The foods of our lives

Easy Salmon Burgers, my new favorite summer time fair

fpod77 — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 18:44:31 +0000

For the past week or so and for the next few, I am attempting to make 1 really nice, cool, different, and new meal each day. In this quest I have come acrossed this super easy and delicious salmon burger recipe.

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless salmon
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard (I used horseradish mustard instead)
2 small shallots, peeled and cut into chunks (I think you could just use onions if need be)
1/2 cup coarse bread crumbs
1/4 cup chopped parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
1/3 cup mayonnaise
Juice of 1/2 lemon
4 soft hamburger buns

Procedure

1. Cut the salmon into large pieces, and combine 1/4 of the pieces with the mustard in a food processor. Process until the mixture becomes pasty, scraping down the sides as necessary. Add the shallots near the end so they are also finely chopped.

2. Add the remaining salmon pieces along with half the parsley, and pulse until the larger pieces are somewhat combined with the mixture, making sure not to over-process. 1/4-inch pieces of salmon should remain; you don’t want a complete salmon puree.

3. Turn out the mixture into a bowl and stir in the breadcrumbs by hand. Season with a healthy pinch of salt and a few grinds of fresh pepper, and shape into four patties.

4. Heat butter or oil in a large (12-inch) skillet, preferably nonstick, over medium-high heat. Once the skillet is very hot, carefully place the patties inside and cook 2-3 minutes per side, turning once. Alternatively, grill them for the same amount of time, though be careful as the patties are rather fragile.

5. In the meantime, stir the remaining parsley and the lemon juice into the mayonnaise. Serve with the burgers on a bun or a bed of greens.

-serves 4-

Minus the Salmon, most of the ingrediants you probably already have laying aroun the house.

Food to-do’s for this summer

fpod77 — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 14:49:53 +0000

So being a teacher gives me the summers off which affords me a little more time to devote to some cooking. I say a little more time because we have two little ones (3 years old and 6 months old) running around. Any way, I have seen a few really neat things on other sites that I think I want to make this summer, so below is a list of those things, enjoy…

LOOK AT ME BREAKFAST SANDWICH!!

I think this would be an easy fun breakfast for the wife and kidos on one of those cool sunny summer mornings before a trip to the Zoo.

(https://www.blogcatalog.com/blog/kitchen-wench)

NEXT

DUTCH BABY PANCAKES !!

Another easy afternoon dish that looks delightfully yummy are these lazy pancakes. This dish is from the same link as the above, here is a direct link to the recipe (https://www.blogcatalog.com/blog/kitchen-wench)

THE NEXT FEW

From the awesome site (http://cooktobang.com/)

PORN FLAKE KRISPIES !!

I love all “Krispies” and who ever says mixing cereal and marshmallows is not real cuisine doesn’t know anything in my opinion. (http://cooktobang.com/2009/05/08/porn-flake-friskees/)

DON’T MAKE ME BAGEL PIZZA !!

Yummy, need I say more…

(http://cooktobang.com/2009/04/28/don%E2%80%99t-make-me-bagel-pizza/)

LICK YOUR LIPS MINT JULEP !!

I am always looking for fun things to do with the mounds of mint growinf in my back yard, seems we always end up drinking them in some fashion or another. This here is a new favorite this summer, enjoy responsibly : )

(http://cooktobang.com/2009/05/02/lick-your-lips-mint-julep/)

Giving this blogging thing another go

fpod77 — Sun, 24 May 2009 02:29:37 +0000

Below are some pictures of recent meals I have made, from top left, BBQ Ribs, Grilled Chocolate and Strawberry Sandwich, Peanut Butter and Jelly Sushi Rolls with a side of peaches, and Fried Fish with Filo wrapped Asparagus.

Hopefully with summer coming up I will have more time to cook and to post.

Tomato pie pizza, Chrissy’s favorite

fpod77 — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 01:32:31 +0000

So nothing says summer like tomato pie pizza, not only is it delicious but it’s my wife’s favorite. With fresh basil and tomato’s mixed with a little store bought pizza crust all mixed up on the grill, how can you go wrong.

Simple version of the recipe:

*Boboli pizza crust (pay the extra for the good crust, it really does make a difference with this)

*3-4 tomatoes, I like to use 3 different types of tomaote.

*Fresh basil leaves, olive oil, mozzarella cheese

*First you brush the top section of your pizza (the side you are going to put the stuff on) with extra virgin olive oil and grill it on the grill for 3-4 minutes. Be careful not to burn. Take the crust off of the grill, add your chopped garlic, tomatoes, basil, cheese and a little more olive oil to the cooked side. I also put garlic salt on top fr added yummy-ness. I then put it back onto the grill on a sheet of aluminum foil and close the lid. I keep it on there for approximately 4-5 minutes or until the cheese gets good and melted. Thats about it, pretty simple and tasty. It also tastes better for some reason if you eat it outside on a nice summer evening with ones you love.

BBQ Ribs on the Barbecue

fpod77 — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 00:51:19 +0000

It has been a while to say the least since my last post but it is summer time which means more time for me

to cook and write about it. These ribs were so simple and believe it or not, were the first ribs I have ever cooked on the BBQ. I did cheat a little however in that I bought the ribs already seasoned and then just cooked them for Aprox. 10 minutes per side. Served with a sweet potatoe and some pan fried zucchini it made for a great week night dinner on the back patio with my wife and daughter.

Good friends, Good food, and Drinks

fpod77 — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 15:03:12 +0000

My favorite bar in all of Pittsburgh, hands down is the Getaway Cafe in Brookline. They always have great drink specials, food (Buffalo Chicken Salad especially), and music. It is also the type of bar that you can goto and sit at the bar and have a conversation with a friend. Last week after a difficult day of trying to shape the lives of our future generations I called my friend Charlie to see if he want to grab a beer. Him being the great friend he is agreed. I got there a little before him and sat down to enjoy my drink and the musical melodies of Mr John McCain. I love those simple times when you can sit by yourself and relax in your own thoughts.

After awhile Charlie showed up and our conversation started as most conversation do, with light small talk and stories to catch each other up. We moved from politics, to jobs, to probably the weather or something else mundane. After awhile we started to dig deeper into our conversations as well as into our beers. Our discussion delved into areas of religion, marriage, kids and fears. We opened up and were able to be honest with one another. Not that we typically aren’t , but it was one of those times, at least for me, that was refreshing. I was able to vent, to rant and complain and carry on and all the time had someone to listen to me.

I love that I have friends like this. I love that there are people in my life who I can relate to and that can relate to me. I love that food, or in this case drink can be the great equalizers between people and cultures. I love that sometimes a hard day can be made better simply by a few beers and a good friend.

Whiskey Princess

fpod77 — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 20:51:56 +0000

So I love my wife, that should go with out saying but I do, I love talking to her, hanging out with her and especially eating and drinking with her. She is sick right now but we are coming off one of the most intimate seasons we have had in a very long while. For the past few months my wife and I have been dealing with the after effects of a miscarriage, illnesses and just plain busy lives. We have however been able to find time in the evenings, after our daughter Ivy is sound a sleep to spend some quality time together playing cards and drinkin whiskey. Now we haven’t always been whiskey drinkers, especially my wife, but we have grown quite fond of the taste and the conversations that it allows for. Our drinks of choice range from your traditional “Jack and Coke” to your more elegant “Tennessee Tea” or “Jackie Gingers”. When we drink and we play we get to talk. We tackle all sorts of issues over our very competitive games of 500 rummy, go fish and the occasional marathon of Sorry. We hit up religion, social and economics issues, parenting styles and politics (Politics usually ends in a fight). But we get to spend time together talking, with no TV, no distractions and no interruptions and its times like these that I cherish. These are the passionate times in our relationship, these are the times that bring us together and allows for us to grow and fall in love with one another all over again. Just the 2 of us, sitting in our dinning room drinking whiskey and playing cards.

Tennessee Tea recipe

1 part Jack Daniel’s® Tennessee whiskey
1 part triple sec
1 part sweet and sour mix
2 parts cola

Combine all ingredients, poor over ice.

Wasabi Peas

fpod77 — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 18:21:09 +0000

Had these the other day and loved them so I went and found a recipe. It is posted below but for roughly 4 bucks a bag I think I will just stick to buying them. Enjoy

The amount of wasabi in this recipe can be adjusted to make the peas more or less spicy. After coating the dry-roasted peas with the wasabi mixture, the peas will cluster. This gives the snack a nice homemade appearance.

Ingredients:

2 cups dried whole peas

2 tablespoons olive oil

Wasabi Coating

4 teaspoons wasabi powder, or 3 tablespoons wasabi paste (comes in tubes)

2 tablespoons tahini

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

Instructions:

Soak the peas in water to cover overnight.

Preheat the oven to 200°. Drain the peas, then cook them according to instructions on the package. Mix the olive oil with the cooked peas until well coated.

Oil a baking sheet and spread the peas evenly across it. Place in the oven and bake for 5 hours, until the peas appear dry and are crisp when bitten into.

Combine the wasabi powder, tahini, rice vinegar and mustard in a mixing bowl.

Combine the wasabi mixture with the hot peas making sure that all the peas are evenly coated.

Using a rubber spatula, spread the peas on the baking sheet, separating as many as you can. Increase the oven temperature to 250°. Bake the peas for 10 to 15 minutes, until the coating is dry.

Yields about 4 cups

Pittsburgh Rare

fpod77 — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 15:36:00 +0000

Pittsburgh Rare is a way of preparing a steak or chop whereby the meat is flash seared and charred on the outside and blood red and barely warm on the inside. This has the effect of intensifying the meat’s flavor by cooking, without destroying the flavor of the uncooked meat. It can also produce a slightly crunchy layer on the outside that will complement the soft interior. The term is believed to date back to the region’s steel making days, when steelworkers would bring big slabs of steak to work and, when it was time for lunch, would slap their meat on the furnace or other piece of hot metal to sear the outside black. They also termed this The Black and Blue Steak.

This preparation is how I have come to love my steaks. I have grown up in Pittsburgh and am a huge lover of the steak, every kind of steak really from steakum’s to the fillet mignon but have only known of this type of preparation for a few years. My first Pittsburgh Rare steak came via a recommendation from a co-worker at a retirement luncheon a few years back at Tambollini’s on 51 (No longer there). At that time is was hands down the best steak I had ever eaten, it was also the end of my medium rare steak days. Since then I have had a lot of steaks cooked this way and a few that have rivaled that first experience. A few notable Steakeries in and around Pittsburgh are, The Georgetown Inn on Mt Washington, Pittsburgh Rare which by its name should tell you something, and the Cod Stone Tavern. All of these prepare a mean steak.

So if you are a bit daring the next time you are out try and order that perfect piece of steak not only rare, but Pittsburgh Rare.

From blog to Peppers

fpod77 — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 18:34:01 +0000

So I started this blogging thing many months ago with the intent of posting to it often. That obviously has not happened. So now with the new year comes new motivation and a new desire to do some of those things that I have been putting off for way to long. Some of those things include your typical everyday routines like reading more, staying on top of house hold projects and improving my everyday organizational skills (which by the way, my organizational style is disorganized).

A more specific goal of mine however is to write more. Specifically to write more about my experiences which generally revolve around food. This motivation comes from 2 places, my friend Beth who is a wonderfully dedicated Blogger (The Path Less Traveled) and probably one of the few people who reads my stuff. The other is Anthony Bourdain, an author, chef and television personality who in my opinion has the best job in the world hosting “No Reservations” on the Travel Channel.

So now I sit here thinking about how to get myself back in the game. I thought I could write about some of my experiences eating with friends and family from over the Christmas break or from back at Thanksgiving but instead I think I will start from now, or at least last night.

I was up late last night and happened to catch the sneak peek episode of Jamie Oliver’s new series Jamie at Home. On the show he made these awesome looking roasted peppers stuffed with chili, tomatoes and fresh herbs. I would link to it but the recipe is not up yet because the show officially hasn’t aired yet. Here is my version from what I remember from the episode.

4 bell peppers (multi colored)
Handful of cherry tomatoes
Mixed variety of hot to mild peppers
Capers to taste
A few nice black olives
Basil
Good red or white vinegar
Olive oil
Bacon or pancetta

So here’s what ya do, first you slice and clean the peppers like you would if you were making a traditional stuffed pepper. Then in a bowl you mix the whole cherry tomatoes with the sliced peppers, capers, split black olives, and a generous handful of basil. Season both mixture and empty peppers with salt and pepper, olive oil and vinegar. Now use your hands to crush everything up and stuff into the peppers. You can choose to top stuffed peppers with a piece of bacon or pancetta then cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes at 350 F. After 15 minutes uncover and bake for an additional 45 minutes or until peppers are soft to the touch and the bacon looks yummy. Serve the peppers on a nice piece of toast, you can poke holes in the bottom of the peppers to let the juices drizzle down and soften the bread.

I am hopefully going to prepare this meal for my wife this week and will then share how it turned out. This is hopefully the first post of many more to come as this year begins. Feel free to comment on anything I write and to add suggestions or critiques as I am new to this blogging thing and would love the feedback.