Food - Blog

9/9/2008

www.popvssoda.com

This map is for those of us who have lived at different places in the country and struggle to know how to order a pop, err soda, err coke, err you know what I mean.

Posted at 11:39 AM by LEEALLEN-SP1\lee.allen | Category: Food | Permalink | Email this Post | Comments (0)

8/2/2008

Where are you going to eat tonight?

www.wherethelocalseat.com

Posted at 10:20 AM by LEEALLEN-SP1\lee.allen | Category: Food | Permalink | Email this Post | Comments (0)

7/30/2008

Pickled Eggs

Recipe from another Internet site I frequent. I haven't tried it yet.......

1 can sliced beets
1/3 c broiwn sugar
1 c cider vinegar
1 c cold water
3 or 4 whole cloves
piece of cinnamon stick
1 dozen hard boiled eggs

Strain beet juice into a pan mix rest of ingrediants except eggs. Heat to boiling. Peel eggs, Put beets and eggs into large glass jar (large pickle jar from Walmart will hold nearly 3 dozen eggs) jar and pour boiled mixture over them. Allow to sit for 2 days in frig before eating.

Posted at 12:29 PM by LEEALLEN-SP1\lee.allen | Category: Food | Permalink | Email this Post | Comments (0)

6/30/2008

Sausage Pierogi Skillet

1 package (16.9 oz) frozen potato and onion pierogies (Mrs. T's)
2 T butter
2 T vegetable oil

1 package (16 oz) smoked sausage, cut in half length-wise and sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
1 medium onion, sliced
1/2 green pepper
1 package (16 oz) coleslaw mix
1/2 t garlic powder or salt - or 1 clove of chopped garlic
1 piece of celery cut up
1 bay leaf

Cook pierogies according to package directions. (We fried them in butter). Remove them to a plate when done.
Add sausage, onion, celery, cook and stir for 2-3 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients; cook and stir for 2-3 minutes longer or until coleslaw is wilted. Add pierogies back into skillet and keep warm until ready to serve.
Discard bay leaf.

Posted at 6:53 AM by LEEALLEN-SP1\lee.allen | Category: Food | Permalink | Email this Post | Comments (0)

6/7/2008

Maryland-Style Crab Cakes

RECIPE COURTESY OF MICHAEL LOMONACO
Porter House New York
10 Columbus Circle
4th Floor
New York, NY 10019
212-823-9500

1 pound fresh jumbo-lump crabmeat, preferably blue crab, picked of shell fragments (see Note)
1 sweet red pepper, stem and seeds removed, cut into small dice
1 sweet yellow pepper, stem and seeds removed, cut into small dice
1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
1 to 2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and cut into small dice
1/3 cup chopped cilantro leaves
1/3 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons Old Bay seasoning
2 cups fresh white breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil or vegetable oil
Chili Mayonnaise (recipe follows)

Put the crabmeat in a bowl. Add the red and yellow peppers, garlic, jalapeño, cilantro, and mayonnaise and stir together gently. Scatter the Old Bay seasoning, ½ cup of the bread crumbs, and the salt and pepper over the mixture, then stir gently but thoroughly. Cover the bowl and chill in the refrigerator for 20 minutes; a cold mixture is easier to work with and shape into cakes.
Cover a work surface with waxed paper and sprinkle half of the remaining breadcrumbs over it. Scoop up and divide the crabmeat into 4 to 8 equal portions and place each mound on the workspace. Roll 1 portion of crab in the crumbs, pick it up, put it in the palm of 1 hand, and pat it with the fingers of your other hand into a tight, trim, disk-shaped cake, approximately 2 inches in diameter and ¾-inch thick. Repeat with the remaining portions, making sure they are the same thickness to ensure that they cook at the same rate.
Spread the remaining breadcrumbs out on the work surface and pat the cakes, 1 at a time, in the crumbs to coat them evenly on all sides. Put the crab cakes in a single layer on 1 or 2 plates, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and no more than 4 hours, so that they firm up enough to keep them from crumbling when cooked.
Pour enough oil into the bottom of a wide, deep-sided, heavy-bottomed sauté pan to cover the surface. Heat the oil over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Add the crab cakes gingerly, being careful not to crowd the pan. (You might need to cook the crab cakes in 2 batches.) Brown 1 side, approximately 3 minutes, then carefully turn the cakes over with a spatula and brown them on the other side, another 2 to 3 minutes. If browning the cakes in batches, transfer the cooked cakes to a nonstick cookie sheet and keep in a warm oven; add some more oil to the pan and let it heat up before browning the second batch.
Divide the crab cakes among 4 to 8 plates and drizzle some chili mayonnaise decoratively over each serving. Serve at once.

Makes 6 to 8 crab cakes, enough to serve 4 to 6 as an appetizer, or 4 as a main course.

Posted at 5:40 AM by LEEALLEN-SP1\lee.allen | Category: Food | Permalink | Email this Post | Comments (0)

Double Crust Apple Pie

RECIPE COURTESY OF MICHAEL LOMONACO
Porter House New York
10 Columbus Circle
4th Floor
New York, NY 10019
212-823-9500

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
2½ pounds firm, tart apples, preferably seasonal local specials like Macouns, Northern Spy, or Granny Smith, peeled, cored, and sliced into ¼-inch wedges.
½ cup sugar plus 1 tablespoon for dusting
¼ cup raisins
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground clove
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons cornstarch
Basic Pie Dough (recipe follows)
1 egg, beaten with 2 tablespoons water to make an egg wash

Put 3 tablespoons of the butter into a large, heavy-bottomed sauté pan and melt it over medium heat. Add the apple wedges and sauté until slightly softened but holding their shape, 3 to 4 minutes. Add ¼ cup of the sugar and stir to combine. Add the raisins, cinnamon, and clove and stir.
In a bowl, combine the lemon juice and cornstarch. Stir the mixture into the apple mixture and remove the pan from the heat. Let cool completely.
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Fill an unbaked bottom crust with apple filling and dot the top with the remaining butter. Top with a rolled-out top crust. Cut ½-inch vents in a round-clock pattern into the top crust to allow steam to escape. Brush the top lightly with egg wash and sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar.
Put the pie on a cookie sheet or other low-sided baking tray to catch any spillage. Place on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 20 minutes, checking occasionally to ensure that the top is browning evenly. Rotate the pie 180 degrees to move the front edge to the back of the oven, and bake until the top is uniformly golden-brown, 15 to 20 more minutes.
Remove the pie from the oven and let cool for 20 minutes before slicing and serving.

Makes 1 pie, enough to serve 6 to 8

Posted at 5:25 AM by LEEALLEN-SP1\lee.allen | Category: Food | Permalink | Email this Post | Comments (0)

Mustard-Glazed Beef Short Ribs

RECIPE COURTESY OF MICHAEL LOMONACO
Porter House New York
10 Columbus Circle
4th Floor
New York, NY 10019
212-823-9500

6 pounds beef short ribs, on the bone, cut into 4 portions
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped (optional)
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
¼ cup tomato paste
1 cup red wine
3 cups low-sodium, store-bought beef broth
Bouquet garni: 3 sprigs rosemary, 3 sprigs thyme, and three sprigs oregano tied in a cheesecloth
½ cup Pommery mustard
½ cup honey

Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Pour the oil into a wide, deep-sided sauté pan and heat it over medium-high heat. Season the short ribs with salt and pepper, add them to the pan, and brown them all over, approximately 4 minutes per side. Transfer the ribs to a large casserole or roasting pan.
Add the onion, carrot, and celery to the sauté pan and cook for 5 minutes to lightly caramelize them. Add the jalapeño, garlic, tomato paste, wine, and broth to the pan. Bring the mixture to a rapid boil, then pour it over the ribs in the casserole. The liquid should not rise more than two-thirds up the side of the ribs and the ribs should not be entirely submerged. If you have extra liquid, maybe your casserole is too small and the ribs are too tightly packed; try dividing the ribs and liquid among 2 casseroles.
Put the casserole in the oven, add the bouquet garni, and braise the ribs approximately 2 ½ - 3 hours. Pierce the ribs with the tines of a fork; if cooked enough, the fork will meet no resistance.
Remove the casserole from the oven and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes before transferring the ribs to plate or platter. Degrease the braising liquid, strain it, discard the solids, and reduce and reserve the juices for serving. The short ribs can be cooled, covered, and refrigerated for 1 to 3 days. Let come to room temperature before proceeding.
Prepare an outdoor grill with a drip pan to prevent-flare ups or preheat the oven to 350°F.
Combine the mustard and honey in a bowl and liberally brush over the ribs. Grill or cooks the ribs in the oven for 10 minutes, turning once, until the glaze is caramelized, dark, and delicious. If grilling, brush on more glaze as the ribs cook.
Serve the ribs family-style, passing the reduced braising liquid alongside in a sauce boat.

Serves 4 to 6

Posted at 5:19 AM by LEEALLEN-SP1\lee.allen | Category: Food | Permalink | Email this Post | Comments (0)