They look cool and are pretty simple to make, hot cross buns are in the family of enriched fruit/nut breads that are typically associated with a holiday of some sort. Others in this family include breads like Stollen, Panettone and various other European confections. I love them all. Hot cross buns are an Easter specialty…… Continue reading Hot Cross buns
A Quick Housekeeping Note
I have not posted in a while. No, it’s not because I have been busy. We are always busy. It’s a convenient excuse. Really I was playing around with a new direction for this little spot on the web I have here. I went back and forth on moving to a new hosting platform. I…… Continue reading A Quick Housekeeping Note
Miso Cured Fish on the Grill, Japanese Rice and Salad
Impatient? Skip to the Recipe This simple easy process results is an outstanding way to season and flavor fish. I think it best works with fattier fish like salmon, steelhead trout and the like. However, it works great with meaty white fish too. One of the most famous renditions is by chef Nobu Matsuhisa where…… Continue reading Miso Cured Fish on the Grill, Japanese Rice and Salad
Aviary Cocktail: Perfect Storm
Unless you have some pyrolized banana liquor sitting around next to the rum, this is a drink that takes a bit of time from start to finish. About 30 days or so to be exact. What is pyrolized banana exactly? Well, if you’ve ever tried black garlic or cooked with it, you have had pyrolized…… Continue reading Aviary Cocktail: Perfect Storm
Lebanese Okra and Beef Stew
This one is not going to win any beauty contests, that’s for sure but it is a delicious and very emblematic of many Lebanese home-style stews that I grew up eating. Funny enough this one, really any okra based dish, was never my favorite when I was a kid. Yet, now, along with eggplant okra…… Continue reading Lebanese Okra and Beef Stew
Grilled Sous-Vide Tri-tip, Kale Salad, Double Baked Potatoes
Combining grilling over charcoal with sous-vide precision cooking is the ultimate best-of-both-worlds approach. This is especially true for cuts of beef that are a little tricky to get right like the tri-tip. It has an uneven shape and thickness, it can also come out tough or dry if not cooked and sliced right. In this…… Continue reading Grilled Sous-Vide Tri-tip, Kale Salad, Double Baked Potatoes
Burnt Eggplant Salad
We avoid burning things in most of cooking. It produces acrid, bitter and unpleasant textures. Yet, for some things, under certain circumstances “burnt” is good, very good. Heating sugar to just the point of smoking makes for amazing caramel. Those leopard dark spots on Neapolitan pizza give it a wonderful taste and texture. I do…… Continue reading Burnt Eggplant Salad
Confit de Porc
Confit has to be one of the most reward to effort ratio meat preparations that exist. Salt and season, cook gently in fat, store, reheat and eat. That’s it. In these cooler months it is a comforting, relaxing and delicious preparation. No, there is not that much more to it. Pork confit is what I…… Continue reading Confit de Porc
Oven Dried Tomatoes 