Strawberry season is in full swing! Well, not in Minnesota. My strawberry plants are still sleeping under six inches of snow. But strawberries are plentiful in Florida, Louisiana and California right now. And while we do have to truck them into the state, the season makes them fresh and affordable. Read more ›
You know that feeling you get when the many places you’ve been and the many tastes and smells you’ve experienced suddenly collide in a single moment out of time? Mussaman Corned Beef is fusion deja vu. I was in Thailand many years ago and had the wonderful experience of eating Mussaman curry in a cafe overlooking the ocean on an island in the Gulf of Thailand. Read more ›
I am constantly creating new healthy items that are easy to pop into lunches or have for snacks. Since it’s the middle of winter, my local apple orchard isn’t exactly open. But my coop had several bags of “seconds” organic apples for only 99¢ a pound. Time to fire up the dehydrator. Read more ›
Grass-fed beef is perfect for jerky. Naturally lean, the rich mineral flavor of the beef shines through. Luck for me Santa left a fab new dehydrator under the Christmas tree. I fondly remember the venison jerky my Dad used to make. He would marinate the jerky in teriyaki sauce or red wine, then dry smoke-dry it over a low fire on the BBQ. Rich, tangy and chewy, the whole family loved it. It didn’t last long in my house. Read more ›
My giant jar of Stout Beer Mustard finally ran out. Always one to try something new, I pondered what kind of mustard to make next. There are so many possibilities! But with the holidays around the corner and a jeweled bag of Wisconsin cranberries in the fridge, a festive mustard was in order. Could cranberries and mustard go together? The trick was to find the right balance between bitter, sour, sweet and salty. Read more ›
Kimchi is the smelly cheese of the pickle world. If you’re like me, once you’ve had it few times, the smell becomes appealing, the taste even more so. I learned to love the funky Korean pickle in college at University of California at Santa Cruz. My dorm-mate down the hall kept a batch in her mini fridge. Read more ›
I have a mustard-lover in my house. He eats mustard with everything; sandwiches, salad dressing, marinades, cheese, sausages, steak, veggies, you name it. I don’t even buy mustard anymore because it would put me in the poor house. So I like to make my own, in volume, a quart at a time. It’s ridiculous.
I recently saw a tweet go by for “Sichuan Bacon.” Hold the phone. Click. It was from Hank Shaw author & blogger of Hunter Angler Gardener Cook, who’s site I just love to follow. What a fabulous idea. I had just purchased a few ounces of Sichuan peppercorns, so the tweet was clearly a sign of planetary alignment. Last year while participating in Charcutepalooza, I honed my curing skills, particularly on bacon and ham. Read more ›
Growing up, corned beef was a treat in my house. Simmered on the stovetop or braised in the oven with potatoes, carrots, and onions, I could not wait to eat that salty, preserved goodness. I was fortunate enough to grow up on a farm where we raised our own cattle. When we slaughtered a steer, my dad always ask our butcher to corn the briskets and a couple of chuck roasts. Read more ›
The final challenge for Charcutepalooza was to make a whole mess of charcuterie items and throw a party to celebrate the makings. Thank goodness I had a whole month to prepare, because that’s how long it took me to do it all. If I had not done the eleven preceding challenges, this final project would have been impossible. Read more ›
Bresaola is remarkable food. Like a woodsy prosciutto with a full beef flavor, bresaola is silky, herbaceous and complex. This cured meat knocked me off my feet. I made this myself? So cool. Read more ›