Friday, December 23, 2011
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Monday, August 29, 2011
Ribs and the Big Green Egg
Our dinner group met a couple of weeks ago and combined with another group for a grillfest of sorts. It was held at Casey and Mark LaCore's son Brian's house and he happens to own a Big Green Egg grill. Now I have never used one of these things so I was looking for direction from Brian and help to finish off my St. Louis Spare Ribs once I got there.
To back up just a bit, I had wanted to make ribs for a long time and I had a fairly good idea as to the method I wanted to use, which was slow cooking them in an oven and then finishing them on the grill. A good friend and customer of mine does them this way so I called my friend Vern Blyckert for his take on the process. He told me that he uses pork spare ribs and cuts them into one or two rib pieces and then seasons them with a rub and some sauce overnight and then wraps them in foil and cooks them at 300 degrees in the oven for 1 1/2 hours and then finishes them on the grill. OK, sounded like a good method and I know that low and slow is the deal so I thought I would "tweak" this a bit. I found a rub from Steven Raichlin that sounded good and added my smoked salt to it rather than regular salt and used a vinegar based "mop" for the oven phase and grilling phase as well as adding applewood smoking chips to the grilling phase to enhance the flavor more.
Now I am not a fan of barbeque sauce so I skipped that and liberally rubbed those rib racks and left them whole after removing the silver skin from the back side, then let them rest, wrapped in foil and sprinkled with some of the mop for an overnight stay in the refrigerator. I then set the oven for 300 and placed those foil packets of ribs in the oven and cooked them for about 2 hours. Next, I let them rest a while, wrapped in a big packing blanket and headed off to Brian's house to finish them off. In the meantime I soaked about 2 cups of applewood chips in water for about an hour and drained them and put them in a plastic container for the trip.
Once at Brian's he gave me a crash course on the Green Egg; it is an amazing piece of equipment. It is a ceramic and porcelain cooker, almost like a wood fired oven which can be closed down to cook at 200 degrees and then opened up by the use of vents and draft controls to cook at temperatures near 700 degrees. Brian had been been cooking all day at 200 to 250 degrees and when I got there he opened the vents and draft and it rose to 450 in a matter of several minutes. I placed the wet smoking chips on the coals and then put the ribs on the grate and mopped them and close the lid. The smoke began to pour out of the vent at the top and about 4 minutes later I opened the lid, flipped the ribs and mopped them on the other side. About three more minutes and we had some good grill marks and a goodly amount of smoke flavor as well. The ribs were cooked perfectly and were almost falling off the bone; it was a success.
Here is the recipe for the rub and mop: This is enough for two racks of St. Louis Spare Ribs
4 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground Black Pepper
4 1/2 teaspoons Dark Brown Sugar
1 Tablespoon Smoked Salt (mine, smoked over apple wood for 12 hours)
1 1/2 teaspoons Celery Salt
1 1/2 teaspoons Cayenne Pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons Garlic Powder
1 1/2 teaspoons Dry Mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons Ground Cumin
Mix all spices in a small bowl and use about two thirds of the mix to rub down the ribs before placing them in the refrigerator.
Mop:
2 cups Cider Vinegar
1/2 cup Yellow Mustard
2 teaspoons Smoked Salt
Mix these ingredients in a medium bowl and sprinkle or brush some on the ribs before baking and then more as you grill them on each side
Cook well, eat well and enjoy much!
Tim
To back up just a bit, I had wanted to make ribs for a long time and I had a fairly good idea as to the method I wanted to use, which was slow cooking them in an oven and then finishing them on the grill. A good friend and customer of mine does them this way so I called my friend Vern Blyckert for his take on the process. He told me that he uses pork spare ribs and cuts them into one or two rib pieces and then seasons them with a rub and some sauce overnight and then wraps them in foil and cooks them at 300 degrees in the oven for 1 1/2 hours and then finishes them on the grill. OK, sounded like a good method and I know that low and slow is the deal so I thought I would "tweak" this a bit. I found a rub from Steven Raichlin that sounded good and added my smoked salt to it rather than regular salt and used a vinegar based "mop" for the oven phase and grilling phase as well as adding applewood smoking chips to the grilling phase to enhance the flavor more.
Now I am not a fan of barbeque sauce so I skipped that and liberally rubbed those rib racks and left them whole after removing the silver skin from the back side, then let them rest, wrapped in foil and sprinkled with some of the mop for an overnight stay in the refrigerator. I then set the oven for 300 and placed those foil packets of ribs in the oven and cooked them for about 2 hours. Next, I let them rest a while, wrapped in a big packing blanket and headed off to Brian's house to finish them off. In the meantime I soaked about 2 cups of applewood chips in water for about an hour and drained them and put them in a plastic container for the trip.
Once at Brian's he gave me a crash course on the Green Egg; it is an amazing piece of equipment. It is a ceramic and porcelain cooker, almost like a wood fired oven which can be closed down to cook at 200 degrees and then opened up by the use of vents and draft controls to cook at temperatures near 700 degrees. Brian had been been cooking all day at 200 to 250 degrees and when I got there he opened the vents and draft and it rose to 450 in a matter of several minutes. I placed the wet smoking chips on the coals and then put the ribs on the grate and mopped them and close the lid. The smoke began to pour out of the vent at the top and about 4 minutes later I opened the lid, flipped the ribs and mopped them on the other side. About three more minutes and we had some good grill marks and a goodly amount of smoke flavor as well. The ribs were cooked perfectly and were almost falling off the bone; it was a success.
Here is the recipe for the rub and mop: This is enough for two racks of St. Louis Spare Ribs
4 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground Black Pepper
4 1/2 teaspoons Dark Brown Sugar
1 Tablespoon Smoked Salt (mine, smoked over apple wood for 12 hours)
1 1/2 teaspoons Celery Salt
1 1/2 teaspoons Cayenne Pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons Garlic Powder
1 1/2 teaspoons Dry Mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons Ground Cumin
Mix all spices in a small bowl and use about two thirds of the mix to rub down the ribs before placing them in the refrigerator.
Mop:
2 cups Cider Vinegar
1/2 cup Yellow Mustard
2 teaspoons Smoked Salt
Mix these ingredients in a medium bowl and sprinkle or brush some on the ribs before baking and then more as you grill them on each side
Cook well, eat well and enjoy much!
Tim
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Grits and things
I have had a love affair with grits for many years now. I was first introduced to the southern food many years ago when my dad would travel to Florida every winter to his spot in southern paradise near Tampa where he and my mom would spent several months waiting out the cold season here in the North land. He told me about grits after eating them at aCracker Barrel restaurant on his way down to Florida. Now this is not a four star restaurant by any means but it was a good intro to the southern delights.
I have spent a good deal of time working on my grits recipe and my son's friend's wife, who is a true southern girl, says I have some 'smokin hot" grits. Here's my take on this southern classic:
1 Cup water brought to a simmer in a 2 1/2qt non-stick saucepan
1 Tablespoon butter
3 Tablespoons quick cooking grits
2 Tablespoons heavy cream
pinch of Kosher salt
3-4 grinds fresh ground Black Pepper
Combine all ingredients in the pan and cook until creamy.
While the grits are cooking, dice 1/4 sweet onion and sweat it until translucent then set aside.
Chop 2 slices of bacon into 1/4 " pieces and cook until crisp, then set on plate with paper towels to absorb the excess fat.
Combine the grits with the onion and bacon and serve with a couple of basted eggs on top. Break the yolks and mix with the grits for an exquisite breakfast treat!
Good eating,
Tim
I have spent a good deal of time working on my grits recipe and my son's friend's wife, who is a true southern girl, says I have some 'smokin hot" grits. Here's my take on this southern classic:
1 Cup water brought to a simmer in a 2 1/2qt non-stick saucepan
1 Tablespoon butter
3 Tablespoons quick cooking grits
2 Tablespoons heavy cream
pinch of Kosher salt
3-4 grinds fresh ground Black Pepper
Combine all ingredients in the pan and cook until creamy.
While the grits are cooking, dice 1/4 sweet onion and sweat it until translucent then set aside.
Chop 2 slices of bacon into 1/4 " pieces and cook until crisp, then set on plate with paper towels to absorb the excess fat.
Combine the grits with the onion and bacon and serve with a couple of basted eggs on top. Break the yolks and mix with the grits for an exquisite breakfast treat!
Good eating,
Tim
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Nokomis Brunch
Teresa and I decided to go out to one of favorite spots for brunch today, the Nokomis Restaurant on the North shore of Lake Superior. They have, since it started last year, had a wonderful menu for Sunday Brunch. To our surprise they had changed the menu for the summer and omitted two of our favorite items. Both of us had enjoyed their Breakfast Sandwich and Green Eggs and Ham, which are now gone until late fall or winter. They also would bring out either a Fritter or a Beignet of some sort as a starter or Amuse Bouche. That is also gone. Please don't get me wrong, the food was excellent, as usual but it tends to upset the apple cart when what you had expected and looked forward to is not there.
Our server, Sam was very pleasant and actually agreed with us that it was a shame to change the menu but he also told us that over the past few months they had actually had 40 to 50 people turn and walk out because they didn't have a lunch menu on Sundays. I was completely surprised and so, he said, were the folks at the restaurant so they decided to take the most popular items from the brunch menu and the best lunch stuff and combine them into a daily (not just Sundays) menu to meet both crowds in the middle.
I had the daily Omelet with Pork Belly, Cheddar, Swiss Chard, Mango and a few other items I can't remember and Teresa had the French Toast with fresh berries and Creme Fraiche. We both had the Truffle Fries and those were very good. These used to be a "Home Fries" type of potato but now they have become an actual French Fry, dusted with Truffle Salt right out of the fryer.
All in all it was still a very nice brunch, just a bit surprising to take a turn from the expected.
Good eating,
Tim
Our server, Sam was very pleasant and actually agreed with us that it was a shame to change the menu but he also told us that over the past few months they had actually had 40 to 50 people turn and walk out because they didn't have a lunch menu on Sundays. I was completely surprised and so, he said, were the folks at the restaurant so they decided to take the most popular items from the brunch menu and the best lunch stuff and combine them into a daily (not just Sundays) menu to meet both crowds in the middle.
I had the daily Omelet with Pork Belly, Cheddar, Swiss Chard, Mango and a few other items I can't remember and Teresa had the French Toast with fresh berries and Creme Fraiche. We both had the Truffle Fries and those were very good. These used to be a "Home Fries" type of potato but now they have become an actual French Fry, dusted with Truffle Salt right out of the fryer.
All in all it was still a very nice brunch, just a bit surprising to take a turn from the expected.
Good eating,
Tim
Sunday, June 19, 2011
A stellar burger and great walleye
I just got back from a week at our place on Lake Kabetogama for a little vacation catching big walleyes and eating some excellent food with good friends. Teresa and I were there with our friends Steve and Kathy Rudh and Denny and Gail Cletcher from Indiana. The fishing started out very slow but we caught enough "keepers" to have a fish fry and it was marvelous. Fresh walleye straight out of the lake and into a fry pan is an amazing thing. We seasoned all-purpose flour with Lawry's seasoned salt, Penzey's Fox Point seasoning and Course Ground Black Pepper, then made an egg wash using two eggs and a little Half & Half and seasoned some Panko bread crumbs with the same seasonings as the flour. We dipped the fish fillets in the flour first and then into the egg wash and finally the Panko mixture. Peanut oil was our fry medium heated to 350 degrees in a cast iron fry pan to a depth of about 1 inch. It was fried for about 2 minutes on each side or until nice and golden and then placed on a plate lined with paper towel to hold them in the oven until all the fillets were cooked. We served the fish with Tartar Sauce and cole slaw and that was enough. Absolutely fabulous! We could hardly stop eating that stuff.
We had planned to do some burgers during the week and Steve brought some preformed patties that he cooked with cheese and bacon that were excellent and because we had used his patties I had some 80/20 ground chuck leftover. After we got home I decided to make burgers again to use up the beef so here's how it went:
1 Lb 80/20 ground chuck
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 package of Cream cheese softened
8 to 10 Manzanilla Green Olives sliced
1 Claussen Kosher Dill Sandwich Slice, Minced
3T Bacon Jam (see my blog post for the recipe)
3 or 4 Hamburger buns
Mix the sliced olives and minced pickles into the softened cream cheese until thoroughly combined and set aside. Spread out the beef in a large bowl and then season it with Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, then form it into approximately 1/3 lb patties 1/2" thick. Make a small depression in the center of each patty so that as it cooks and begins to sear, the burger will swell in the center and end up nicely shaped in an even thickness. Grill the patties for about 4 minutes per side until medium well.
Meanwhile, split the buns and grill them until well toasted. Spread 1 Tablespoon of the Bacon Jam onto the bottom half of each bun and then place a burger patty on top. Spread a generous 1 to 2 Tablespoons of the Cream Cheese mixture over the patty and top it with the rest of the bun. Serve with whatever sides you normally like alongside a tasty hamburger.
The bacon Jam gives you a nice salty balsamic smoky flavor as you bite into it because that's the first thing that hits your tongue. Next comes the great beef flavor and the finish is the creamy, salty , pickly smooth and melty cream cheese layer. Now that's what I call a burger!
Happy Grilling!
Tim
We had planned to do some burgers during the week and Steve brought some preformed patties that he cooked with cheese and bacon that were excellent and because we had used his patties I had some 80/20 ground chuck leftover. After we got home I decided to make burgers again to use up the beef so here's how it went:
1 Lb 80/20 ground chuck
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 package of Cream cheese softened
8 to 10 Manzanilla Green Olives sliced
1 Claussen Kosher Dill Sandwich Slice, Minced
3T Bacon Jam (see my blog post for the recipe)
3 or 4 Hamburger buns
Mix the sliced olives and minced pickles into the softened cream cheese until thoroughly combined and set aside. Spread out the beef in a large bowl and then season it with Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, then form it into approximately 1/3 lb patties 1/2" thick. Make a small depression in the center of each patty so that as it cooks and begins to sear, the burger will swell in the center and end up nicely shaped in an even thickness. Grill the patties for about 4 minutes per side until medium well.
Meanwhile, split the buns and grill them until well toasted. Spread 1 Tablespoon of the Bacon Jam onto the bottom half of each bun and then place a burger patty on top. Spread a generous 1 to 2 Tablespoons of the Cream Cheese mixture over the patty and top it with the rest of the bun. Serve with whatever sides you normally like alongside a tasty hamburger.
The bacon Jam gives you a nice salty balsamic smoky flavor as you bite into it because that's the first thing that hits your tongue. Next comes the great beef flavor and the finish is the creamy, salty , pickly smooth and melty cream cheese layer. Now that's what I call a burger!
Happy Grilling!
Tim
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Bacon Jam
It has been a while since I last posted here but things have been a bit busy lately. That said , I have been reading a fun book lately entitled Food Trucks, by Heather Shouse, which is a great look at food on wheels across the country and among the gleanings there I found an idea by the owner of a converted Airstream called Skillet out of Seattle. Joshua Henderson makes a burger there that sounds great and what makes it great is his Bacon Jam, which he slathers on the bun before serving it. He didn't give the recipe but a few tips on what he does to make it so I figured it out on my own after some experimenting. Here's the deal:
1 lb bacon cut in 1/2" pcs
1 sweet onion, diced
2 T balsamic vinegar
3 T malt vinegar
2 t brown sugar
1/2 t chipotle powder(www.penzeys.com )
1/2 t allspice
1 t fresh ground black pepper
1/4 t kosher salt
Place the bacon pieces in a saute pan over low heat. While the bacon is slowly rendering, spoon 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat into another saute pan and add the onion. Cook over medium-low heat for about 15 minutes, stirring often and occasionally adding a little water or beer and scraping the carmelized bits from the pan with a spatula. Once the onions are deep brown, add the balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, chipotle powder, allspice, pepper, and salt and cook for two minutes more.
Add the onion mixture to the pan with the bacon, keeping the heat on low and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the moisture has been absorbed, about 2 hours. Add 3 tablespoons malt vinegar and cook for about 2 minutes more. Remove from the heat and transfer to a food processor and pulse until the mixture is a smooth consistency. Transfer the mixture to a jar draining off any excess fat and store in the refrigerator where it will set to a jam-like consistency.
Use the jam as a condiment on burgers, fried egg sandwiches, etc.;
Enjoy,
Tim
1 lb bacon cut in 1/2" pcs
1 sweet onion, diced
2 T balsamic vinegar
3 T malt vinegar
2 t brown sugar
1/2 t chipotle powder(www.penzeys.com )
1/2 t allspice
1 t fresh ground black pepper
1/4 t kosher salt
Place the bacon pieces in a saute pan over low heat. While the bacon is slowly rendering, spoon 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat into another saute pan and add the onion. Cook over medium-low heat for about 15 minutes, stirring often and occasionally adding a little water or beer and scraping the carmelized bits from the pan with a spatula. Once the onions are deep brown, add the balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, chipotle powder, allspice, pepper, and salt and cook for two minutes more.
Add the onion mixture to the pan with the bacon, keeping the heat on low and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the moisture has been absorbed, about 2 hours. Add 3 tablespoons malt vinegar and cook for about 2 minutes more. Remove from the heat and transfer to a food processor and pulse until the mixture is a smooth consistency. Transfer the mixture to a jar draining off any excess fat and store in the refrigerator where it will set to a jam-like consistency.
Use the jam as a condiment on burgers, fried egg sandwiches, etc.;
Enjoy,
Tim
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Egg Salad Cravings
I had a craving the other day for Egg Salad. I love the stuff about as much as I love Deviled Eggs and I was torn as to which one to make. I really needed some sandwich fixings for work so the Egg Salad won out and I'm glad it did because this was a stellar mix, at least to my palate. Here's the deal:
7 Large Eggs
1 medium Shallot, finely minced
5 small Green Olives, finely chopped
1 Slice of Claussen Kosher dill pickle, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon Garlic Powder
Pinch of Kosher Salt
1/3 cup Hellman's Real Mayonnaise (or to desired consistency)
Place the eggs in a pot of cold water and bring to a boil, then shut off the heat and cover for 12 minutes and then place in an ice bath for about 15 minutes or until cold.
Peel and chop into medium dice in a medium bowl. Mix all the remaining ingredients into the eggs until thoroughly combined and taste for correct spices.
Serve on good crusty bread with lettuce as a sandwich or on Crostinis as an appetizer topped with a Green olive and maybe a bit of Frank's Hot Sauce.
Bon Appetit
Tim
7 Large Eggs
1 medium Shallot, finely minced
5 small Green Olives, finely chopped
1 Slice of Claussen Kosher dill pickle, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon Garlic Powder
Pinch of Kosher Salt
1/3 cup Hellman's Real Mayonnaise (or to desired consistency)
Place the eggs in a pot of cold water and bring to a boil, then shut off the heat and cover for 12 minutes and then place in an ice bath for about 15 minutes or until cold.
Peel and chop into medium dice in a medium bowl. Mix all the remaining ingredients into the eggs until thoroughly combined and taste for correct spices.
Serve on good crusty bread with lettuce as a sandwich or on Crostinis as an appetizer topped with a Green olive and maybe a bit of Frank's Hot Sauce.
Bon Appetit
Tim
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Some time alone
I spent some time alone this weekend as my lovely wife was at a conference for a few days. I had decided to spend the time opening up our camper on Lake Kabetogama in Northern Minnesota for the upcoming season. In preparation for the event I stopped at The Italian Village on Friday night to pick up some Hot Molinari and some Hot Capicola for a little Antipasto lunch while I was there at the lake. I had a bit of leftover Baguette and some Parmigian Reggiano and a beer to go along with it and I packed it all up and headed North.
It was sprinkling rain as I drove but it is a nice trip to one of my favorite places on the planet where there are very large walleyes, by the way, so it didn't matter about a little rain. I found the camper in very good shape after a long winter. The tarp my son and I had tied over the top to protect it was in very good shape and all the ropes were still tight. I uncovered it and folded the tarp for storage and hooked up an LP gas tank to the camper and fired up the cooktop to take the chill off the interior. After warming a bit I sat at the table and enjoyed the meats and cheeses I had brought and felt very thankful to be in a place my wife and I enjoy so much and have some great food to boot! I finished cleaning the camper up and organizing a few things and then went down to the dock to see the lake, which had just become ice-free on Friday night.
It was beautiful as usual but the water was quite low. I hope the Spring rains will bring it back up to normal fairly soon.
It started to rain fairly heavy so I packed up my stuff and began the trip(sadly) back home. I remembered as I was heading South that I would be passing one of my favorite places to eat in Eveleth, MN, the K&B Drive In. They specialize in Texas Barbeque and it is very good. I found it while remodeling the home of some friends on Pleasant Lake just a few miles away and stopped there to pick up lunch. I pulled into the drive-in (yes, it really is a drive-in) and asked the server what their specialty was. She told me about the barbeque and I decided to try it. I ordered the Brisket Sandwich and I was immediately hooked. It was great! They also have some pretty good Onion Rings and I always have those when I can. It was a nice cap to the day.
Sunday I decided to try the Brunch at another favorite place, G.B. Schneider & Co. in Duluth. They have recently started doing brunch with a menu of specific dishes and their great sandwich menu as well as a Pastry and Salad Bar to complement the entrees. I noticed Eggs Benedict on the menu and I had to try it. I always try it whenever I see it. Well, it was excellent! the Hollandaise was one of the best I have ever had, rivaling the Over Easy Cafe on Sanibel Island in Florida. It was silky smooth and just the right amount of lemon. It was also served with a near-perfect side of shredded Hash Browns. They had a beautiful crunchy golden exterior and just a bit of softer center which was perfect for my taste.
This was a very nice ending to a very nice weekend except that Teresa was not here to share it with me.
Let the adventure continue!
Tim
It was sprinkling rain as I drove but it is a nice trip to one of my favorite places on the planet where there are very large walleyes, by the way, so it didn't matter about a little rain. I found the camper in very good shape after a long winter. The tarp my son and I had tied over the top to protect it was in very good shape and all the ropes were still tight. I uncovered it and folded the tarp for storage and hooked up an LP gas tank to the camper and fired up the cooktop to take the chill off the interior. After warming a bit I sat at the table and enjoyed the meats and cheeses I had brought and felt very thankful to be in a place my wife and I enjoy so much and have some great food to boot! I finished cleaning the camper up and organizing a few things and then went down to the dock to see the lake, which had just become ice-free on Friday night.
It was beautiful as usual but the water was quite low. I hope the Spring rains will bring it back up to normal fairly soon.
It started to rain fairly heavy so I packed up my stuff and began the trip(sadly) back home. I remembered as I was heading South that I would be passing one of my favorite places to eat in Eveleth, MN, the K&B Drive In. They specialize in Texas Barbeque and it is very good. I found it while remodeling the home of some friends on Pleasant Lake just a few miles away and stopped there to pick up lunch. I pulled into the drive-in (yes, it really is a drive-in) and asked the server what their specialty was. She told me about the barbeque and I decided to try it. I ordered the Brisket Sandwich and I was immediately hooked. It was great! They also have some pretty good Onion Rings and I always have those when I can. It was a nice cap to the day.
Sunday I decided to try the Brunch at another favorite place, G.B. Schneider & Co. in Duluth. They have recently started doing brunch with a menu of specific dishes and their great sandwich menu as well as a Pastry and Salad Bar to complement the entrees. I noticed Eggs Benedict on the menu and I had to try it. I always try it whenever I see it. Well, it was excellent! the Hollandaise was one of the best I have ever had, rivaling the Over Easy Cafe on Sanibel Island in Florida. It was silky smooth and just the right amount of lemon. It was also served with a near-perfect side of shredded Hash Browns. They had a beautiful crunchy golden exterior and just a bit of softer center which was perfect for my taste.
This was a very nice ending to a very nice weekend except that Teresa was not here to share it with me.
Let the adventure continue!
Tim
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
The Italian Village
I recently had a wonderful experience at a local deli in Duluth as I was procuring some Antipasti meats for a dinner engagement at my house with some of my wife's co-workers. I stopped in at the Italian Village on the corner of Central Ave. and Bristol St. in Duluth to pick up some Prosciutto, Sopressata, and Mortadella for my Antipasto course and I came upon a new face at the deli I had not met before. I forgot to ask his name but he told me he was taking over the business from his aunt. I told him what I needed and he began to slice my meats in paper thin slices, beginning with the Prosciutto and then asked me if it was thin enough. I looked at it in his hand and said "yes". He then asked if I would like a sample and gave me the piece he had cut. He proceeded to let me try each type of meat he cut for me and I told him he was making my day!
I asked him about a sausage I saw in the meat case that was covered in white and appeared to be a type of salame. He told me it was Salametti and that it was very dense and dry due to the curing process and it was similar to Sopressata but more concentrated. He said that lots of folks had asked him about it and that he should cut one as a sample so people could try it but once he cut one folks wouldn't buy it. He said, " I'm going to cut one. you'll like it." He gave me a sample and told me how to cut it and serve it and was so accommodating that I couldn't help but buy the whole sausage! He was right, it was excellent!
The store has recently increased their hours by staying open until 9:00 pm each evening, Monday through Saturday and serving dinner and sandwiches as well as all their great meats and cheeses. There are frozen pizzas, pastas, Chorizo, Italian Sausages, oils and desserts and I am told they do samples on Saturday mornings.
I was very impressed with this young man who was about to take over a well established business in a very old neighborhood in Duluth. I think he will do very well and I hope you will stop in and give him some business. He has good products and a very good demeanor as well.
I like that and I think you will too!
Tim
I asked him about a sausage I saw in the meat case that was covered in white and appeared to be a type of salame. He told me it was Salametti and that it was very dense and dry due to the curing process and it was similar to Sopressata but more concentrated. He said that lots of folks had asked him about it and that he should cut one as a sample so people could try it but once he cut one folks wouldn't buy it. He said, " I'm going to cut one. you'll like it." He gave me a sample and told me how to cut it and serve it and was so accommodating that I couldn't help but buy the whole sausage! He was right, it was excellent!
The store has recently increased their hours by staying open until 9:00 pm each evening, Monday through Saturday and serving dinner and sandwiches as well as all their great meats and cheeses. There are frozen pizzas, pastas, Chorizo, Italian Sausages, oils and desserts and I am told they do samples on Saturday mornings.
I was very impressed with this young man who was about to take over a well established business in a very old neighborhood in Duluth. I think he will do very well and I hope you will stop in and give him some business. He has good products and a very good demeanor as well.
I like that and I think you will too!
Tim
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Over Easy Cafe
It was a beautiful Sunday morning on Fort Meyers beach and we were scheduled to make our way to Sanibel Island for the day. Teresa and I jumped into our rented convertible and put the top down for the drive to Sanibel and started looking for the Over Easy Cafe. We had read about it in an advertisement in a brochure we had picked up at our hotel. Sometimes things just work out very well in that regard. The ad said that Over Easy had a variety of Benedicts on the menu and that's what caught my attention right away. I love Eggs Benedict and I always try those when they are offered.
We arrived at 9:00 Am and it was not crowded, which was a plus, and we were seated in a quiet corner of the place. The decor was amazingly inviting and colorful; bright colors of yellow, red and blue, much like my favorite Scandinavian colors and it felt like home to both Teresa and me.
I looked at the menu for those Benedicts and saw what I just had to try; it was not a Benedict at all but their Crab and Baby Asparagus Omelet with Swiss Cheese and Hollandaise on the side. It was served with Sourdough Toast and Orange Marmalade. It was the most amazing omelet I have ever eaten! It was unbelievable! I was in food heaven for the entire time at the restaurant. I wanted to order it all over again just because it was that good. It was perfectly cooked and the Hollandaise was a nice balance of lemon and buttery egg.
Teresa ordered the Fried Egg Sandwich on a Bagel with Provolone Cheese and tried the Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice. She said the juice was wonderful and I don't normally like Orange Juice but I tried it and it was unbelievable. Remember, I don't like Orange Juice and this stuff tasted like it had dropped right off the tree and had been pressed right there at that moment; It could make me like Orange Juice!
The next great thing they offered was their coffee. It was Green Mountain and it was excellent. I wanted to stay in this restaurant all morning. Our server's name was Faviana and she was a delight. I told her that the decor was very comfortable and she said that she agreed and that it was a cheery place to come to work. It showed in her attitude and service. It is so nice to see people that enjoy what they do and make their place of work a place that is attractive for anyone who happens upon it. I have to say that this was the absolute highlight of our trip in terms of quality and atmosphere. I could eat there every day if it were possible.
The next stop on our culinary tour was a Monday morning breakfast stop at Heavenly Biscuit in Ft. Meyers Beach. We had heard about this little place from a lady that managed the Americinn at White Bear Lake, MN. She said that she had lived in the Ft Meyers Beach area and that we should try the Heavenly Biscuit. It turned out to be a very good find. The biscuits were excellent, moist and perfectly cooked and their special of the day was a Bacon, Egg and Cheese with Tomato, which both of us tried along with their Home Fries. The fries were very good; a very crispy, well browned potato with crispy skins and onion as well as a hint of garlic in the mix.
The restaurant was a bit like the Swamp Sisters here in Saginaw, MN; a small place where you placed your order at the counter and found your place at either a table inside or one of three tables on the porch of what had at one time been a small home on the main drag of Ft. Meyers Beach. This restaurant also was one of those you could easily spend a vast amount of time enjoying while watching the activity in the neighborhood. I fact, you could tell that this was a popular place because we saw the same cabbies there both times we went and saw that the locals frequented the place every day. It just had to be good, and it was!
Plan a trip soon, my friend and eat well!
Tim
We arrived at 9:00 Am and it was not crowded, which was a plus, and we were seated in a quiet corner of the place. The decor was amazingly inviting and colorful; bright colors of yellow, red and blue, much like my favorite Scandinavian colors and it felt like home to both Teresa and me.
I looked at the menu for those Benedicts and saw what I just had to try; it was not a Benedict at all but their Crab and Baby Asparagus Omelet with Swiss Cheese and Hollandaise on the side. It was served with Sourdough Toast and Orange Marmalade. It was the most amazing omelet I have ever eaten! It was unbelievable! I was in food heaven for the entire time at the restaurant. I wanted to order it all over again just because it was that good. It was perfectly cooked and the Hollandaise was a nice balance of lemon and buttery egg.
Teresa ordered the Fried Egg Sandwich on a Bagel with Provolone Cheese and tried the Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice. She said the juice was wonderful and I don't normally like Orange Juice but I tried it and it was unbelievable. Remember, I don't like Orange Juice and this stuff tasted like it had dropped right off the tree and had been pressed right there at that moment; It could make me like Orange Juice!
The next great thing they offered was their coffee. It was Green Mountain and it was excellent. I wanted to stay in this restaurant all morning. Our server's name was Faviana and she was a delight. I told her that the decor was very comfortable and she said that she agreed and that it was a cheery place to come to work. It showed in her attitude and service. It is so nice to see people that enjoy what they do and make their place of work a place that is attractive for anyone who happens upon it. I have to say that this was the absolute highlight of our trip in terms of quality and atmosphere. I could eat there every day if it were possible.
The next stop on our culinary tour was a Monday morning breakfast stop at Heavenly Biscuit in Ft. Meyers Beach. We had heard about this little place from a lady that managed the Americinn at White Bear Lake, MN. She said that she had lived in the Ft Meyers Beach area and that we should try the Heavenly Biscuit. It turned out to be a very good find. The biscuits were excellent, moist and perfectly cooked and their special of the day was a Bacon, Egg and Cheese with Tomato, which both of us tried along with their Home Fries. The fries were very good; a very crispy, well browned potato with crispy skins and onion as well as a hint of garlic in the mix.
The restaurant was a bit like the Swamp Sisters here in Saginaw, MN; a small place where you placed your order at the counter and found your place at either a table inside or one of three tables on the porch of what had at one time been a small home on the main drag of Ft. Meyers Beach. This restaurant also was one of those you could easily spend a vast amount of time enjoying while watching the activity in the neighborhood. I fact, you could tell that this was a popular place because we saw the same cabbies there both times we went and saw that the locals frequented the place every day. It just had to be good, and it was!
Plan a trip soon, my friend and eat well!
Tim
Monday, March 21, 2011
Culinary Adventure part III
Today I continue our adventure in Southwest Florida with a trip to Snapper's, in St. Pete's Beach. We arrived at about 4:45 PM which is a bit early for dinner but it worked out for the time we happened to be there so we went for it. This turned out to be one of my favorite places to eat in the area. We began with a salad that had the most amazing dressing on it. I asked the server what was in it and, of course, she couldn't tell me but did divulge that there were three mustards, three vinegars, eggs, shallots, and garlic in it. I told her I would try to figure it out because it was so good. She asked if I cooked and I said "definitely!".
Teresa ordered a Cashew Crusted Mahi Mahi with a Mango Tomato Sauce and Grilled Bananas with Puff Pastry wrapped Potatoes. It was very nice to say the least. I ordered Blue Crab Cakes over a rice that seemed fairly sticky with some Coconut Milk, Red Bell Peppers and
Scallions. It was excellent! It tasted like my Walleye Cakes but with a more ocean fish hint because of the crab. I loved it! We topped off our dinner with a Petite Key Lime Pie, which had a Chocolate Wafer Crust and a Raspberry Coulis under it to accent the dish. It was very nice and just the right size for the dinner we experienced.
Good eating,
Tim
Teresa ordered a Cashew Crusted Mahi Mahi with a Mango Tomato Sauce and Grilled Bananas with Puff Pastry wrapped Potatoes. It was very nice to say the least. I ordered Blue Crab Cakes over a rice that seemed fairly sticky with some Coconut Milk, Red Bell Peppers and
Scallions. It was excellent! It tasted like my Walleye Cakes but with a more ocean fish hint because of the crab. I loved it! We topped off our dinner with a Petite Key Lime Pie, which had a Chocolate Wafer Crust and a Raspberry Coulis under it to accent the dish. It was very nice and just the right size for the dinner we experienced.
Good eating,
Tim
Thursday, March 17, 2011
The culinary vacation continues
In my last post we started our culinary adventure in Florida and we continue today with the next stop on the trail at Keegan's Seafood Grille, at Indian Rocks Beach, Florida. This was one of the destinations we found from Guy Fieri's Diners, Drive-ins and Dives and It very quickly became our favorite spot for seafood in the area. We ended up coming back three times to this spot because it was just that good! We started on this Wednesday evening with the She-Crab Soup which was a velvety cream-style soup loaded with shredded crab meat and was absolutely delicious! The next course was a Ginger Encrusted Green Leek Grilled Swordfish served with Lime Zested White Rice and a Fresh Pineapple/Orange Relish and a Szechuan Aioli to top it all off. It was amazing!
The restaurant itself was not necessarily outstanding and it was more of a typical local bar and grille type place with a couple TVs on the wall and the usual booths and tables but the food was so outstanding that we forgot all about the surroundings and were captivated with the flavors at hand. Our server was really cool and we enjoyed talking with her throughout the meal. We decided that we were definitely coming back the next day for appetizers before dinner.Upon our return, I saw on the menu that they were offering Burgundy Marinated Escargot and Sesame Seared Ahi Tuna for the first courses and we just had to try those. We arrived at 6:30 PM and ordered both of those items; they were again, absolutely amazing! The Ahi Tuna was seared rare and served with soy sauce and wasabi sauce. The Escargot, which I LOVE, were served in Mushroom Caps in Butter and Garlic with Herbs; fabulous! The main course was a Mediteranean Rubbed, Grilled Escolar with Italian Parmesan Smashed Potatoes and a Mixed Olive Tomato Relish/ Dark Balsamic and Citrus Reduction. Teresa ordered a White Sangria that was freshly mixed and excellent! It was made with Chablis wine and from what we could taste had Orange juice with pulp, some simple syrup, Lime, Cinnamon and possibly some Allspice and , of course, Ice. This restaurant was truly becoming our favorite of the trip. Everything we tried was perfectly cooked and full of flavor. I would definitely encourage a trip to this place very soon! We had originally decided to go to another spot for dinner but after trying the appetizers we couldn't resist staying for the main course.
My choice for this evening was a Grilled Grouper Sandwich served on a grilled Onion Roll with lettuce, tomato and a sauce; again, very good, indeed! This had been a very successful day in terms of finding the best places to dine and we wanted to return the next day to see what the special dish of the day might be, as each one we had tried so far had been wonderful.
We will continue our adventure tomorrow with some more culinary delights.
Eat well and often,
Tim
The restaurant itself was not necessarily outstanding and it was more of a typical local bar and grille type place with a couple TVs on the wall and the usual booths and tables but the food was so outstanding that we forgot all about the surroundings and were captivated with the flavors at hand. Our server was really cool and we enjoyed talking with her throughout the meal. We decided that we were definitely coming back the next day for appetizers before dinner.Upon our return, I saw on the menu that they were offering Burgundy Marinated Escargot and Sesame Seared Ahi Tuna for the first courses and we just had to try those. We arrived at 6:30 PM and ordered both of those items; they were again, absolutely amazing! The Ahi Tuna was seared rare and served with soy sauce and wasabi sauce. The Escargot, which I LOVE, were served in Mushroom Caps in Butter and Garlic with Herbs; fabulous! The main course was a Mediteranean Rubbed, Grilled Escolar with Italian Parmesan Smashed Potatoes and a Mixed Olive Tomato Relish/ Dark Balsamic and Citrus Reduction. Teresa ordered a White Sangria that was freshly mixed and excellent! It was made with Chablis wine and from what we could taste had Orange juice with pulp, some simple syrup, Lime, Cinnamon and possibly some Allspice and , of course, Ice. This restaurant was truly becoming our favorite of the trip. Everything we tried was perfectly cooked and full of flavor. I would definitely encourage a trip to this place very soon! We had originally decided to go to another spot for dinner but after trying the appetizers we couldn't resist staying for the main course.
My choice for this evening was a Grilled Grouper Sandwich served on a grilled Onion Roll with lettuce, tomato and a sauce; again, very good, indeed! This had been a very successful day in terms of finding the best places to dine and we wanted to return the next day to see what the special dish of the day might be, as each one we had tried so far had been wonderful.
We will continue our adventure tomorrow with some more culinary delights.
Eat well and often,
Tim
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
The Culinary Vacation
Teresa and I just got back from a culinary vacation of sorts that I have been wanting to do for a while now. One of my favorite shows on satellite TV is Guy Fieri's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives on Food Network and I thought it would be fun to do a trip to find a few of the restaurants highlighted on the show. I found three of them in the Tampa-St. Pete area of Florida and what better time to visit Florida than winter in Minnesota?
We set off on Tuesday last week for St. Pete's Beach and landed at the Sandpiper Resort for a few days. We rented a Chrysler Sebring convertible for the week and headed out to find some great little spots to eat. We got to the hotel about mid-afternoon and settled in, then cruised the main drag with the top down on the convertible for some interesting food spots. We found Crabby Bill's just down the road and landed there for dinner about 6:00 pm. It was a fun place featuring fresh seafood as well as the usual stuff, like burgers and fries. We chose their Grilled Grouper Sandwich with lettuce, tomato,and onion, served with fries and cole slaw. It was excellent! To top it off, we were there at sunset and up on their second floor deck. There was also a wedding taking place on the beach below us, which was a nice surprise. The food was great, the sunset beautiful, the beer was cold and we capped the meal with a very nice slice of Key Lime Pie. It was a very nice start to the week!
The next morning we tried a very cool looking classic diner right next door to Crabby Bill's called Mad Fish. What caught my attention was the polished stainless steel of the traditional diner exterior and I hoped the interior and the food were as cool looking as the exterior. The interior was definitely as classy as the outside with Honduras Mahogany wall panels and polished stainless details everywhere inside. It had the feel of very classy diner with Cobalt Blue teardrop Halogen pendants over each table and nice tablecloths and fresh flowers at each booth. The downside was the opening greeting from the hostess. She was at best, disconnected and at worst, crabby. She did warm up a bit as we talked to her so I wrote that off to a bad day.
I saw that they offered Eggs Benedict and I always try that when available. Teresa had the Poached Lobster Omelet. Mine was very good, the Hollandaise a nice blend of lemon and butter. The dish also came with some interesting Home Fried Potatoes. They appeared to have been deep fried medallions of potato with a nice combination of seasonings on them. It was served with Sourdough Toast and excellent coffee. Teresa's omelet was not quite so successful. With Lobster we always expect the best but she found the omelet to be somewhat greasy and the lobster way overcooked, on the way to very rubbery; disappointing to say the least. I would, however go there again and give them another try. My food was very good and I can hope that the same girl doesn't work there next time. In fact, there was a manager there we spoke to about some of the local attractions and he was very helpful and pleasant, which made the experience much more palatable, if you will.
Later that afternoon we were on our way back from Tarpon Springs and found a local brewery at Dunedin and stopped there to try their offerings. Teresa tried their Apricot/Peach Ale, which definitely highlighted the fruit flavors with a mild hoppy finish to it. I had their Redhead Red Ale, which, amazingly, tasted exactly like Steve and Tim's Inaugural Brew, Steve Rudh's and my first attempt at brewing beer. It was uncanny. The brewery was housed in an addition to an old house in a residential neighborhood of Dunedin. I had a couple of huge roll-up glass garage doors to provide an open-air feel during warm weather and some very cool stainless welded tube tables and stools, reminiscent of the stainless tubing connecting the brewing vats at the rear of the building. the server was great and it was a nice stop along the way. It was a beautiful day in the low 80's with the top down cruising the Southwest Coast of Florida on a culinary mission to find some great food and this day had turned out pretty well so far. We hadn't tried any of the three Triple D joints yet but those are yet to come.
Eat well, my friend.
Tim
We set off on Tuesday last week for St. Pete's Beach and landed at the Sandpiper Resort for a few days. We rented a Chrysler Sebring convertible for the week and headed out to find some great little spots to eat. We got to the hotel about mid-afternoon and settled in, then cruised the main drag with the top down on the convertible for some interesting food spots. We found Crabby Bill's just down the road and landed there for dinner about 6:00 pm. It was a fun place featuring fresh seafood as well as the usual stuff, like burgers and fries. We chose their Grilled Grouper Sandwich with lettuce, tomato,and onion, served with fries and cole slaw. It was excellent! To top it off, we were there at sunset and up on their second floor deck. There was also a wedding taking place on the beach below us, which was a nice surprise. The food was great, the sunset beautiful, the beer was cold and we capped the meal with a very nice slice of Key Lime Pie. It was a very nice start to the week!
The next morning we tried a very cool looking classic diner right next door to Crabby Bill's called Mad Fish. What caught my attention was the polished stainless steel of the traditional diner exterior and I hoped the interior and the food were as cool looking as the exterior. The interior was definitely as classy as the outside with Honduras Mahogany wall panels and polished stainless details everywhere inside. It had the feel of very classy diner with Cobalt Blue teardrop Halogen pendants over each table and nice tablecloths and fresh flowers at each booth. The downside was the opening greeting from the hostess. She was at best, disconnected and at worst, crabby. She did warm up a bit as we talked to her so I wrote that off to a bad day.
I saw that they offered Eggs Benedict and I always try that when available. Teresa had the Poached Lobster Omelet. Mine was very good, the Hollandaise a nice blend of lemon and butter. The dish also came with some interesting Home Fried Potatoes. They appeared to have been deep fried medallions of potato with a nice combination of seasonings on them. It was served with Sourdough Toast and excellent coffee. Teresa's omelet was not quite so successful. With Lobster we always expect the best but she found the omelet to be somewhat greasy and the lobster way overcooked, on the way to very rubbery; disappointing to say the least. I would, however go there again and give them another try. My food was very good and I can hope that the same girl doesn't work there next time. In fact, there was a manager there we spoke to about some of the local attractions and he was very helpful and pleasant, which made the experience much more palatable, if you will.
Later that afternoon we were on our way back from Tarpon Springs and found a local brewery at Dunedin and stopped there to try their offerings. Teresa tried their Apricot/Peach Ale, which definitely highlighted the fruit flavors with a mild hoppy finish to it. I had their Redhead Red Ale, which, amazingly, tasted exactly like Steve and Tim's Inaugural Brew, Steve Rudh's and my first attempt at brewing beer. It was uncanny. The brewery was housed in an addition to an old house in a residential neighborhood of Dunedin. I had a couple of huge roll-up glass garage doors to provide an open-air feel during warm weather and some very cool stainless welded tube tables and stools, reminiscent of the stainless tubing connecting the brewing vats at the rear of the building. the server was great and it was a nice stop along the way. It was a beautiful day in the low 80's with the top down cruising the Southwest Coast of Florida on a culinary mission to find some great food and this day had turned out pretty well so far. We hadn't tried any of the three Triple D joints yet but those are yet to come.
Eat well, my friend.
Tim
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Brunch
One of the great local restaurants in Duluth recently began to serve a Sunday brunch menu. A few weeks ago Teresa and I stopped at Nokomis Restaurant on highway 61 near Duluth on our way to Silver Bay to see my dad at the veteran's home there. We were pleased to see a new brunch menu and it turned out to be excellent. I began with a Bloody Mary and it was very good.
The menu is not a typical brunch buffet. It consists of an omelet of the day, a soup of the day and several dishes that always appear. The first time there I was intrigued by the Green Eggs and Ham. It was neither green eggs nor ham, but a Croissant with Pulled Pork, a Poached Egg and Herbed Hollandaise (the green part); absolutely phenomenal! It is served with a choice of greens or their beautifully browned Breakfast Potatoes with Garlic and Parmesan, Bacon or Sausage. I chose the Bacon and it was cooked crisp and had a wonderful applewood smoked flavor. Teresa had the Breakfast Sandwich with Prosciutto, Egg, Applewood Smoked Bacon and Herbed Mayonnaise on Grilled Sourdough Bread. It was marvelous as well!
One very cool surprise is a pre-brunch treat that is different each week. This one was a fresh Beignet, hot out of the fryer and rolled in Cinnamon Sugar; very nice. In subsequent visits there have been a Blueberry Scone and today's was a Cheddar, Chive and Bacon Fritter with Creme Fraiche. All of these were perfect. In fact, I don't much care for scones because they are usually dry as bones but the one they served was warm, moist and flavorful.
Today Teresa had the soup of the day which was Tomato with Orange Zest and Creme Fraiche and a new Breakfast Pot Pie. The soup was a creamy consistency but did not appear to have any cream in it. The garnishes were Browned Butter Bread Crumbs and the Creme Fraiche. The Orange Zest was what made the soup! It lent an amazing freshness to the creamy consistency and the flavors worked extremely well together. The Pot Pie was not served in a pot but was a base section of Puff Pastry and then a gorgeous sauce with Chicken, Bacon, Carrots, Potatoes, Onions and Thyme with a top crust of Puff Pastry and served with House Greens.
My daughter Stacy was along with us and she had the Granola Crusted French Toast. On outings like these we like to each order something different so we can taste them all and today we did that again. The dishes were all exceptional and as we were driving down the road on the way to Silver Bay I told Teresa I thought that this restaurant really shines with their brunch menu.
We will be back soon and bringing some folks along with us to experience it.
Good eating,
Tim
The menu is not a typical brunch buffet. It consists of an omelet of the day, a soup of the day and several dishes that always appear. The first time there I was intrigued by the Green Eggs and Ham. It was neither green eggs nor ham, but a Croissant with Pulled Pork, a Poached Egg and Herbed Hollandaise (the green part); absolutely phenomenal! It is served with a choice of greens or their beautifully browned Breakfast Potatoes with Garlic and Parmesan, Bacon or Sausage. I chose the Bacon and it was cooked crisp and had a wonderful applewood smoked flavor. Teresa had the Breakfast Sandwich with Prosciutto, Egg, Applewood Smoked Bacon and Herbed Mayonnaise on Grilled Sourdough Bread. It was marvelous as well!
One very cool surprise is a pre-brunch treat that is different each week. This one was a fresh Beignet, hot out of the fryer and rolled in Cinnamon Sugar; very nice. In subsequent visits there have been a Blueberry Scone and today's was a Cheddar, Chive and Bacon Fritter with Creme Fraiche. All of these were perfect. In fact, I don't much care for scones because they are usually dry as bones but the one they served was warm, moist and flavorful.
Today Teresa had the soup of the day which was Tomato with Orange Zest and Creme Fraiche and a new Breakfast Pot Pie. The soup was a creamy consistency but did not appear to have any cream in it. The garnishes were Browned Butter Bread Crumbs and the Creme Fraiche. The Orange Zest was what made the soup! It lent an amazing freshness to the creamy consistency and the flavors worked extremely well together. The Pot Pie was not served in a pot but was a base section of Puff Pastry and then a gorgeous sauce with Chicken, Bacon, Carrots, Potatoes, Onions and Thyme with a top crust of Puff Pastry and served with House Greens.
My daughter Stacy was along with us and she had the Granola Crusted French Toast. On outings like these we like to each order something different so we can taste them all and today we did that again. The dishes were all exceptional and as we were driving down the road on the way to Silver Bay I told Teresa I thought that this restaurant really shines with their brunch menu.
We will be back soon and bringing some folks along with us to experience it.
Good eating,
Tim
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Bacon and Egg Meatloaf
I had a craving the other day for some comfort food. Actually, I have a craving most days for comfort food but specifically I was needing some meatloaf. I stopped by the grocery store and bought a pound of 80/20 ground beef and a pound of ground pork which I feel makes the nicest meatloaf mix. I began to look at a few recipes to see what I might like to taste in a good loaf and settled on a basic recipe and then added a few of my own ingredients. Here's how it went:
1 lb. 80/20 ground beef
1 lb. ground pork
1/2 cup chopped sweet onion
1/2 cup crushed saltines (12 crackers pulsed in a food processor)
1 large egg lightly whisked with 1/4 cup whole milk
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
10 grinds freshly ground Black Pepper
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon Penzey's Shallot Pepper (http://www.penzeys.com/)
2 strips Thick Cut Bacon, cut in 1/2" pieces and cooked until crisp, reserving the bacon fat and adding it to the meatloaf mix.
1Tablespoon grated Horseradish
3 Hard Boiled Eggs, whole
1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In large bowl, combine all the ingredients and mix well to incorporate. Use 1 Tablespoon of the reserved bacon fat to grease a shallow ceramic baking dish and then place about 1/3 of the mixture in a loaf form in the dish. Place the 3 Hard Boiled Eggs in a line on top of the meat, then place the remaining meat mixture on top of the eggs and form into a loaf, packing it around the eggs to encase them within the center of the loaf. Place the baking dish on a sheet pan lined with parchment or foil and bake for approximately 1 hour. Remove the loaf from the pan and place on a platter. Let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes and then slice and serve with mashed potatoes.
Stinkin' good!
Tim
1 lb. 80/20 ground beef
1 lb. ground pork
1/2 cup chopped sweet onion
1/2 cup crushed saltines (12 crackers pulsed in a food processor)
1 large egg lightly whisked with 1/4 cup whole milk
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
10 grinds freshly ground Black Pepper
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon Penzey's Shallot Pepper (http://www.penzeys.com/)
2 strips Thick Cut Bacon, cut in 1/2" pieces and cooked until crisp, reserving the bacon fat and adding it to the meatloaf mix.
1Tablespoon grated Horseradish
3 Hard Boiled Eggs, whole
1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In large bowl, combine all the ingredients and mix well to incorporate. Use 1 Tablespoon of the reserved bacon fat to grease a shallow ceramic baking dish and then place about 1/3 of the mixture in a loaf form in the dish. Place the 3 Hard Boiled Eggs in a line on top of the meat, then place the remaining meat mixture on top of the eggs and form into a loaf, packing it around the eggs to encase them within the center of the loaf. Place the baking dish on a sheet pan lined with parchment or foil and bake for approximately 1 hour. Remove the loaf from the pan and place on a platter. Let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes and then slice and serve with mashed potatoes.
Stinkin' good!
Tim
Sunday, February 20, 2011
The Lighthouse Restaurant
Teresa and I stopped at the Lighthouse on Homestead restaurant near Duluth, Minnesota on Saturday as we were driving up to Silver Bay to visit my father at the Veteran's Home there. It was our first time at the restaurant and it was around lunchtime. One of my deer camp buddies' son is a cook there and he told me a bit about the food so we thought we might give it a try. It was excellent! The decor is based on a lighthouse in Michigan and is very well done. It is a comfortable atmosphere with no pretension and a nice feel of comfort and cheeriness. The server's name was Sheryl, a great example of what a server should be at a restaurant. She greeted us and asked if we would like a beverage. She then proceeded to tell us about their Bloody Mary and how good it was and that she made them personally. I told her I liked Bloody Marys and that would be nice.
I am here to tell you it was a work of art! We began a conversation about the ingredients as I am wont to do with the wait staff and owners of restaurants. I began to guess the ingredients and started with, of course a good mix, adding pickle juice, olive juice, and hot sauce. Sheryl added that they use Worcestershire Sauce and salt the rim of the glass with what seemed to me to be Lawry's Seasoned Salt with celery salt added. She then added a skewer of Green Olives and Pepperoni as well as a celery stick and a pickle pear to the deal and then topped it off with a "snick"of beer besides. What a way to start off our first experience at a new restaurant!
The menu seemed to be a good collection of comfort food items, burgers, sandwiches and some specialties. What caught my eye was a burger with a Cream Cheese/Green Olive topping.
I was not asked how I liked it cooked so I assumed they were cooking them medium to well and it was done very nicely. It was not over-cooked and the cream cheese/olive topping was great. The buns appeared to be made there at the site and were nicely grilled. The burger was served with some krinkle-cut french fries that were very crispy and well cooked.
Teresa ordered a French Dip sandwich that was labeled as "pulled beef" on the menu. It was served with their house made potato chips and those were very good. The sandwich was a pleasant surprise in that it was not the typical deli thin-sliced beef. It truly was pulled beef; large chunks of great roast beef on a good French roll, served with aus jus and those marvelous chips.
This was a very pleasant experience for our first time at the restaurant and both Teresa and I agreed we will return soon and often to this place. Check them out at www.lighthouseonhomestead.com and visit soon. They also feature live music on Monday evenings and some good happy hour specials as well.
Eat well and often,
Tim
I am here to tell you it was a work of art! We began a conversation about the ingredients as I am wont to do with the wait staff and owners of restaurants. I began to guess the ingredients and started with, of course a good mix, adding pickle juice, olive juice, and hot sauce. Sheryl added that they use Worcestershire Sauce and salt the rim of the glass with what seemed to me to be Lawry's Seasoned Salt with celery salt added. She then added a skewer of Green Olives and Pepperoni as well as a celery stick and a pickle pear to the deal and then topped it off with a "snick"of beer besides. What a way to start off our first experience at a new restaurant!
The menu seemed to be a good collection of comfort food items, burgers, sandwiches and some specialties. What caught my eye was a burger with a Cream Cheese/Green Olive topping.
I was not asked how I liked it cooked so I assumed they were cooking them medium to well and it was done very nicely. It was not over-cooked and the cream cheese/olive topping was great. The buns appeared to be made there at the site and were nicely grilled. The burger was served with some krinkle-cut french fries that were very crispy and well cooked.
Teresa ordered a French Dip sandwich that was labeled as "pulled beef" on the menu. It was served with their house made potato chips and those were very good. The sandwich was a pleasant surprise in that it was not the typical deli thin-sliced beef. It truly was pulled beef; large chunks of great roast beef on a good French roll, served with aus jus and those marvelous chips.
This was a very pleasant experience for our first time at the restaurant and both Teresa and I agreed we will return soon and often to this place. Check them out at www.lighthouseonhomestead.com and visit soon. They also feature live music on Monday evenings and some good happy hour specials as well.
Eat well and often,
Tim
Monday, January 31, 2011
Smoked Deviled Eggs
I am continuing tonight with experiments using my new Smoking Gun and it's uses for extravagant flavor profiles. I had a craving for Deviled Eggs and I think they are one of my favorite comfort foods. I am like a kid in a candy store when I think of them. I like to experiment with the ingredients of the Deviled Egg.
I start by cooking 6 eggs in a pot of cold water. Bring it to a boil over medium-high heat and then shut off the heat and cover the pot for 15 minutes. Place the eggs in an ice bath for about 15 more minutes and then peel them. Cut the eggs in half and pop out the yolks into a bowl, placing the white halves on a plate. Break up the yolks with a fork or force them through a fine mesh screen into a bowl. Add a few Tablespoons of real mayonnaise, 1/2 teaspoon of Horseradish, 1/2 teaspoon of Penzey's Fox Point Seasoning, and a 1/2 teaspoon of Penzey's White Onion Powder. Mix the ingredients thoroughly and spoon into the egg white halves.
Fill the bowl of the Smoking Gun with Apple Wood smoking chips and place the deviled eggs onto a sheet of parchment paper in the smoking chamber or a 9x13 glass dish and cover it with plastic wrap, leaving the tube of the Smoking Gun in the dish. Turn on the power of the gun and light the chips with a match or lighter. Let the gun run for about 30 seconds and shut it off, leaving the hose in the pan for about 5 minutes. Uncover the pan and sprinkle the eggs with Penzey's Smoked Spanish Paprika and then cover and run another chamber of chips for 30 seconds and leave covered for another 5 minutes. Uncover, serve and be amazed at the incredible, lovely flavor of sweet apple smoke. It is quite unbelievable how good these things taste!
Good cooking and fabulous eating,
Tim
I start by cooking 6 eggs in a pot of cold water. Bring it to a boil over medium-high heat and then shut off the heat and cover the pot for 15 minutes. Place the eggs in an ice bath for about 15 more minutes and then peel them. Cut the eggs in half and pop out the yolks into a bowl, placing the white halves on a plate. Break up the yolks with a fork or force them through a fine mesh screen into a bowl. Add a few Tablespoons of real mayonnaise, 1/2 teaspoon of Horseradish, 1/2 teaspoon of Penzey's Fox Point Seasoning, and a 1/2 teaspoon of Penzey's White Onion Powder. Mix the ingredients thoroughly and spoon into the egg white halves.
Fill the bowl of the Smoking Gun with Apple Wood smoking chips and place the deviled eggs onto a sheet of parchment paper in the smoking chamber or a 9x13 glass dish and cover it with plastic wrap, leaving the tube of the Smoking Gun in the dish. Turn on the power of the gun and light the chips with a match or lighter. Let the gun run for about 30 seconds and shut it off, leaving the hose in the pan for about 5 minutes. Uncover the pan and sprinkle the eggs with Penzey's Smoked Spanish Paprika and then cover and run another chamber of chips for 30 seconds and leave covered for another 5 minutes. Uncover, serve and be amazed at the incredible, lovely flavor of sweet apple smoke. It is quite unbelievable how good these things taste!
Good cooking and fabulous eating,
Tim
Saturday, January 29, 2011
The Smoking Gun
I have just finished experimenting with a new cooking tool that my wife Teresa got me for my birthday. It is a PolyScience Smoking Gun. It is made by the same people that make Immersion Circulators that cook food sous vide or under water in a vacuum bag at constant temperature.
My first experiment was with raw cabbage that I had shredded and placed in a modified 9x13 aluminum baking pan to allow the hose from the Smoking Gun to enter the top of the pan. I lit the Hickory chips in the gun and allowed the smoke to penetrate into the pan for about 5 minutes. I then mixed the cabbage with Marzetti's Original Slaw dressing (very good) and it was truly extraordinary! What amazing flavor those few minutes imposed on the cabbage.
The next experiment was to make a Smoked Bloody Mary. I mixed the drink in the traditional way, using a good mix and a very good Svedka Vodka. I covered the glass with plastic wrap and cut a slit in the plastic for the smoker hose and lit the Smoking Gun for 30 seconds and let the smoke infuse the drink for about 3 minutes. Again, it was extraordinary! What amazing flavor for such a short amount of exposure to the smoke. I am excited to try many more unique taste temptations with this method of cooking.
Good eating,
Tim
My first experiment was with raw cabbage that I had shredded and placed in a modified 9x13 aluminum baking pan to allow the hose from the Smoking Gun to enter the top of the pan. I lit the Hickory chips in the gun and allowed the smoke to penetrate into the pan for about 5 minutes. I then mixed the cabbage with Marzetti's Original Slaw dressing (very good) and it was truly extraordinary! What amazing flavor those few minutes imposed on the cabbage.
The next experiment was to make a Smoked Bloody Mary. I mixed the drink in the traditional way, using a good mix and a very good Svedka Vodka. I covered the glass with plastic wrap and cut a slit in the plastic for the smoker hose and lit the Smoking Gun for 30 seconds and let the smoke infuse the drink for about 3 minutes. Again, it was extraordinary! What amazing flavor for such a short amount of exposure to the smoke. I am excited to try many more unique taste temptations with this method of cooking.
Good eating,
Tim
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Just for the Halibut
It has been a very busy culinary week or two. My friends Bill and Steph called and asked if I would cook some Halibut they had ordered from Alaska. I said most certainly! I think Halibut is probably the tastiest fish on the planet next to fresh Walleye from Minnesota or Canada and I jumped at the chance. It's not every day we get to enjoy Alaskan Halibut.
Bill and Steph had invited four other friends to the party so we came up with a menu for the event; on the list was a Butternut Squash Bisque for the soup course, Popovers, Roasted Asparagus with Hollandaise Sauce, Brown Rice Pilaf, Pistachio Crusted Halibut, Roasted Halibut with spices and Chardonnay and a Caramel Apple Pie for dessert. Jack and Patti were in charge of the dessert and wine and brought the pie as well as a very nice Sauvignon Blanc for the wine. Steph made the Popovers and Hollandaise and I cooked the Asparagus and two versions of Halibut. My favorite is the Pistachio Crusted version which is the same recipe I developed for Walleye. It's the same for either fish so here is the recipe:
6 T Unsalted Butter
3 Lbs. Halibut fillets
4 Shallots, minced
2 cloves Garlic, peeled and minced
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 T Lemon Juice
Kosher salt and fresh ground Black Pepper to taste
1 Cup ground, salted Pistachio nuts (green) pulsed in a food processor to approximately 1/8" pieces.
1 Cup fresh bread crumbs ( English muffin pulsed in a food processor until fairly fine)
2 T unsalted butter, melted
Preheat the oven to 4oo degrees.
Mix the ground Pistachios and fresh bread crumbs in a medium bowl along with the 2T melted unsalted butter until well combined. season lightly with salt and pepper and set aside.
Melt the 6 T butter and pour in a 9x13 baking dish. Lay the Halibut fillets in a single layer on top of the butter. Sprinkle the Shallots and Garlic on top of the fillets. Mix the wine and lemon juice together and carefully pour over the fillets, not disturbing the shallots and garlic. Spread the Pistachio mix over the fillets. Bake uncovered for approx. 20 minutes until the fish is opaque and begins to flake when tested with a fork and the Pistachios are golden brown on top.
The Asparagus is very simple; cut off the woody stems and rinse and pat dry. Sprinkle with Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Kosher Salt and Fresh Ground Black Pepper and place in a baking dish. Roast at 400 degrees for 20 minutes and serve with Hollandaise drizzled over it.
The Butternut Squash Bisque is a bit more complicated and I'll give you that in another installment.
The other event that took place was a Gourmet Food Club Brunch that was held at my friends Bruce and Lisa's house on Saturday the 22nd. It was a very nice brunch as they always are.
Our menu consisted of 3 types of Ebelskivers; Crab filled with a Roasted Red Pepper Aioli,
Plain with a Sausage Gravy and a version filled with crisp Proscuitto and Fig Jam. My friend Anita made two types of Roasted Breakfast Potatoes. Casey made two types of Egg Bake; one with Sweet Potatoes, Beets and Cayenne, and the other with Artichoke Hearts. Lisa made a French Toast with Wild Blueberries and Cinnamon as well as Buttermilk Cupcakes stuffed with Italian Crema and topped with Whipped Cream and Strawberries.
We also enjoyed a Bloody Mary Bar and Mimosas made with Prosecco, Orange juice and a smackerel of Grenadine. It was a marvelous meal and a great time with some very good friends.
Good Eating,
Tim
Bill and Steph had invited four other friends to the party so we came up with a menu for the event; on the list was a Butternut Squash Bisque for the soup course, Popovers, Roasted Asparagus with Hollandaise Sauce, Brown Rice Pilaf, Pistachio Crusted Halibut, Roasted Halibut with spices and Chardonnay and a Caramel Apple Pie for dessert. Jack and Patti were in charge of the dessert and wine and brought the pie as well as a very nice Sauvignon Blanc for the wine. Steph made the Popovers and Hollandaise and I cooked the Asparagus and two versions of Halibut. My favorite is the Pistachio Crusted version which is the same recipe I developed for Walleye. It's the same for either fish so here is the recipe:
6 T Unsalted Butter
3 Lbs. Halibut fillets
4 Shallots, minced
2 cloves Garlic, peeled and minced
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 T Lemon Juice
Kosher salt and fresh ground Black Pepper to taste
1 Cup ground, salted Pistachio nuts (green) pulsed in a food processor to approximately 1/8" pieces.
1 Cup fresh bread crumbs ( English muffin pulsed in a food processor until fairly fine)
2 T unsalted butter, melted
Preheat the oven to 4oo degrees.
Mix the ground Pistachios and fresh bread crumbs in a medium bowl along with the 2T melted unsalted butter until well combined. season lightly with salt and pepper and set aside.
Melt the 6 T butter and pour in a 9x13 baking dish. Lay the Halibut fillets in a single layer on top of the butter. Sprinkle the Shallots and Garlic on top of the fillets. Mix the wine and lemon juice together and carefully pour over the fillets, not disturbing the shallots and garlic. Spread the Pistachio mix over the fillets. Bake uncovered for approx. 20 minutes until the fish is opaque and begins to flake when tested with a fork and the Pistachios are golden brown on top.
The Asparagus is very simple; cut off the woody stems and rinse and pat dry. Sprinkle with Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Kosher Salt and Fresh Ground Black Pepper and place in a baking dish. Roast at 400 degrees for 20 minutes and serve with Hollandaise drizzled over it.
The Butternut Squash Bisque is a bit more complicated and I'll give you that in another installment.
The other event that took place was a Gourmet Food Club Brunch that was held at my friends Bruce and Lisa's house on Saturday the 22nd. It was a very nice brunch as they always are.
Our menu consisted of 3 types of Ebelskivers; Crab filled with a Roasted Red Pepper Aioli,
Plain with a Sausage Gravy and a version filled with crisp Proscuitto and Fig Jam. My friend Anita made two types of Roasted Breakfast Potatoes. Casey made two types of Egg Bake; one with Sweet Potatoes, Beets and Cayenne, and the other with Artichoke Hearts. Lisa made a French Toast with Wild Blueberries and Cinnamon as well as Buttermilk Cupcakes stuffed with Italian Crema and topped with Whipped Cream and Strawberries.
We also enjoyed a Bloody Mary Bar and Mimosas made with Prosecco, Orange juice and a smackerel of Grenadine. It was a marvelous meal and a great time with some very good friends.
Good Eating,
Tim
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