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: