For the grill-inclined among you who wish you could do something with the coals once you’ve made your dinner delicious and smoky: slice up a couple of apples or pears, make a foil packet, and seal the fruit in with some brown sugar, some fresh grated ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and a few pats of butter. (Poke a couple of holes in the top of the foil. Fruitsplosions are no one’s friend.) Leave them on the grill as you eat your meal, and it should be ready by the time you’re done.
lemon cookies with white chocolate chips and strawberry buttercream
Tonight I ate half a deep dish pizza, topped with pulled pork I made yesterday. That was like four or five hours ago. I still feel like I’m going to explode.
Current mood: regretting life choices/reveling in life choices
Ladies, gentlemen, and other-gendered people: motherfucking cassoulet.
This may sound naïve to some of you, but as someone who’s never really worked with dried beans a whole lot, I need to say holy shit ham hocks are magic.
Spring is here! And we’re making the most of it with these 6 easy, elegant dishes:
- Spring Vegetable Risotto with Poached Eggs
- Rack of Lamb with Baby Turnips and Mint Salsa Verde
- Tarragon Roasted Halibut with Hazelnut Brown Butter
- Littleneck Clams with New Potatoes and Spring Onion
- Mustard Crusted Pork with Farro and Carrot Salad
- Buttermilk Brined Chicken with Cress and Bread Salad
(shot by Christopher Baker, Bon Appétit, April 2013)
For the record, this is some “I can die happy now”-grade corned beef and cabbage (and carrots and parsnips). I have to talk to Brad & Heather at The Piggery and see if they’ll do corned beef more often, ‘cause dang.
Having fun with fundido
In Spanish, “fundido” translates to “molten”, which is a perfect word to describe this cheesy appetizer. Simmering on the stove it bubbled like lava. From skillet to chip it was so smooth and stringy we could stretch it a full 18-inches! It’s a warm, gooey treat that’s perfect for a wet, holiday night in Portland, Oregon.
Queso fundido, a recipe from Bon Appétit magazine.
Ingredients:
- 1 small tomato, chopped
- 1 serrano chile, seeded, chopped
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
- Kosher salt
- 8 ounces coarsely grated mild yellow cheddar
- 8 ounces coarsely grated Monterey Jack
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 4-ounce link fresh chorizo or hot Italian sausage, casing removed
- 1/2 cup minced onion
- 1/2 cup lager
- Tortilla chips
Directions:
Mix tomato, chile, and oregano in a small bowl. Season with salt; let salsa stand for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, toss both cheeses with flour in a medium bowl. Cook chorizo in a medium saucepan over medium heat, breaking up with a wooden spoon, until it begins to render, about 1 minute. Add onion and continue cooking until chorizo is cooked and onion is soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
Transfer chorizo mixture to a small bowl; return saucepan to heat. Add beer; simmer, stirring occasionally and scraping up any browned bits. Whisking constantly, add cheese mixture a 1/4-cupful at a time, allowing it to become blended and smooth between additions. Stir in chorizo mixture. Using a slotted spoon, spoon salsa over queso. Serve in skillet with a basket of tortilla chips on the side.
Do ahead: Queso can be made 30 minutes ahead. Let stand at room temperature. To reheat, warm skillet with queso fundido over medium heat; stir until melted and bubbly.
you’re welcome.
Dalek cupcake army
… “MAS-TI-CATE!”
Atari Cake.
