Thai-Style Pickled Carrots
I am just going to say it. Here I go……
I am going to start an internship in a restaurant kitchen this summer. There, I said it. Now, I will actually be held accountable by all of YOU to actually go through with it.
Bouchon’s French Lentil and Feta Salad
I have to give Twitter credit for this recipe. Yes, reader. Twitter. Did you know that if you ask someone on Twitter to give you inspiration for an ingredient, such as Lentils, that you will get more responses back than you can handle. Try it. Inspiration will come.
I was given recipes for a Mujadara, a magical Lentil soup, a Masoor Dahl, and finally the recipe that I decided on which is this French Lentil and Feta Salad.
Braised Lamb Shanks with Curried Lentils
I get far too excited to have dinner parties. I think it is because every time I have one, I remember when my Mama used to throw her famous dinner parties when I was a child. I would watch her prep all day long and be in her bathrobe until 15 minutes before the party started. She knew that when she said 7pm, people would show at 7:45 at the earliest. Maybe it was that they knew she would never be ready. But, it was unspoken, and it worked.
I was raised in small town in Virginia, but Mother grew up in California and Boston. She threw a great party, with people drinking, eating, and laughing until the wee hours of the morning. We would always go to the recycling center the next day and just chuck wine bottle after wine bottle into the glass bin. She had a dinner club just like I do, but she also loved to entertain her co-workers, girlfriends, and family. I feel that I now carry that torch. My Mom doesn’t remember the last time she threw a dinner party, but she truly enjoys when I have her over for dinner. Oh, how the roles reverse. She also promised that when I get a bigger house she will give me her cookbook collection. And by collection, I mean small library.
Pork Roast with Broccoli Rabe and Peaches
Erik finally decided yesterday that he wanted to open his 29 year old Cragganmore Single Malt Scotch. So, he needed me to cook a fantastic meal for all of his buddies that were going to partake in the sampling. I am not a huge fan of scotch, so I just watched.
I also just like an excuse to cook a roast every once in a while, and feed the masses.
I have never brined meat before, and now I feel stupid for even eating meat all these years without knowing of this amazing trick. Brining makes the meat more tender by hydrating the cells of the muscle tissue through osmosis. It makes a huge difference with the flavor and consistency of the meat. Especially pork, chicken, and turkey, which can be dry and bland if cooked improperly.
There seem to be many brining formulas. Mostly though, I have noticed they all start with water, salt and sugar. Then, adding the herbs and spices seem to be the cook’s preference. What is your formula for brining?
Irish Beef Stew
In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, even though I am only part Scots-Irish, and because I am not in “opening night” of our current rep, I decided to make beef stew. I say that, because this recipe takes a couple of hours, but it is well worth the effort.
When I was researching recipes for an Irish stew, I was given many options. I could chose beef or lamb (I chose beef), a wide array of vegetables (I decided on some traditional, and some untraditional), and the use of a braising method. Braising is cooking with moist heat. The more common methods of braising use beef or chicken stock, canned tomatoes, or some sort of wine. However, I kept running across stew recipes where the braising method used a can of Guinness beer. So, I HAD to try it!
Also, making a giant stew also means LEFTOVERS! Which is great when I am performing.
