Time to start thinking about summer cocktails, and that means rum. One rum cooler which I think is perfect for the heat is the Dark and Stormy. It’s refreshing, simple to make, and delicious with just the right mixture of spice, sweet, and citrus.Continue reading “Dark & Stormy – A Perfect Summertime Cocktail”
White Bean Bruschetta with Duck Skin Crackling
It has been a real whirlwind spring so far. I’ve been really busy with work (a good thing) and in our spare time we’ve been revamping the back yard, tearing out shrubs, expanding the patio, making some raised bed gardens (an even better thing). Cooking has temporarily taken a back seat. However, this past Sunday a rare thing happened, I had no work appointments, our backyard project was completed, and I had no soccer game which meant I had time to get a little creative. I came up with a great appetizer to snack on while sitting in the afternoon sun: white bean bruschetta with some duck skin crackling.Continue reading “White Bean Bruschetta with Duck Skin Crackling”
A Really Cool Upcoming Event in Chicago: Tale of Two Chefs Pop-Up Restaurant, Bounty of Spring
It’s rare that I get to write about an upcoming event since most of my event posts are post-event (har har har). Well here’s a case where I can actually tell you about something coming up where I know exactly what to expect. Coming up on May 18, 2013 is Chef Julius Russell’s next pop-up restaurant event focusing on the Bounty of Spring. Having been to a couple of his other pop-ups (NOLA & Valentine’s Day) I can tell you it’s going to be a pretty delicious dinner.Continue reading “A Really Cool Upcoming Event in Chicago: Tale of Two Chefs Pop-Up Restaurant, Bounty of Spring”
Herb Butter – Kitchen Essential
Herb butter. Compound butter. Hotel butter. No matter what you call it, it’s one of the easiest items you can make and add to your kitchen essentials cupboard. It’s also a good example of how a simple uncomplicated item can have tremendous effects on anything you cook. Finish off your vegetables with it, plop a dollop on top of that grilled steak while it’s resting, add it to a sauce, spread some on the outside of your bread before making a panini; the uses for herb butter are endless and the results are endlessly delicious.Continue reading “Herb Butter – Kitchen Essential”
48 hours in Barcelona – Things to Do
After Cheryl and I got married we spent our honeymoon in Rome, Sardinia, Florence, and Barcelona. Barcelona came at the tail end for just a couple of days and we found ourselves wishing we had spent more time there and uttered words many travelers have said “well, we’ll just have to come back.” So when the opportunity to return to Barcelona presented itself over Easter weekend we took it! We’d only have about 48 hours in Barcelona which just goes to show how much we like this city.Continue reading “48 hours in Barcelona – Things to Do”
Two New Sausages: Mango-Poblano Pepper and Apple-Sage
I’ve been practicing my sausage making skills over the winter and last week I decided it was time to test myself. Grilling season is approaching here in Chicago so it was time to use the basic skills I’ve acquired and invent something delicious. I settled on two new flavors: a mango-poblano pepper sausage and an apple-sage sausage. Continue reading “Two New Sausages: Mango-Poblano Pepper and Apple-Sage”
St. Patrick’s Day Corned Beef (Part 2 – the finished product)
After 6 days in brine the brisket was ready for cooking and the photo above does not begin to do justice to this corned beef. If you could only taste it! The ready-to-cook corned beef you buy in the store has nothing on this version in terms of flavor. There’s no way you get as intense a flavor from them. The cloves, allspice, and bay leaves in the brine layer each with each bite with interesting flavor. To be perfectly honest, I can’t wait to get a smoker this summer so I can take this same recipe and smoke the brisket instead for some pastrami or Montreal style smoked meat.Continue reading “St. Patrick’s Day Corned Beef (Part 2 – the finished product)”
St. Patrick’s Day Corned Beef (Part 1 – brining the beef)
Corned beef. A staple of St Patrick’s Day here in America, along with green beer and a green river, at least here in Chicago. This year instead of buying the supermarket corned beef I decided to make my own. Armed with a brine recipe from Ruhlman’s Charcuterie I picked up a 4 lb slab of beef brisket (flat cut) and set about getting started.Continue reading “St. Patrick’s Day Corned Beef (Part 1 – brining the beef)”
Homemade Gnocchi – It’s Taken a While but I Finally Did It
Ah gnocchi. When gnocchi is made right they are like light and airy pillows; when made wrong like heavy and dense globs of potato. They are one of Cheryl’s favorite foods and always in the running if we’re at an Italian restaurant and gnocchi is on the menu. Gnocchi are made with the simplest ingredients, potatoes and flour, but you have to get the ratio correct. It’s a fine line between glob and pillow.Continue reading “Homemade Gnocchi – It’s Taken a While but I Finally Did It”
Palette de Porc a la Biere (ou en anglais Beer Braised Pork Shoulder with a Dijon Mustard Sauce)
Over the weekend Cheryl requested something new and untried for Sunday dinner and said she’d pick from the cookbook shelf. The winning recipe of the ones she chose: Bourdain’s Palette de Porc a la Biere; a.k.a beer braised pork shoulder with mustard sauce.Continue reading “Palette de Porc a la Biere (ou en anglais Beer Braised Pork Shoulder with a Dijon Mustard Sauce)”
The Roaming GastroGnome 