The pressure is on. My Irish American fella signed us up to host a New England boiled dinner for some friends for St. Patrick’s day. Last week I put a beautiful grass fed brisket into brine. Five days later, we did a test run. “So does it taste like what you grew up with?” I asked. … Continue reading
Note: This post and recipe were revised 3/11/2014. Got brisket? Great! Then you still have time to brine your own corned beef for St. Patrick’s Day. Why would you want to brine your own corned beef? Well, one reason might be that you can leave out the nasty nitrates or preservatives. Another reason is you … Continue reading
With the chill of winter still in the air, we love a good braised Sunday supper. This recipe is a variation on Chinese style red cooked pork, using boneless beef short ribs. Slow cooking in the oven, this one-pot meal fills the apartment with the aroma of slow simmered beef, cinnamon, anise, and five spice. … Continue reading
We are slowly making our way through the suckling pig. On Friday I pulled out one of the shoulders to cure. Thyme, sage, and juniper are traditional additions to the brine, but for a change of pace I used coriander, orange zest, and a little cumin instead. Sunday morning, I washed the shoulder, deboned it, … Continue reading
“I got really sick of salads” – D. describing the last time he did the Atkins diet. True. In the starting phase of the diet it’s easy to get stuck in a rut of making every meal a piece of meat accompanied by a side of approved vegetables or salad, or a salad combining both … Continue reading
Kalustyan’s is a great source for specialty groceries you can’t find anywhere else. Walk into the first aisle and you will find a wall filled with several different brands of bitters and flavored syrups. A little further down are another two cases of hot sauces. In the corner is another wall dedicated to different types of … Continue reading
Chicken and broccoli is a simple as it gets. Served over steamed jasmine rice, this was a common weekend lunch growing up. Mom would heat some oil with ginger and garlic in her wok, then add thinly sliced chicken. Once the chicken was cooked she would remove it from the pan, and add the broccoli florets. A … Continue reading
