Peter – The Roaming GastroGnome – Page 17

New Orleans Inspiration: Ginger Beer Pork Cheeks with Basil Apricot Ginger Sauce

New Orleans. How can a chef or home cook not draw inspiration from the Crescent City? It’s a very unique culinary city and I really don’t think there’s any place on earth which compares to it for the vibrant and diverse food combinations you discover there. As well as all of the other outrageous stuffContinue reading “New Orleans Inspiration: Ginger Beer Pork Cheeks with Basil Apricot Ginger Sauce”

Beurre Manié and French Style Spring Peas

This week I’m kneading things up a little bit (wait for it…) and incorporating a simple yet useful technique into the post. Cheryl picked up a package of shelled peas at Trader Joe’s so I made some French peas to go with our Sunday dinner roast. Since I’d made this dish before, I knew thereContinue reading “Beurre Manié and French Style Spring Peas”

Curried Lamb Salad – Finishing Off A Leg of Lamb

This week we had a few leftovers in the house from Easter, mostly leg of lamb and some pastel colored hard-boiled eggs. Initially I thought maybe I’d do a post on egg salad since national egg salad day (seriously?) occurred last week. Yes I know, egg salad can be boring but it triggered the followingContinue reading “Curried Lamb Salad – Finishing Off A Leg of Lamb”

A Classic Piadina – Prosciutto e Taleggio (Ham and Cheese)

What’s a piadina? A thin, almost pita-like Italian flatbread dough which doesn’t rise and can cook quickly on a grill or griddle. From our travels throughout Italy I’ve noticed these types of sandwiches are pretty popular in small cafes and places where people are on-the-go like, train stations. Piadina (piadine?) can be filled with aContinue reading “A Classic Piadina – Prosciutto e Taleggio (Ham and Cheese)”

Asparagus Lemon Custard – A Savory Springtime Treat

I can’t get enough of asparagus in the spring, it’s one of my favorite vegetables and I try to use it a lot because of the shortish season. It just makes me happy because I know spring is really here. Plain old sautéed/steamed asparagus can get kind of boring though so last week IContinue reading “Asparagus Lemon Custard – A Savory Springtime Treat”

Homemade Mustard – Condiment Making 101

Mustard. Chicago’s favored hot dog condiment and one which comes in many forms. There’s spicy, sweet, honey, stone ground, Dijon, country-style, Chinese, German, sharp and tangy…I could go on and on. If you take a look at the ingredients you’ll find, no matter which is your favorite, mustards are pretty much all made with theContinue reading “Homemade Mustard – Condiment Making 101”

Artichokes & Asparagus with Olives and Lemon (Carciofi e Aspraragi)

Spring is here! Not quite temperature-wise but mainly in the appearance of vegetables like artichokes and asparagus at the store. Artichokes and asparagus are a great combination and I was really happy to have some different ‘in-season’ produce to work with. It’s not a very revolutionary preparation but a quick sauté with some acid (lemon)Continue reading “Artichokes & Asparagus with Olives and Lemon (Carciofi e Aspraragi)”

Sunday Dinner Side Dish: Potatoes Dauphinoise

While you may think this potato dish gets its name from being prepared for French royalty, it’s actually named after the region it comes from: Dauphiné. The French have some great potato preparations and this is no exception. Goes great with any Sunday dinner and since I hadn’t made Potatoes Dauphinoise in a long whileContinue reading “Sunday Dinner Side Dish: Potatoes Dauphinoise”

English Harbour, Antigua – A Vacation of Sun, Sand, and Rum

If there’s one thing which can help cure the gloomy mood of an overly long and cold winter, it’s a trip to an island with plenty of sun, rum, and beaches. We tried to go to Antigua back over Valentine’s Day but a snowstorm knocked out the east coast and our flight was canceled. ThanksContinue reading “English Harbour, Antigua – A Vacation of Sun, Sand, and Rum”

Sicilian Pizza and Arcade Games

Thumbing through Classico e Moderno for some pizza ideas I came across a recipe for a Sicilian style pie which reminded me of pizzerias back home in New York and summers of riding around with friends playing arcade games. Just like here in Chicago, we had different types of pizza growing up; the regular pizza,Continue reading “Sicilian Pizza and Arcade Games”