Chicken Stock

As you cook more and more, you’ll realize how much stock is needed in your various recipes. Stock seems to be the glue that binds a lot of things together. The other thing you learn is that if your stock isn’t good, your soup or chowder or stew won’t be either. I like to make my stock in batches when I collect enough chicken parts and carcasses in the freezer. Often I will mix turkey and duck parts in to add a bit of complexity to the stock. Depending on my schedule, I will use the Crockpot to make stock vs. the stockpot. There are several ways to make stock and I am of the belief that whatever way works for you, run with it.

1) Chicken parts/carcasses. I will let them defrost in the fridge and will take the cleaver out to chop up the carcasses a bit. The more surface area exposed the better. Depending on time, I may roast all the bones and parts in a 400 degree oven for 35 minutes, then make the stock. In this recipe, we omit this step. Put all your parts in the pot. Add water and enough to cover the chicken bones and parts. Bring to a low simmer. You will start to notice nasty looking foam. Skim that off or it will remain in your stock. I don’t like it in my stock and it detracts from the flavor and it will cloud your stock.

2) Once the foam has been removed and any new foam creation subsides, add 1 whole onion cut into wedges (you can leave the skin on), 2 celery stalks, sliced, 2 peeled and sliced carrots, 1 TBSP peppercorns (cracked if possible), a pinch of salt and a bay leaf. Simmer for a minimum of 1 hour, uncovered. I like to let it go for many hours but it depends on your schedule.

3) If the stock seems weak, let it simmer for longer. Taste as you go. I don’t overseason the stock with salt as I am not sure which recipe it will go into. You can concentrate it by turning up the heat a bit and evaporating more of the liquid. One of my techniques is that I’ll make a double stock. I’ll make a concentrated stock that will be the base for a new stock using this recipe.

4) Once the stock has been strained, any fat removed and cooled a bit, store in fridge for a few weeks or put it in the freezer. Should last several months. I use it so much I don’t worry about spoilage.

Nosh Options: 1) A friend of mine turned me onto using a Crockpot overnight. Put in all the ingredients, after foam stage, into the Crockpot and cook on Low for 8-12 hours. Works really well. 2) Duck is richer and fattier but will add a layer of flavor to your stock. Just remember that duck has a lot of fat and you remove it from the stock. 3) Add more herbs to the stock like a few sprigs of thyme or sage for added flavor. Just be careful with any strong aromatic herbs as a little goes a long way.

Eat.Drink.Savor.

Steamed Lobster

Growing up in New England, whole lobster is something more transcendent than just eating food. It is a labor of love and something that is shared by all around the table. Many arguments have started over a simple question on how to eat your lobster. Let’s not talk about lobster bibs either..

Anyway, I am a big proponent of steaming vs. boiling lobster. My key reasons are: less water to deal with, less time to heat up the water, room for experimentation and lastly a better preservation of the taste of the lobster. Here is my approach with options:

1) Put 1” of salt water in a 4-5 gallon pot. You can steam 6 Chicken (1 pound) lobsters OR 4 Select (1 1/2-2 pound) or less as you get bigger. If you don’t have this size pot, use 2 smaller ones. The key is not to overcrowd the pot or cooking times will get elongated. If you have a steamer pot, even better.

2) For those, like me, who don’t have a steamer pot, try to build a barrier (rack) between the water and the lobsters. An upside collander, large bowl, seaweed, leeks can work here. If you can’t do this, it will be ok. I prefer having the lobsters at the bottom not sitting in the water.

3) Once the water is boiling and steaming over high heat, put your lobsters in and start timing. Here is an excerpt of a chart that I use from Jasper White’s Lobster At Home:

1 pound lobsters-10 minutes, 1 1/4 pound - 12 minutes and go up in 1/4 pound increments to 2 pounds. Add 2 minutes of cook time. I always shoot over the time as I don’t want to crack open a lobster to check as it is hot and dangerous to do so (think burning your hands). Start the time from when the lobsters go in the pot.

4) Halfway through the cook time, get some long tongs and move the lobsters around.

Nosh Options: Use wine instead of salt water. Use seaweed as your “rack”. Throw in some vodka to the seawater. Put in new potatoes in the bottom of the pot and cook for 10 minutes before you put in the lobsters.

Eat.Drink.Savor.

My Base Meat Lasagna

My Italian cuisine and cooking skills are evolving. I am not of Italian descent and only have been exposed to this great food through friends. I have worked with this recipe of Emeril’s over the years. When I would cook food for our family vacations ahead of time, I wanted something that could be frozen and make plenty of leftovers. I also wanted a recipe where I didn’t have to precook the noodles. Warning! Some Italians will scoff at the use of ricotta here.. so be warned.. I will have another version up without it. This recipe yields 12-16 servings depending on your guests. Here is my version after many modifications.

1) In a bowl, mix 1 1/2 C. ricotta, 6 ounces grated Provolone, Mozzarella and Pecorino-Romano, an egg, 1/4 C. half/half (or milk), 1 TBSP minced basil/thyme/oregano, 1-2 TBSP chopped garlic. In reserve, have 1 1/2 lb of grated Parmesan and a package of lasagna noodles ready.

2) Meat Sauce. You can make your own but for ease of use, buy quality pasta sauce with meat. If you want to jack it up, brown a pound of meat (beef/pork/lamb etc.) I’d have enough sauce for about 6-8 cups. If you have extra, you can use it elsewhere.

3) Assembly. In a deep baking dish/lasagna pan, spread about 2 cups of sauce on the bottom. Sprinkle a quarter of the parmesan on. Cover this layer with dried lasagna noodles. Repeat. You’ll likely have 3-4 layers. The last layer is sauce unless you want it to be cheese but it may burn, so watch it.

4) Cook in a 350 degree oven 45 minutes to 1 hour. Let cool about 10 minutes, minimum before serving.

Nosh Options: You can add more cheese into the mixture but it may be overkill. For the meat sauce, you can do a meatloaf mix for the meat. A homemade Ragu’ Bolognese is highly recommended for tremendous flavor.

Eat.Drink.Savor.

Stuffed Peppers

When I was just starting to cook and single, I would make stuffed peppers. They were easy, could be made ahead of time and were filling. Over the years, I migrated away from them as I tried other things and the kids didn’t like peppers as much. I love this recipe because you can experiment to your hearts content. Also you can make the filling ahead of time and stuffing/cooking the peppers another time. The filling is where the flavor resides and is important to make it to your liking. This recipes serves 6-8.

1) Heat the oven to 400 degrees. 4 Large Red, Green or Yellow Bell Peppers. Here is your choice, cut the peppers lengthwise or crosswise. I like both. With cross, you can add more filling but run the issue of them possibly tipping over. Lengthwise is easier to eat and to remove the ribs/seeds of the pepper. Also, the filling isn’t as compacted. Put cut peppers in a baking dish.

2) Filling. Ok, here is where the fun starts. In a skillet, 2 TBSPs of olive oil, heat. Add 1-2 minced shallots for a few minutes to soften, add 3 garlic cloves, minced. For spice, add some (1-2 TSP) red pepper flakes and cook for a minute. Add a total of 1 pound of meat; I use ground beef and pork. You can use turkey or chicken too. Brown meat for 3-5 minutes until no longer pink. I like adding a dash of either Worcestershire or soy sauce as well.

3) Deglaze the skillet with 1/2 C. wine/broth/port etc.. Scrape off any cooked bits off the skillet. Now add 14 oz of diced tomatoes or for fun, sun-dried tomatoes, salt/pepper and bring to boil. Off heat, add 1/4 C. grated cheese, I prefer Parmesan and 2 TBSP minced parsley. Add 1 cup of cooked rice, I love pearl couscous here. Mix ingredients in skillet well.

4) Fill up the peppers. Pour 1/4 C. of liquid in the baking dish (use vermouth/wine/beer/stock). Cover tightly with foil and bake for about 35 -40 minutes until you can poke a knife into the peppers with no resistance. Spoon any juices on top of the peppers. Sprinkle the peppers with a healthy dose of grated cheese. I like Gruyere (Swiss) here. Put back in the oven for 10 minutes to melt the cheese. Cool peppers for 5 minutes and serve.

Nosh Options: TONS!! The filling and cheeses are where you can omit/add or tinker with. You can make a mini meatloaf mix as your filling.

Eat.Drink.Savor.

Carrots with Maple and Cider Vinegar

A great way to fall in love again with carrots. I have a love hate thing going with this root vegetable. While I adore them for my stocks and soups, just have an issue serving them on the plate as a delectable side dish. Well, I stumbled onto this great Jose' Andre’s recipe years ago and love it.

1) In a pot with a lid, bring 1 C water, 3 TBSP butter (3 pieces), 1/2 TSP dried thyme and 1/2 TSP salt to a boil.

2) Stir in 2 pounds of peeled and evenly sliced carrots. I slice them 1/2 “ thick on a diagonal. Cover the pot and cook for about 10 minutes or until the carrots are knife tender (tip goes into carrot easily).

3) Uncover pot and cook on high heat. Once the liquid starts to evaporate and you hear a sizzle, yes you heard me right… a sizzle, take off the heat. This should take about 5 minutes.

4) Stir in 1 TBSP maple syrup and 1 TBSP cider vinegar. A salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Nosh Options: Try this with parsnips but maybe cut back the sugar a bit. Try honey and balsamic vinegar as well.

Eat.Drink.Savor.

Roasted Cauliflower with Feta

This recipe comes courtesy of Milk Street. It is an adaptation of a recipe from Diane Kochilas. I can’t claim credit to this one. Historically, I have struggled to make something edible and good from cauliflower. Usually, it is being cut into steaks and grilled and/or roasted like I do with broccoli. In this case, I can report that this option is one worth looking into. This serves 4.

1) Preheat oven to 450 degrees, oven rack in middle. Trim a 2 pound head of cauliflower of leaves and stem. Leave enough stem so the cauliflower can stand upright.

2) In a bowl, whisk 1/2 C oil, 2 1/2 TBSPs Dijon mustard, 1 TBSP balsamic vinegar, 2 TSP honey, 2 grated garlic cloves, 1 TSP salt and 1/4 TSP pepper until creamy. Take 1/4 C of this mixture and set aside. Place cauliflower on a baking pan (foil or parchment paper recommended on the pan). Brush the mixture onto the cauliflower.

3) Roast cauliflower until a skewer can go through the head with no resistance. Skewer tender.. It takes anywhere from 40 mins to an hour depending on the size of the cauliflower. While the cauliflower is cooking, mix 2 OZ of feta cheese, crumbled and 1/4 C. of chopped parsley.

4) When cauliflower is done, remove from oven and brush 1 1/2 TBSPs of Dijon mustard and cover with the feta parsley mixture. Return to the oven for 5 to 8 minutes to set the coating and melt the feta.

5) Cut cauliflower into 4 equal wedges and give them a squeeze of lemon. Serve extra mustard mixture on the side.

Options: Wine mustard, maple syrup, gorgonzola and cilantro. You can maybe play with tahini sauce here too. A great dish to experiment with.

Eat.Drink.Savor.

Crispy Pork Belly

Here is a cut that often is overlooked as a standalone dish: Pork Belly. The belly is commonly used for bacon and/or pancetta and most butchers will cut the pork belly with that in mind; no skin. If you are fortunate to find skin-on pork belly, grab it! You can make more of a gourmet dish, porchetta where you wrap a belly around a tenderloin, add spices and tie it up like a nice roast. But we believe in simplicity here. We can gourmet some other time.

1) 2-4 pound skin-on pork belly. If you can find a bigger one, by all means grab it. Save one half for bacon or other uses. You can cook a larger belly but you run into real estate challenges with your oven or pan.

2) Crosshatch with a knife (diamond pattern) the skin. Be careful to cut only the skin and the fat. The goal here is to give the fat ample ways to render out during the cook. Season as you see fit, I keep it simple with maybe a little salt, pepper, dry mustard and thyme. You can dry brine this too if you have the time.

3) Preheat your oven to 300 degrees. Low and slow here is the operative word. That belly has a ton of fat (and flavor) and you have to give it time to render out. No need to roll the belly into a roast. You can keep it flat, it may cook unevenly but it really doesn’t matter.

4) Put in a deep roasting pan with a rack. Cook for about 2-3 hours. Check for an internal temp (make sure you are testing the meat and not the fat) for close to 200 degrees and the meat is fork tender. Most of the fat should have rendered and is in bottom of the pan.

4) Take roasting pan out of the oven. Remove rack with belly on it and put it on a new roasting pan. Increase oven temperature to 500 degrees. Put belly back in the oven and cook it for about 15-20 minutes or until your desired crispiness. If you see it burning but need more time, put on some foil. Take out and rest for minimum of 20 minutes.

5) Depending on tenderness, you can slice and serve or pull it into shreds. Serve with the crispy skin.

This is pork heaven!!

Eat.Drink.Savor.

Filet Mignon

If you ever was curious on what to do with the broiler setting for your oven and the broiler pan you inherited with the oven, here you go!! This is so simple and fast. Even my wife, who loathes medium rare doneness on steaks, loves this recipe. Again, if you want to splurge on steak but don’t want the 50 ouncer, this is a great option.

Since it won’t take too long, let’s get your oven rack on the highest setting. Turn your oven on Broil; it will take some time to preheat.

1) Put a little olive oil on 2, 8 ounce, 1 inch thick filet mignons. If you can’t find this, ask the butcher. Or if you are feeling adventurous, buy a whole beef tenderloin and portion it out. You can freeze the rest for another time.

2) Sprinkle with salt and pepper and other savory seasonings that you prefer. Wrap one piece of bacon around each filet and use a toothpick to keep it in place. The bacon has 2 purposes, one is for flavor with the fat but the other is a little protection as filet is rather lean and can dry out easily.

3) Put the steaks on the broiler pan and broil 5 -7 minutes. Flip over. Cook 5-7 minutes. For safety, I’d use an instant read thermometer after 5 minutes. Cook to 130 for medium rare, higher for more doneness

4) I always make a compound butter to put on the top of the steaks after it comes out of the oven and is resting. The butter will melt as it rests. My favorite is a blue cheese and sage butter. Other options for toppings are sauteed mushrooms, onions or gravy.

Eat.Drink.Savor.

My Sangria

This a great thirst quencher for a summer’s day. The problem is that the sangria is so good, it is dangerous!!! There’s thousands of versions of Sangria on the web so you can find a lot of variations. Here is mine:

1) Red wine is the base wine but you can make a Sangria with white to lighten it up. The wine I use is Zinfandel. Zin is higher alcohol, no tannins and has the intensity to handle the sweetness that will be added. Some call for dry red but Zin has always worked for me. You can experiment here.

2) Combine 3 C. red wine with juice of 2 limes, 1/2 C. orange juice, 1/2 C brandy or other fortified wine in a pitcher. I have used Scotch, Grand Marnier and other liquors. Really adds depth and complexity and, of course, a boost of alcohol. Stir in 1/4 C of sugar until dissolved.

Now you can stop here OR:

3) Add a mixture of fruit in large pieces into the pitcher. This will take it over the top. Peaches, apples, pears and bananas (whole) have worked well. You can have fun here. Let the Sangria sit for 24 hours. The fruit and sangria will dance and mingle…

Eat.Drink.Savor.

Lemonade

Yes, I make my own lemonade. When we have our gatherings during the summer, I prefer to serve fresh squeezed lemonade. The stuff you find in the stores is hit or miss and frankly, I really don’t know what is in them.

1) Squeeze enough lemons to obtain 1 1/2 C of fresh lemon juice, about 5-7 lemons. Take a few lemons and remove some strips for 1 TBSP of lemon zest. I like the long strips as grated or smaller cut zest can easily be swallowed by your guests and most don’t like that.

2) Make a simply syrup of 2 C of water and 1 1/2 - 2 C of sugar (depending on your sweetness preference). Dissolve the sugar in the water over very low heat. You only want to dissolve the sugar so no simmering.

3) Combine simply syrup, lemon juice, lemon zest with 6 C. of cold water. Chill in the fridge for a bit. Garnish with mint leaves or lemon slices.

4) My Mike’s Lemonade alternative - Add a shot of Absolut Citron Vodka to the glass. Your guests will be impressed!

Eat.Drink.Savor.

Eye of Round - Leap of Faith Method

I forget how I came up with this recipe many years ago. It was crazy at first but after several attempts, I started to get religion. This works! Ever troll around the meat case of the market and see Eye of Round? What is it? The back leg of cattle is made up of 3 muscles, the Top Round, the Bottom Round and the Eye of the Round (in the middle). These muscles get worked by the animal during its time on the pasture and there is less fat on these cuts than the Chuck (shoulder). It is easy to overcook this cut too. A lot of people make Pot Roast out of the Top and Bottom Round so there is always these cuts available. Eye of Round seems to be an ignored cut and will be priced as such. Why not take advantage? Here you go, my crazy method…

1) 2-4 pound Eye of Round. Dry brine or season as you see fit and take out of fridge while you preheat the oven. Put in a roasting pan with a rack if possible.

2) In an insulated electric oven (gas folks, sorry, I need a method for you), preheat oven to 500 degrees. Once heated, cook the Eye of Round for 7 minutes per pound. This will create a bit of crust on the outside. Ready?

3) Now… shut off the oven. Do not open the door nor open to take a peek at it. Let the roast sit in the oven for 2 1/2 hours without being disturbed. The residual heat of the oven as it slowly cools down from 500 degrees will equalize with the temperature of the meat. 2 1/2 hours will yield a medium rare/medium on the Eye of Round. Pull out of the oven and let it rest on a carving board for 10-15 minutes. Slice thin and serve.

Eat.Drink.Savor.

Brussels Sprouts Salad

Here is a newer recipe that shakes up our normal Roasted Brussels Sprout rut that we get into from time to time. It is an America’s Test Kitchen recipe we stumbled onto and it is a big labor intensive but well worth it as you can make it ahead of time.

1) 1 LB of Brussels Sprouts, cut in half through the stem and sliced crosswise very thin. Now, I tried to use my grater on my food processor and it didn’t turn out well as the sprouts became too dense. The slicer was a better option but nothing worked as well as a plain old Chef’s knife.

2) Whisk 2 TBSPs lemon juice, 1 TBSP mustard (I like Dijon here), 2 garlic cloves, minced, 1 small shallot, minced and 1/2 tsp salt. Slowly drizzle in 1/4 cup high quality extra virgin olive oil.

3) Add sprouts and toss well. Let it sit for about 30 minutes, 2 hours max. The acid in the lemon juice is your hard worker as it will break down the sprouts and make it a more enjoyable chew without getting the sprout mushy.

4) Stir in 2/3 C. shredded Pecorino Romano or another similar cheese (Parmesan) and 1/4 C. toasted pine nuts. Salt and pepper to taste.

Eat.Drink.Savor.

Basic Roasted Rack of Lamb

I love lamb but given its expense, don’t make it too much. When I do make it, I don’t want to mess it up. I love this recipe as the heat is moderate (easier to manage) and the time to cook the lamb is short. When you buy the lamb make sure the ribs are showing (Frenched) or have the butcher do it. There is a lot of fat in there and nothing worthy of eating, plus people love meat with a handle. This recipe is for 2 racks, 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds each. Recipe was modified from Molly Stevens, Roasted.

1) If you can, I do recommend either a dry brine (salt 24 hours ahead of time) or my Lamb Paste. The paste is a couple of TBSPs of chopped up fresh rosemary, 2-4 cloves of minced garlic and olive oil to mix. Rub all over the rack and let sit for 24 hours. If there is a 1/4” inch or less layer of fat, make sure you crosshatch or prick it or the paste/dry brine won’t penetrate the fat. If there is more fat, I’d trim some down but don’t remove all of it or the lamb can get dry. That fat provides flavor and heat protection.

2) Preheat oven to 350 degrees or less. I like going lower as it is a slower roast and you won’t have a runaway train (in terms of internal temperature) to stop if you don’t keep a close eye on it or get distracted.

3) Heat a skillet over high heat, put rack meat side down on skillet and sear it for a few minutes until you see a nice brown. Do the same for the bottom of the rack. Transfer racks to a roasting pan, meat side up. OPTION: You can do the sear process at the end of the cooking process but I like this way better, more margin for error.

3) Cook until 125-130 degrees for rare/medium rare, about 20-25 minutes. Adjust upwards for your choice of doneness. Let rest on a carving board for maybe 10 minutes, you don’t want the lamb to get too cold. Carve between rib bones or you can get fancy and do a double or triple chop. I doubt you will have any pan juices from the pan but if you do, drizzle on the chops.

Eat.Drink.Savor.

Roast Chicken - Weeknight

Someone asked me one time, “if you had me over to your house for dinner, what would you serve me?”. I answered without thought, “Roast Chicken”. For me, it is the ultimate comfort food. Complimented by a starch, a veggie and some gravy, it can’t be beat. One thing I have learned is that each cook is different and it is best to keep that in mind. With the variables in play, I focus on this: 165 degrees internal temp on the breast and anything above 180 degrees for the thighs. Cook time can be a problem especially during the week. Here is what I do to cut my cook time to 45 mins - 60 mins:

1) Take out (or have the butcher do it) the backbone of a chicken with a knife or shears. Spread out the bird and turn it over. With your hands and force, crack down on the breast (this makes cutting easier but it is only an option). Cut the breast in half. Season as you wish or dry brine if you are doing this ahead of time.

2) Turn your oven on to 450 degrees. In a rimmed baking/roasting pan or how I do it with a skillet, take an onion and cut into wide slices. Put slices down and put the chicken halves, breast side up on top of the onions, sort of a food roasting rack.

3) Cook and watch the internal temps. I like to arrange the pan in the oven with the legs toward the back as it is warmer in the back. If the skin is getting too brown, cover with foil. If the legs are done before the breast but the breast is higher than 155 degrees, I take it out as there will be carry-over cooking and the temps will exceed the USDA recommended 165 degrees if you let it rest for 20+ minutes. Resting is important here. I have a blog post about it as well.

4) Now, once the chicken is out and resting on a carving board, you have the option to make gravy. Yes, that is why the onions are there.. to flavor the gravy….

After a rest, start carving your bird and serve. The skin should be crispy and bird delicious. You can play with the oven temps and time.

Eat.Drink.Savor.

Cucumber Salad

We thrive off of simplicity and flavorful dishes here. Another benefit of this recipe is another option for cucumbers. I loved them as a kid but as an adult, I learned quickly that I didn’t really have much of a go-to cucumber recipe. My Aunt Emilie introduced this dish to me and I was a fan ever since. She was kind enough to share it with me. I believe the original recipe was published in the late 60s but it still works today.

1) 2 Medium peeled cucumbers, cut in half lengthwise. Scrape out all the seeds. Slice cucumbers, crosswise into 1/4 - 1/2 inch slices. Set aside.

2) In a mixing bowl, combine 1 TSP soy sauce, 1 TBSP white wine vinegar, 1 TBSP sugar, 2 TSPs sesame seed oil, (if desired), 1/4 tsp Tabasco. (I love Cholula or Sriracha here) and 1/2 TSP salt. Mix well.

3) Add cucumber, toss well to coat all pieces. Chill before serving. The recipe serves 4-6.

Eat.Drink.Savor.

Creamed Corn

We call this the C cubed.. Chloe’s Creamed Corn. In my youth, there were so many foods in need of culinary help. In this case, the awful creamed corn from a can. Here is one that we found not too long ago from All Recipes but, of course, have modified to our liking. The original recipe does this all in one pot (skillet) but you can overcook the corn easily as thickening takes time. Recipe serves 8.

1) Make a bechamel (white sauce) ; 2 TBSPs butter, 1 C whole milk/half&half, 2 TBSPs of flour. Melt the butter slowly over low/medium heat, start sprinkling in the flour and blending. Cook (stir to avoid burning) until the flour is light brown (smells nutty) and the flour taste is no longer there. Start dribbling in the milk/cream until fully whisked in. Get to a simmer then add to:

• A skillet with 20 ounces of frozen corn kernels (thawed), the sweeter the better, 1 C. heavy cream, 1 TSP salt, 2 TBSP of sugar (like light brown sugar here).

• Mix well and slowly cook over low to medium heat until it thickens to your liking. If you don’t mind a few cooked, brown kernels, you can really thicken it up. A Nosh add: a TBSP or 2 of Madeira or Port wine.. really adds complexity to the dish.

• I love this part: Off heat, add 1/4 - 1/2 C. grated Parmesan cheese. I like Gruyere (Swiss) or Pecorino Romano as well.

Eat.Drink.Savor.

Moules A La Mariniere - Steamed Mussels

The first of several mussel recipes I will share. The pic shown is one of a Provencal version. But once you have this base recipe down, you can go crazy with experiments. This is a 5-10 minute recipe so bring your appetite. I offer Julia Child’s version and my options:

1) 2 C light dry wine or 2 C seafood stock/water, 1/2 C of sliced shallots or mild onion of your choice, 3 cloves of garlic, a few parsley sprigs/thyme and 6 TBSPs of butter, unsalted. Bring to a boil for 3 -4 minutes.

2) Add 2-4 pounds of cleaned mussels to the pot. Put on high heat and boil for about 5 minutes until all the shells or the majority of them are open. Any unopened shells are likely bad so throw out. Skim out the mussels into serving plates. I like to filter the cooking liquid through a fine cheesecloth or let liquid settle briefly and carefully ladle onto the mussels. Bring your crusty bread!!!

Eat.Drink.Savor.

Tuna

When I grew up, tuna meant opening a can with cooked tuna and oil in it. I wasn’t exposed to nor knew about fresh tuna for a long time. As I have grown wiser and my options have increased, I have become a big fan of tuna. Tuna, like other oily fish, have solid health benefits when eaten in moderation. With the overdue push and efforts on sustainability, the negative stigma of buying and consuming tuna has waned.

For some of you cooking tuna rare to medium-rare is a non-starter. I do recommend that you might start with more of a medium-well, very light meat/pink/red in the middle, work your way toward less over time. For us sushi fans, we can do the all rare but grade of tuna is important. Most tuna sold in the stores are not suitable for sushi. Sushi quality is the highest and mostly is reserved for restaurants and distributors.

Now, enough jibber jabber, how do I prepare this?

1) Keep your seasonings light as tuna is expensive and tuna has more flavor than other finfish. Let the fish absorb the seasonings for 30 minutes to an hour, fridge or counter. I typically like to take the edge off the cold tuna that just came out of the fridge to loosen up the meat fibers on the counter for 20 minutes.

2) Get a skillet super hot. Add your oil, about 2 TBSPs and wait for it to shimmer and you start to see wisps of smoke appear. If you try to skip this step and put the heat on the skillet and the oil at the beginning, you’ll end up smoking the oil. Not good.

3) Put the tuna in the skillet and make sure not to crowd the skillet if you have a lot of tuna. 2-3 minutes per side depending on the heat of the skillet and how long you want to cook it.

DONE!

Eat.Drink.Savor.

Making your own Corned Beef

Instead of buying that salt-laced commercial corned beef, try making it yourself. As with most of my posted recipes, it lends itself to experimentation. There is one special ingredient that will have to be pre-ordered and that is Curing Salt or InstaCure #1. This will protect you from harmful bacteria while the beef brines and for future preservation, the nasty one called botulism . This curing salt is 93.75% salt (sodium chloride) and 6.25% nitrite. This recipe is courtesy of Ruhlman & Polcyn, Charcuterie and is my base.

1) 5 pounds of beef brisket, preferably the flat portion as corned beef is best on the leaner side.

2) In a large pot on low heat, dissolve 1 gallon of water with 2 cups of kosher salt, 1/2 C sugar, 1 oz. Curing Salt #1, 3 garlic cloves minced, 2 TBSP pickling spice. Let brine cool completely. Put brisket in pot and make sure it stays submerged (upside plate works). Keep in fridge and let it sit for a minimum of 5 days.

3) After brining time, rinse off brisket and cook according to your recipe. I like to keep a portion and make pastrami (smoked corned beef).

Eat.Drink.Savor.