The Best 72-hour Sous Vide Short Rib

Why, in my humble opinion is this the best version of beef short rib cooked sous vide? The short answer is: It’s never ever stinky! But I’m hoping you want to know a little more about what I’m talking about and what I did to read on. If not, here is a quick jump to…… Continue reading The Best 72-hour Sous Vide Short Rib

Venison Leg Roast, Portuguese Flavors with Chickpeas

Axis deer are overpopulated in Hawaii. They happen to have delicious meat that is also very dense in protein and nutrients while at the same time being mild and lean. So, it makes sense on all levels for a company like Maui Nui to realize the potential of what they have in Hawaii, humanely harvest…… Continue reading Venison Leg Roast, Portuguese Flavors with Chickpeas

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

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

Aviary Cocktail: Another Caucasian, Gary

The Dude might not recognize this lovely complex drink as his favorite indulgence but the folks at Aviary, the Chicago and NYC cocktail bar, created this in his honor. It is a refined take on the White Russian and named after one of thousands of memorable Dude quotes from the Coens’ The Big Lebowski. The…… Continue reading Aviary Cocktail: Another Caucasian, Gary

Salmon, Cauliflower and Citronette

This is a rare post for me. I cooked this for dinner tonight. Typically it takes me weeks or even months before getting back to something I want to blog about. This dish was simple, delicious and looked great that I figured I’ll get off my lazy behind and post it here. I picked up…… Continue reading Salmon, Cauliflower and Citronette

Equilibrium-Brined Pork Belly

Brining has been in the culinary home cook’s lexicon for the better part of maybe 15 years now. I first heard about it in a beloved episode of Alton Brown’s “Good Eats” where he brines the Thanksgiving turkey. It sounded so damn cool and science-y. It is a powerful trick that anyone can do and…… Continue reading Equilibrium-Brined Pork Belly

Citrus-Cured Salmon, Parsley-Chive Coulis

Seafood gently poached in fat is a great way to cook. Lobster poached in butter and tuna in olive oil are both such examples. The fat slowly cooks the meat and is kept at a relatively low temperature, about 44 C to 52 C (110 to 125 F) depending how you like it cooked, leaving…… Continue reading Citrus-Cured Salmon, Parsley-Chive Coulis