The Pig and I

So we went to this amazing butcher today. They have a spectacular selection. We just got a thick t-bone. In our house, one steak feeds two. Not only is it cheaper, but I have a hard time justifying eating that much of any kind of meat at one time. For the steak, I made a paste to rub onto the meat. The meat sat with the paste on while the potatoes were cooking and then I grilled the pasted meat. I'll post the recipe for the rub below. In addition to the steak, we had baked potatoes, a very sharp Bulgarian feta and roasted garlic. It was all delicious. 2 cloves of garlic (you can pre-chop them or not; up to you) 1 allspice berry 5 juniper berries .25 teaspoon pink peppercorns .25 teaspoon salt pinch of celery seed pinch of cumin seeds 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 teaspoon lime juice .5 teaspoon worcestershire sauce Put the dry ingredients and the garlic in a mortar and grind. Add wet ingredients and continue to grind until it makes a nice paste. Spread on both sides of ...

Today is couscous day. After I'd decided to make it for dinner tonight, I wound up also discussing couscous. So it must've been meant to be. Tonight, I wanted to have meat w/ the couscous, though I normally eat it without. 1 chicken leg (thigh and drumstick) pinch salt 1 tablespoon lime juice chicken bones 3 cups water 2 sprigs thyme (I used lemon thyme, because that's what I grow - you use what you like) 1 sprig mint ends and peels of 2 carrots ends of a stalk of celery 1 large strip of orange (or bergamot orange, if you've got it) peel salt and pepper 1.5 cups chicken broth .5 cup water 2 peeled and diced carrots 1 diced stalk of celery 6 sliced sun-dried tomatoes 1 teaspoon olive oil 1 teaspoon lime juice salt and pepper to taste 1.34 cups moroccan couscous (the little ones) shredded chicken .25 cup chopped basil .25 cup sliced scallions 2-4 tablespoons shredded mozzarella 2 hard-boiled eggs Sprinkle lime and salt over chicken leg, the...

I really love ceviche. And when I say really, I mean REALLY!!!! This stuff is good. Sometimes I also like to eat it with lettuce. ½ pound bay scallops, raw ½ pound pink shrimp, raw ½ pound tilapia, or other white fish, raw ½ teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper Juice of 8 or 9 limes 1½ cup pico de gallo If you are not able to get shrimp that are naturally pink, boil the shrimp until they turn pink (about 30 seconds to a minute). Combine lime, salt, pepper, scallops, shrimp and tilapia. Stirring every 5-10 minutes, allow to sit in refrigerator for at least 1 hour. Mix in pico de gallo and serve with tortilla chips. Serves 10.

This is one of my favourite salads in the world. I like to make it for myself and eat it, and it always goes over well when I serve it as an appetiser to guests. Plus it's super easy to make. 3 ripe tomatoes, sliced ¼ red onion, sliced paper thin ½ bottle oil-packed feta cheese ( this is my favourite cheese for this recipe, but you can use any feta) 1½ tablespoons capers 2 tablespoons oil from feta 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar ½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 4 – 6 basil leaves, chiffonaded Arrange tomato slices on plate then season with salt and pepper. Top with onion slices, feta and capers. Drizzle oil and vinegar and sprinkle basil all over. Serves 6-8

1 T olive oil 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 small white onion, minced 1 pound celery, chopped 1½ teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper pinch saffron (optional, but I really prefer it this way) 1 teaspoon celery seed 1/8 teaspoon cayenne 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar 1/16 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (really, just grate a little in; I don't worry too much about how much it is) 1 quart heavy cream Heat a medium saucepan. Fry garlic lightly in olive oil. Add onion, celery, salt, pepper, saffron, celery seed, cayenne, vinegar and nutmeg. Sweat over low heat for 20 minutes, or until at least a cup of broth has been formed in the pot. Stir in the cream and simmer over medium heat until the soup thickens, skimming off the fat periodically. Serves 4-6.

I found some beautiful, tiny beets at Phoenicia , as well as some kumquats, forelle pears and shallots. So I got to thinking about what kind of simple-but-full-flavoured dinner I could make. Beet salad and shallot-mushroom risotto is what I decided on. They both came out beautifully. Shallot-Mushroom Risotto 1 minced shallot 3 cloves minced garlic 1 tablespoon chicken fat , lard or butter (I used chicken fat) 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 dried chanterelle mushrooms 2 dried porcini mushrooms 1 cup hot water 1.25 cup medium-grain rice* 2.75 cups chicken broth** .75 cup water from hydrating the mushrooms 1 teaspoon salt Put your dried mushrooms in a bowl and pour the hot water over them. Set off to the side to let them hang out on their own. Put broth in a small pot and simmer. Heat an 8-10" pan on medium heat, then add chicken fat and olive oil to it. Add shallot and cook until almost transparent. Add garlic and cook until shallots are done. Drain mushroom liquid int...

I kind of forgot to post this yesterday. So here it is today. 1.5 pounds chicken legs (thighs and drumsticks) 2 carrots, cut into chunks 1 parsnip, cut into chunks .5 large onion, cut into chunks 10-12 sun dried tomatoes 6 ounces button mushrooms, cut in half 8 large brussels sprouts, trimmed salt and pepper to taste 1 tablespoon lime juice 1 teaspoon dill .5 teaspoon each: paprika, ground coriander seed .25 teaspoon each: ground sumac, dried marjoram, dried thyme and garlic powder salt and pepper to taste Preheat pan to 400F. Line an 8x8 pan with all the veggies except mushrooms. Salt and pepper the vegetables. Place chicken on top of vegetables and surround by mushrooms. Top chicken and mushrooms with lime and spices. Cover loosely with foil and bake for one one. Remove foil and bake another 15-20 minutes, or until chicken is browned. Serves 2. Here's the chicken in the pan, pre-baking: And here's the chicken, ready to eat:

3 large leeks, sliced and washed, then patted dry juice of ¼ lime 1 T salt 2 large cloves garlic, minced 1 large shallot, minced 1 t cane syrup 1 T fresh dill, chopped 1 T fresh basil, chopped 1 T malt vinegar Sweat in medium saucepan until 1-2 cups of broth are in the pot. Add: 1 qt heavy cream 2 lb white potatoes, diced and rinsed Simmer over medium heat until potatoes are cooked through, and chowder has thickened. Serves 4-6. Variation: Blend after cooking to make a soup, instead of chowder.

This is a simple and yummy dip. I like to let it sit for a while before serving, so the flavours can meld, but it can be eaten immediately as well. 1 – 16 ounce bottle mayonnaise 1 – 16 ounce container sour cream ½ teaspoon seasoned salt ½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper ½ cup fresh dill, minced Dash cayenne Mix together. Chill before serving. Serve with vegetables, chips or pita bread.

No matter what anyone says about you, I still love you. Especially your new cookie book. I've only made the molasses cookies so far, but they are delicious.

2 lb cooked beef (can be brisket, steak or any beef leftovers) 1 lb beef necks 1 c beef stock 4 c water 1 large tomato, cut up 1 large yellow onion, cut up 2 - 15 oz cans whole potatoes, drained 1 T salt 1 c celery pieces Let stew in a crockpot or stockpot on low heat for 8 or so hours. Remove bones and discard.

2 pounds assorted “C” potatoes (baby, or new, potatoes) 4 sprigs thyme, chopped 2 chives, minced 2 tablespoons olive oil ½ cup mayonnaise 1 teaspoon honey 1/8 cup malt vinegar ¼ teaspoon celery seed 1½ teaspoons chili powder Dash worchestershire sauce Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wash potatoes and cut them in half. Arrange potatoes on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle herbs on top. Place in oven and roast for 30 minutes. Cool 10 minutes. Combine mayonnaise, honey, vinegar, celery seed, chili powder and worchestershire sauce. Stir until there are no lumps left. Pour over potatoes and toss. Serves 4.

Since you're insisting that I post this here instead of email it to you, here you go, P. Knox Blox (or rather, my even-more-gelatin-than-is-really-needed version of Knox's recipe): Knox Blox 4 packets unflavoured gelatin 4 small (3-3.5 ounce) packages Jell-O (or off brand, which is what I usually buy)* 4 cups water Bring water to a boil. Add Jell-O and Knox packets. Whisk until gelatin is completely dissolved. Pour into a pan (the original recipe calls for a 13"x9" pan, but I put it in whatever is handy, usually an 8"x8" or a round pan). Put in the fridge and chill until it is completely set (congealed). Cut with knife (if you put it in the non-stick cake pan, please don't cut it with anything but one of those silicone camping knives), eat. *If you decide to buy the big boxes of Jell-O, just use two of them. And if you want it lower-cal, use sugar-free packets in place of normal and it will still work fine.

I love tabouleh. A lot. There're a lot of variations to this dish, but mine is based on the combination of the recipe I got from my "nephew," Y, in Haifa, and the tabouleh I eat at a Persian restaurant in Austin. To me, tabouleh should be tailored to fit your tastes, so the quantities I'm giving are approximate. In reality, when I make this, it's a dash of this and a handful of that, but it works out to roughly what I'm typing below. 1/4 cup bulghur wheat 2 cups water 1/8 cup dried barberries or dried currants 1/2 cup sliced scallions 1/4 cup roma tomato, deseeded and diced 1/2 cup diced cucumber (up to you if you peel it) 1-2 bunches parsley, chopped (I generally use the curly, but I always use whichever is cheapest while I'm waiting for my parsley to grow) 1/2 cup mint, chopped salt and pepper to taste 1/8 cup each: lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil (this is where you'll want to bust out the good oil) Put the wheat and barberries in a ...

I realise it's spring, but I have some squash I hadn't cooked yet, so I am mixing my winter and spring in the same way the Texas weather likes to keep us all on our toes. Sometimes I crave stuff that really has little connectedness, and today is one of those days. So today, you actually get a full meal from me. I wanted a little meat, but I couldn't see a reason why P and I needed a half pound each, so I just used half of the meat I bought and froze the rest. If you guys get tired of seeing Brussels sprouts from me (I can't remember how many variations of the same roasted cabbage I've posted and I am too lazy to check), say so. They're one of my favourite veggies, so I make them as often as possible. I had two adult-fist-sized acorn squashes (there's still a butternut lurking I need to address), so I used these but they weighed around a pound or so, and P and I can never resist fat sticks of asparagus. It's a mish-mash meal, but everything's got or...

This is a sort of "sick food" for me. Mainly because it's light and it requires almost no work to prepare. 1 leek (I just used the white, since I'd used the green elsewhere), cut in half then sliced into 1" chunks 2 parsnips, peeled, cut in half and sliced into 1" chunks 2 carrots, peeled, cut in half and sliced into 1" chunks 2 cups sliced red cabbage 2 celery stalks, cut into 1" chunks Splash orange blossom water Splash red wine vinegar 2 tablespoons vegetable oil salt and pepper to taste (I used around 1 teaspoon salt, and .5 teaspoon pepper) 1 6.5-ounce package spinach linguine (or pasta of your choice) 1 tablespoon butter 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 teaspoon lemon juice 2 tablespoons vegetable broth .25 cup chopped fresh mint Dash freshly grated nutmeg Preheat oven to 400F. Cut up and wash veggies. Pour them all onto a sheet pan, then add salt, pepper, orange blossom water, vinegar and vegetable oil. Roast for 40 minutes. 25 ...

But, even though I'm sick, here's some food! 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 medium onion, diced 1 lb ground venison (or ground beef, or ground bison) 1 – 15 ounce can crushed tomatoes 1 teaspoon dried tarragon 1 – 15 oz can artichoke hearts ½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper juice of 1 lemon 8 ounces chicken broth 1 large red bell pepper, diced Heat a large skillet over medium heat. When heated, add oil and vinegar (keep head away from the skillet when adding the vinegar. Fumes make it difficult, at best, to breathe). Add garlic and onion and sauté until onion is translucent. Add venison and brown. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 30 minutes (or longer, if you prefer).

Here's a few more for you: Warm Cinnamon Salsa 1/16 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg 1/16 teaspoon ground cinnamon ½ tablespoon freshly ground white pepper ¼ teaspoon dried dill 1 tablespoon comino ½ teaspoon celery seed 1/8 teaspoon habanero sauce (recommend: Holy Shit!, though I imagine any hot sauce would be fine) 1 tablespoon dried onion flakes ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper ¼ teaspoon salt 3 cloves garlic 2 teaspoons olive oil 1 large shallot 1 can chipotle peppers with adobo sauce (include sauce) 1 – 10 ounce can Ro-Tel tomatoes 2 large tomatoes, grated, with skin added Blend. Pour salsa into a small saucepan and heat on low heat until warm. This sauce is kind of fun. It has a lot of stuff in it, but it's really different tasting. I always get great responses whenever I serve it. It also tastes fine when it's cooled. Tarragon Salsa 3 roma tomatoes, chopped ¼ red onion, chopped 1 thai chile, cut in half 1 serrano chile, cut in half ...

1 tablespoon vegetable oil ¼ large minced yellow onion 1 teaspoon kosher salt .5 teaspoon white pepper 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon tomato bouillon 1 tablespoon dried chives 1 whole dry chipotle .67 cup millet 1.5 cups water Saute onion in salt, pepper, cumin, tomato bouillon and oil until onions are translucent. Add chives, millet and water; stir well and bring to a boil. Add chipotle pepper and cover pot, reducing heat to low and let cook 30 minutes. Remove pepper. Serves 4.

2 of the smaller cans tuna (sometimes I like albacore for this) 1 teaspoon capers 1 tablespoon dill pickle relish 1 tablespoon whole ground mustard 1 teaspoon yellow mustard 1 tablespoon mayonnaise .5 teaspoon (roughly) each: lemon pepper, seasoned salt, celery seed, paprika, ground dry mustard, garlic powder and onion powder) 3 tablespoons sliced scallions (or diced onion) 1 stalk diced celery 3 tablespoons diced bell pepper 1 chopped hard-boiled egg (sometimes I don't add this, sometimes I do). I love this on marbled rye w/ a little extra mustard and pickle added to the bread. Yum!

I can't believe I forgot to post this earlier today. I had a lot of homework, and had kind of a rough day today. The up-side of my day is that I had a professor ask me today if I was graduating this May (I wish!), because he needs one of his students who is also an honours student to have dinner with him and the president (and whomever else I didn't hear about) of the school and he was going to ask me to go if I was graduating (for whatever reason, said honours student has to be graduating next month). But uh... yeah. Rough day. Anyway, this is my favourite of all the marinaras I make. It is simple, it has a wider nutritional profile because you're getting lots of coloured veggies and such, it takes almost no work to make, and it is really, really delicious. Roasting the veggies brings out a nice sweetness to contrast the unroasted garlic and such. You should make it. I don't normally chatter on about a recipe, but it's bed-time, so that's what you get. I love...

1 medium eggplant, whole 1 medium zucchini, sliced 1 medium yellow onion, sliced 3 shallots, sliced 1 whole yellow bell pepper salt and pepper to taste olive oil 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves 2 whole cloves garlic 1 teaspoon each: salt and pepper 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves 1/8 cup fresh mint leaves juice of 1 lemon 1 large tomato, chopped 2 tablespoons honey Olive oil Preheat oven to 350F. Arrange all the veggies on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Mix up the veggies (excluding eggplant and bell) with hands to evenly coat with oil and seasonings. Be sure to turn the pepper and eggplant periodically. Remove skin and seeds from bell pepper and skin from the eggplant. Chop roughly. Allow all of the roasted veggies to cool. In a food processor or blender, combine basil, garlic, tomato, salt and pepper, thyme, mint, lemon juice and honey. Pulse until chopped up. Add cooled veggies (they don't need to be room temperature, bu...