blue cheese dressing, or just plain salt and pepper.
This is one of those old timey’ recipes that I remember from my childhood. My mother used to make this once a year in the summer. I grew up in a suburb of New York where we were very close to Queens. The plots of land were small 45 by 75 feet. We had very little room in our back yard for a garden but we did grow fresh string beans and tomatoes every year. A small backyard was nice as a teenager because there was not a lot of grass to mow. One of the first things my brother did when we all got older was hire a lawn service. Thank you for that!
Since we didn’t grow are own cucumbers in our tiny backyard I suspect my mother purchased them at the local farm stand. Back then there were still a few small family owned farms on Long Island that existed close to the city. There you could get the BEST corn on the cob and fresh cucumbers. They are all gone now and if you want that kind of fresh produce you have to travel much farther east on Long Island then I am. It really is a shame. Mega-store produce is just not as tasty as the farm fresh stuff.
So that brings me to todays recipe. A coworkers of mine does have garden and he grows his own cucumbers. Wednesday he brought with him four cucumber to share. I asked if he minded if I made cucumber salad with two of them for our entire office. He sounded enthusiastic at the idea. So I brought in some ingredients from home to make cucumber salad.
INGREDIENTS:
2 of Rich’s cucumbers
3 or 4 thin slices of Spanish or Vidalia onion cut in half and sliced thin
1 cup vinegar
1 cup filtered water
2 tablespoons sugar
1½ teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon white pepper
¼ teaspoon dill (optional)
DIRECTIONS:
At home I poured all the liquid ingredients into a plastic Tupperware bowl. Then I added all the spices list above and brought that with me to work. I left out the dill because I was out of it. I will pick up more today at the market by my office. Once at work I began by peeling the cucumbers. Turns out, I had a crappy peeler in my knife bag and it took forever. I need to replace that. Then using a chefs knife and plastic cutting board I sliced the cucumber into pretty thin circles. I may bring in my mandolin next time to make the slicing easier. Then I peeled and sliced an onion into half moon shapes. I added both of these items to my brine like substance I made at home. I put on the lid and stuck it in the refrigerator to marinate over night.
I will be serving it today with lunch and let you all know how it turns out. The next batch I will make any corrections I need to my ingredient list and add the dill. There are two more cucumbers after all.
That’s all for today. I will see you all on Monday unless the urge strikes me to Barbeque this weekend and post it live in INSTAGRAM. Hmmm Maybe my famous drunken chicken? We will have to see.
Until then be well. Be happy, enjoy life and if you cant be good be careful!
Last night was chicken enchilada night with rice and black beans. I stopped at the local market on the way home for some fresh ingredients. Obviously, I needed chicken cutlets. I purchased large flour tortilla wrappers as well. Don’t even try and give me any shit about not making my own. I needed rice too, so one box of Goya Spanish style rice with seasoning, yum. Lastly, I added one can of Goya Black beans to the cart. I had onion, garlic, and OH wait I almost forgot, the sauce. Instead of my usual red enchilada sauce, I opted for the green chili sauce.
At home, I gathered all my cooking utensils and implements of destruction.
Here you can see, in a previous version on my enchilada in red sauce, my individual serving dishes.
COOKING UTENSILS
Individual Baking dishes/pans
INGREDIENTS:
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 – 2 cans enchilada sauce
½ lb. cheddar cheese (grated)
½ lb. Monterey Jack Cheese (grated)
2 tablespoons Salsa
2 tablespoons of olive oil
Chalupa
Paprika
Onion powder
Chili powder
Garlic powder
Salt and Pepper
DIRECTIONS
Add two tablespoons of olive oil to a large pan and warm it up. Cut the chicken into large bite size pieces as the chicken will shrink as it cooks. Add seasoning to the chicken. You can also use Taco seasoning. Fry on med-low. I find if you cook the chicken on high it gets tough. Cook the chicken until is is no longer pink. In the meantime, make yourself some black beans and Spanish rice.
Once the chicken is done, break out the tortillas. Lay the tortilla flat. Place some cheese in the center like shown.
Then add chicken. You could at this point add rice and black beans, but I chose to serve those on the side. The choice is yours.
Now, let’s roll this Burrito bad boy. Fold over the right and left sides so they are just covering the chicken. Then fold up the bottom so it completely covers the chicken. Now roll the rest of the way. Place in your individual baking dish that you have added enchilada sauce too. This time, I used green chili sauce. Many times in the past I have used the red. Then cover with grated cheddar cheese. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Serve with sour cream, guacamole, Cholula sauce, and lots of cold beers!
Happy hump day! It is time for a visit to wine country. Today, I am going recommend the wine we had with dinner at the Basil Café. We had a Pinot Grigio white wine. Ken and Bebe had brought this same wine with them on Saturday to dinner. I have had this particular wine MANY moons ago at their home.
Try this wine. I don’t think you will regret it, if you like Pinot Grigio
As with any of the white wines I drink, I like my Pinot Grigio ice cold. A friend suggested I use an ice bucket of half water and half ice. This seems to work very nicely. I find too many places try to use all ice and then can never get the bottle all the way back in the bucket.
This particular Pinot Grigio tastes nicely on its own but I rarely find myself drinking just wine without eating anything. Since white wines are usually enjoyed at the beginning of the meal, appetizers would be best to pair with it.
I have several ideas in mind for summer appetizers and wine. The first that comes to mind is my Caprese salad recipe. Then, there is a fresh asparagus wrap in Prosciutto, since I have prosciutto left from last night. I also like Hormel Genoa Salami wrapped around some nice mozzarella cheese or Bruschetta on garlic crostini. If you want posh, try making Oysters on the half shell with cocktail sauce or fried oysters with a remoulade dipping sauce. Then there is more casual Avocado….well with anything.
I’m getting hungry. I need company and to get to cooking. Let me know what you make, or if you’re living vicariously through me, I want the oysters, clams, or shrimp! I think this will be a seafood weekend. I will see food and eat it!
Until tomorrow, be well, eat well, and cook fresh!
Yesterday was not what I would call a fun day. I raced home from work to find Jennifer in excruciating pain. Luckily, she had an appointment with the pain management doctor already scheduled. Let me tell you, it is not easy to watch someone in so much pain when all you can do is rub their back not knowing if it will ever get better. She did get yet another shot in her spinal cord. I can only hope these start to help. The last one reduced the pain by half but not all the way, and returned a few days later. Right after her doctor visit, we came home and I needed to make something for dinner. Sam offered to run out to the store so I gave him a list of ingredients for Penne Ala Vodka to pick up.
Surprisingly or not so strikingly depending how you look at it, I had Vodka on hand, so I only needed him to pick up a few ingredients: Pancetta, heavy cream, tomato sauce, and of course Penne Pasta. I have butter, garlic, olive oil, and parmesan cheese on hand.
Sam returned with a bag full of groceries. There was the pasta, it was Ronzoni which is what I grew up on. Then there was the heavy cream. He also got apples for himself. In the freezer, he put Heath flavored Klondike ice cream bars as a surprise for Jennifer. Then I reached into the bag and when I pulled out the pancetta, it was not pancetta at all. Sam said I had asked for Prosciutto instead of Pancetta. Anything is possible I guess. Now is when you have to ask yourself. DO I go BACK to the store and get what I want or do I make do with what I have? Besides what’s the difference between Prosciutto and Pancetta besides the enormous cost? Well for one they come from opposite ends of the hog. Second, Prosciutto is cured and meant to be eaten raw. Pancetta is not cured and must be cooked before its eaten. The taste however, well, the difference is debatable. The real question is will Jennifer, Sam, or my mother in-law care? Certainly not my mother in-law.
Needless to say I said “what the fuckin hell” (to myself) and decided to use said expensive cured meat in my Ala Vodka Sauce and opened a beer.
Here is a brief synopsis of how I made dinner last night. I also live streamed it on INSTAGRAM if you were watching.
I fried the ham in olive oil, while sipping my beer.
I added 4 tablespoons of butter and a whole clove of peeled garlic. While sipping my beer.
I put on a big pot of salted water with olive oil to boil. While sipping my beer.
I added the Vodka about 2/3 a cup and some sauce, crushed red pepper and let it cook on low just a bit. It was time for a fresh icy cold beer.
Once the water was at a rapid boil, I added the pasta to it and set the timer ticking. A few minutes before the pasta was al dente, I added the heavy cream and parmesan cheese to the sauce.
I drained the pastas and poured it into the sauce and coated it the pasta evenly. I served it with a small salad with a vinaigrette dressing.
HERE is the Official recipe below.
INGREDIENTS:
1 pkg penne or ziti rigati or rigatoni
4 tablespoons butter
½ pound pancetta bacon
2/3 cup vodka
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 28 oz. can tomato sauce
1 28 oz. can crushed
1 cup Parmesan cheese
1 clove garlic minced
½ small onion minced
1 tsp crushed red pepper (optional)
1 tbsp. Fresh parsley (chopped fine)
DIRECTIONS
Boil a large pot of water with salt added for the pasta.
In a large sauce pan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in ½ pound pancetta bacon and cook while continue to stir occasionally until brown. Add garlic and onion continue to cook until onion is translucent being careful not to brown the garlic (fried brown garlic is bitter unlike roasted garlic).
Add vodka and stir until it is reduced by half, about 4 to 5 minutes.
Stir in tomato sauce and cream. Simmer uncovered for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring every few minutes. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions.
Remove the sauce from heat and stir in the cheese, parsley and crushed red pepper. Toss sauce with pasta to coat evenly and serve.
NOTES: serve with garlic bread. Double recipe and serve in buffet tray for comany.
So that was my day. At least penne must have been good everyone went back for seconds and there were no leftovers. HUH, no leftovers, its been a long time since that had happened. Jennifer is resting this morning and I’m am off to the old grist mill. I wonder if that’s where they get “back to the old grind” from?
I was wined and dined at the Basil Cafe in Saint James, New York yesterday by our good friends Ken, Bebe, and Will. This is a Persian and Mediterranean Restaurant. The restaurant is owned by a husband and wife.
From the the small exterior, you would never expect such capacious space for seating with their newly built outdoor patio just behind the restaurant.
This is a BYOB restaurant, so if you want wine, bring it; they even encourage it here. Jennifer, Sam, and I met Bebe, Ken, and Will here after Bebe had been raving about this place for well over a year or more. They were very excited to have us join them and share in their favorite North Shore restaurant.
The three of them were already seated and had not one but two bottles of Menage a Trois wine chilling in a ice bucket next to them. It is a terrific wine at about $10 a bottle. This is a Pinot Grigio that is very nice to drink on its own. I nonetheless was hungry and looking forward to dinner here.
I had this wine for the first time last night and it is very good.
Before we even ordered, the dish below was brought to our table.
This flat bread dish was a pesto, cheese and tomatoes combination that was delicious.
I don’t even think anyone even looked at the menus when the waitress was there asking if we wanted an appetizer. Having listened to Ken and Bebe’s tales of their culinary adventures here, we all knew, aside from Jennifer, what we were having to eat last night. Bebe’s favorite appetizer is the Hummus served with a lightly seasoned flat bread, carrot sticks, and celery, so we started with that. As usual, everyone loved it but me. I found that there was a bit too much Tahini in it for my taste, as I do not like the extra peanuttyness (my own word) that everyone else did. They however liked it so much I would recommend trying it. It did go excellent with the wine. We were so busy talking we didn’t even finish it, so Bebe had it wrapped up for us to take home.
,This is the hummus appetizer. Sorry, I didn’t notice Ken’s fingers before, as he reached for his wine glass.
Before the appetizer pictured above was gone, our waitress had returned; she was a lovely and affable woman, and came to take our dinner order. Bebe, Sam, and Will all ordered the Rack of Lamb and Basmati rice (non Jeweled). Ken and I both ordered the Lamb shank. They don’t always have this, so it is a true treat when they do. This also comes with a large portion of saffron rice, and we also did not get it “jeweled”. If I remember correctly, and I probably don’t, jeweled rice is where the chef adds sautéed onions and peppers to the top. I will try this next time. For now, I wanted to taste it the way Ken and Bebe enjoy it. Jen ordered the strip steak.
When our meals came to the table, they looked beautiful.
Rice, Broccoli, Sam’s rack of lamb and my lam shank
These dishes were ALL as good as they looked. I do not get to eat lamb as often as I would like, and this lived up to everything Ken had boasted about in previous conversations. It is probably no surprise I am constantly talking about food with family and friends, or to complete strangers for that matter. I had also tasted Sam’s rack of lamb and would certainly not have been disappointed if I had gone with that as an alternative. Jennifer offered me a piece of her steak but I declined, as I had enough on my plate already (pun intended).
Ken did not finish his lamb shank and carefully added it on top of his remaining rice with the perfectly cooked roasted broccoli on top. We both even ordered that same side dish. I could not help my gluttonous self and managed to finish the entire lamb shank but could not fit in all the rice and broccoli, as Bebe was insisting I must try the dessert.
The waitress wrapped up Jennifer’s half steak and Ken’s Lamb shank. Sam, Will, and Bebe all finished their rack of lamb entrées. Once the table was cleared, the waitress she took our dessert orders. Bebe ordered rice pudding, even though it was not on the menu. What was on the menu was a Poached Pear on rice pudding with a Chambord Liqueur reduction drizzled over the top. Sam ordered the bread pudding.
Poached pear
Bread pudding
This was the most decadent and delicious thing I have eaten in months. It was not only exquisite to look at, but it tasted superb. If this is one of the chef’s family recipes, I am surprised he is aa svelte as he is. It must be all the hard work and long hours he puts in at this fine dining establishment keeping him so thin. I will certainly be going back with everything being this good. I will also have to try all new dishes next time. I may go with one of those fish specials as that is something I don’t get a chance to cook at home either. I can’t wait to try more of his cooking, and THAT’S a sign of a really really good restaurant. So don’t go there, otherwise I may not get a table. At lease don’t go there when I’m planning on being there, but do please help support this local and wonderfully owned little family operated restaurant. They truly do a magnificent job at making you an old fashioned yet sophisticated family meal you will remember!
When we finally got home, Sam promptly finished the hummus, carrots, and bread before going to bed.
Until next week. Eat well, stay healthy, and OH enjoy life!
This is a pizza place review of a place called Mulberry Street in Bayshore.
Last night was New York style pizza night. This meant no cooking for me. I did not even make the toppings this time. We let the pizza place do it all.
I went over Scott and Ally’s for pizza. Scott ordered the pizza from a place called Mulberry Street in Bayshore, NY. There are a lot of “Mulberry Streets” here on Long Island, and they are not all the same. This one makes some fancy pizzas. The first one we had last night was a Lasagna pizza.
There is a piece missing so you can see the nice pizza crust. This is a thick crust pizza.
Above, you can see the lasagna pizza. It is a Sicilian style pizza with ricotta cheese, ground beef, mozzarella cheese, and sauce. Everyone loved this pizza. Sam ate two slices of this where I could only eat one. Jennifer had a slice of the traditional round plain New York Style pizza. Some people call this a Margherita Pizza. The third and final pizza was the meat lovers. This was Scott’s favorite slice. Ally enjoyed it too but she liked the Lasagna pizza better.
I liked the lasagna slice of pizza I ate, but I’m a cheese guy and for me there just was not enough mozzarella cheese. There was plenty of ricotta cheese but I like mozzarella cheese. To me, the reason to eat pizza is for the mozzarella cheese. I mean, salad pizza, really? Give me side salad and a nice slice of Italian bread, but don’t put salad on my pizza. I am a mozzarella cheese guy all the way. If I had my way, and I don’t usually get my way, I would order a plain pie with EXTRA cheese. This is how we ordered all our pizzas when I was a kid. When I got older, I cut down on the cheese and added different toppings.
My favorite pizza is what I call the garbage pie. Sam calls it a supreme style pizza. It is a Margarita Pizza with a traditional super thin crust, marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese, Italian sweet sausage, meatballs, pepperoni, mushrooms, onions, bell peppers, and black olives. I can usually only eat one slice of this overly indulgent work of artistry, even when it is done correctly.
That was dinner last night. I hope to be cooking something good tonight. Until next time, I hope all your pizzas are good ones and they arrive on time, unscathed and fresh from the oven!
Guacamole is a staple at my house. We use so much of it I often buy it premade. There are rare occasions when I have ripe avocados that I need to use up, so I use them in this recipe.
Ingredients
2 avocados
2 tablespoons lime juice
1/2 teaspoon dry or fresh Cilantro
1 to 2 tablespoons Salsa
1 clove garlic Minced
1/2 a small Onion, minced fine
1 tablespoon Recaito (optional)
A few drops of Cholula (optional for heat)
Avocado freed from its encasement and pit
Cut the avocado in half. Twist apart. Scoop out meat from its shell using a tablespoon. Remove the pit from the other half, scoop out second half. Place avocado in bowl or mortar and pestle. Add all your ingredients that you want on top of the avocado, and mash using a knife and fork at first, and then the back spoon, unless your crazy like me and own a food grade mortar and pestle.
The Magic of a Perfect Pairing 