Chef Harrison Keevil of Brookville Restaurant in Charlottesville, Va. shared this recipe.

“This soup changes from bite to bite. It goes from sweet to savory and back,” he said. Strawberries are the main ingredient, so use the best ones you can find.

Hands-On Time: 20 minutes 

Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes 

Serves: 4 to 6 as an appetizer

Ingredients

• 1½ pounds (about 5 cups) strawberries, hulled
• ¼ cup good-quality white-wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• ¼ cup lightly packed mint leaves, cut into chiffonade
• Crème fraîche, for garnish

What To Do

1. Combine strawberries, vinegar, sugar and salt in a bowl. Refrigerate and let macerate 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes or so.

2. Purée strawberries, vinegar, sugar and salt in a blender. Strain if desired for a seedless soup, but it isn’t necessary.

3. Serve garnished with mint and a dollop of crème fraîche.

….because cardiologists need to make a living too!

This is a fabulously simple, hearty, quick, delicious dish that you should feel thoroughly guilty about as you go for your third helping.  It’s got everything to make your taste buds say YES! and your heart to say NO!!!!

The best way to prepare this dish is to take large baked potatoes that were previously cooked, put in the refrigerator so they’re cold.

Take three large baked potatoes, and smash/cut into irregular chunks.  Put into super hot skillet, preferably a black skillet.  The skillet should have been coated with olive oil that is also sizzling hot.

Put the potatoes in, cover, and let fry so they are crispy on bottom.  Every 3-5 minutes, toss so as to crisp in other areas.  Add salt and pepper for seasoning.

Then add a quarter of cube of butter, let melt, as you are flipping the potatoes.

Meanwhile, there’s more fun in your other black skillet.  This one is frying up generous amounts of thick-cut apple smoked bacon.  Cook up 6 - 10 strips.  Let your conscience be your guide as to quantity.  You might just say 10 - Hail Mary’s and make it 12.

Back at the ranch, add a half pound of grated sharp cheddar cheese to the potatoes, cover pan, and reduce heat to low.

Toppings:

• six to eight stalks of scallions
• sour cream - quantity - your choice
• chopped jalapenos - Ole
• hot sauce - go for it
• avocado - why not
• diced tomatoes - two or three whole tomatoes

Be sure to set aside $300 for extra time you’ll need to spend with your private trainer.

Enjoy!!

Berry Season 101

You can get good-quality berries in most markets now through the end of summer—and raspberries and blackberries last into the fall. But each berry has a slightly different peak season: Strawberries and blueberries are approaching their peaks right now, while blackberries and raspberries are at their very best later in the summer, around August.

___________

Sticky Blackberry Barbecued Pork Ribs

The smallest and most tender pork rib, baby back ribs cook relatively quickly. This jammy, sweet glaze tastes best when you season the finished ribs generously with salt.

Hands-On Time: 1 hour 15 minutes Total Time: 3½ hours

Serves: 4

Justin Walker for The Wall Street Journal, Food Styling by Karen Evans, Prop Styling by DSM

Ingredients

• 2 racks baby back pork ribs (about 2-2½ pounds each)
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 2 tablespoons black pepper
• 1 tablespoon hot smoked paprika
• 1¼ cups honey
• ¾ pound (about 2½ cups) blackberries
• ½ cup blackberry preserves
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• 3 tablespoons bourbon (or whiskey)
• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons red-pepper flakes

What To Do

1. Flip one rib rack over and insert the tip of a butter knife under tough membrane that covers back of rack. Wiggle knife to loosen membrane. Grab membrane with a paper towel and pull it off. Repeat with remaining rack.

2. At least 1 hour before cooking, mix 1 tablespoon salt, 1 tablespoon pepper and smoked paprika in a small bowl. Season ribs very generously on all sides with spice mixture. Let ribs come to room temperature, about 1 hour.

3. Meanwhile, set up a grill to cook with indirect heat: For a charcoal grill, light charcoal using a chimney starter. When coals have started to ash over on top, pour them all onto one side of lower grate. This creates a hot zone and a cooler zone. If using a gas grill, light burners on one side of grill, leaving others off to create a hot zone and a cooler zone. Or preheat an oven to 350 degrees to cook ribs indoors.

4. Place ribs meaty-side up on cooler side of the grill and close lid. (Make sure vents are partly open.) Or put ribs in a roasting pan and place in oven. Cook ribs 1 hour. If using a charcoal grill, light more charcoal briquettes in chimney starter and pour on top of coals to replenish the fire. Flip ribs meaty-side down. Cook until tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

5. Meanwhile, make blackberry glaze: In a blender, purée honey, blackberries, preserves, maple syrup, bourbon, vinegar, red-pepper flakes and remaining salt and pepper. Scrape into a saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook about 15 minutes, stirring frequently, until reduced and syrupy.

6. Flip ribs meaty-side up, brush generously with glaze and close the lid. Cook 1 minute. Brush meaty side with glaze again. Move ribs to hot side of grill and flip over. Brush underside of racks with glaze. Close lid. Cook 1 minute or until glazed and caramelized on both sides. If cooking inside, brush ribs with glaze and place under broiler until glazed and caramelized, 1-2 minutes. Season generously with salt and let rest 10 minutes before serving.

OK, I admit it.  I’m obsessed with my new meat grinder and I’m now a passenger with the Mad Hatter’s grinding device.

Adventure?  Or road trip with insanity?  That question, partially, will be answered tonight when we know about the results of a strange concoction that forever more will be known as “God Help Me Meatloaf”.

I’m also in danger of self rejecting myself as an 18/8 Man.  Would an 18/8 Man really conduct an experiment that is so wrought with strangeness and, well…pot luck?

OK – so what is this culinary chemistry act that fills me with such trepidation?

Below is the first act to this two act play.  I don’t yet know the outcome:

ACT ONE

I grind up about three pounds of pork loin and pork shoulder (the pork shoulder is so there is some extra fat, or else the meat is too lean for cooking).  I’m thinking that the ground pork will be turned into pork patties (we tried ground sirloin beef patties last week…phenomenal).

After grinding away, Chief Chef, aka wife, asks me with that ‘what the heck are you thinking of?’ voice, “what do you plan to do with the ground pork??”

Timid Chef - I respond with a defensive bounce in my voice…”pork patties.”

Chief Chef “Noooooooooo, won’t turn out well.  You need to turn it into meatloaf.” 

Timid Chef “Ok, I respond” and start to form meatloaf balls.

Chief Chef - “No, you’re not thinking…meatloaf needs lots of stuff to give it flavor.” 

Timid Chef - “Ok, why don’t you chop up fresh, de-seeded jalapeno, fresh oregano from the garden, scallions, and onions?”

Chief Chef chops away.  After everything is chopped, I proceed to mix, ready to form into  a meatloaf ball.

Chief Chef – “You’re not ready.  Meatloaf needs other meats to give it more flavor and texture.”

Passive Aggressive Timid Chef – “Whatever you say” – I’m now forming a quiet subplot to show Chief Chef who’s the real boss.

I proceed to grind up yesterdays grilled sirloin steak.  Then add minced spicy chicken left over from Thai restaurant.  Then add three Italian sausage links.  Then take a quarter of a loaf of three day old drying homemade bread.  The bread being the ultimate act of passive aggression…’because I feel like it.”  The bread as it grinds spews out of the machine like an insidious onslaught of asbestos.

I’m no longer consulting with Chief Chef.  I simply mix everything together into a meatloaf ball, put in preheated oven at 400 degrees…and pray.

Chief Chef – “Set for one hour.”

I set the timer for 40 minutes.  Chief Chef always overcooks meatloaf.  I do not mention this fact.  Worried, Timid Chef lives in fear to second guess Chief Chef.

Chief Chef – “what else did you add?”

Worried Timid Chef – “some leftover meat”.  A half lie.  Then I pray some more.

ACT TWO

Ok, just out of the oven….what does it look like? What does it taste like?  Oh God, please do not let this day go down in 18/8 culinary infamy…

Discreetly, I cut into the meatloaf to make sure it is not over cooked.  It is perfect - moist and juicy in the middle; a dark patina of crust on the outside. 

I take a bite to test the results…very discreetly, and fully ready to toss the experiment into the garbage can.

“Oh my God”…are the first words that leap from my tongue.  “Wow….This is incredible… extraordinary.”

Chief Chef – tastes, giving me the all knowing culinary eye contact.  “Scottie…this is really, really good.  This is the best meat loaf I have ever tasted.”

“Scottie” …that’s a good sign that I’m being stroked in adoring approval…I think.

Anyway, for a moment, I can bask in culinary glory and puff my chest knowing that God Help Me Meatloaf can be proudly rebranded as OMG Meatloaf.

A culinary tale with a very happy ending.

SEEKING WHERE OTHERS AREN’T | Kermit Lynch at his wine store in Berkeley, Calif.

MORE THAN 20 YEARS AGO, Kermit Lynch wrote what may be the best book on the wine business. Equal parts professional insight and Henry James-inspired travelogue, “Adventures on the Wine Route” was not only much praised but has never been out of print.

Mr. Lynch’s take on all this? “I made a huge mistake commercially; I wrote a book explaining what I do,” he said over a late-morning glass of Muscadet at Balthazar restaurant in New York. It was a classic Kermit Lynch remark: a bit wry, a bit curmudgeonly and a bit true as well.

Oenofile: The Best of Lynch

Mr. Lynch has been a Berkeley, Calif.-based wine retailer and wine importer for 40 years. (In California, unlike most other states, it’s possible to be both.) And while Mr. Lynch has a lot more competition than he did when he started out (including a few importers who have written books as well), a bottle of wine bearing the Kermit Lynch name is practically a quality guarantee.

Although he once imported wines from all over the world, Mr. Lynch now focuses entirely on small, family-owned estates in Italy and France. “You can’t really dig too deeply if you try to cover the world,” said Mr. Lynch, who estimates that he imports the wines of around 150 producers, and is always looking for more. For every 100 producers he visits, Mr. Lynch might add a single one to his portfolio. His most recent addition was the Sicilian winery Riofavara.

 

Erin Kunkel for The Wall Street Journal

Mr. Lynch’s shop

He first tasted a Riofavara wine over a lunch in Sicily with chef Alice Waters and Aubert de Villaine, the proprietor of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti. (Mr. Lynch discovered one of his most important producers, Domaine Tempier, in the company of Ms. Waters many years ago at her restaurant Chez Panisse.) The Riofavara wines have been an immediate success, Mr. Lynch said. A little-known Sicilian wine would never have taken off so quickly years ago, he added, but today “people are willing to taste and judge.”

Read More

I’m in heaven!

My wife and kids just gave me a father’s day present that I’ve been dreaming of for a long time…a Cuisinart Meat Grinder.

If you have never had freshly ground meat made into fresh burgers, taco meat, meat loaf, sausage, steak tartare…you are missing a small part of heaven.  Freshly ground meat – there is nothing finer. 

So, I just finished grinding about six pounds of top sirloin.  We got the sirloin on sale at Von’s for $3.99.  Part of the meat we’re freezing, the other part is going on the grill in an hour.  I’m still experimenting, so I left a fair amount of fat on the grind.  You need some fat for the meat on the barbecue so you’ll attract the flame to the meat and get a good searing to lock in flavor.

I even tasted some of the fresh lean sirloin as it came out of the grinder.  Wow!  Like delicious steak tartare.  Can’t wait to get some filet mignon – add a little lemon, parsley, some onions, and capers that apply liberally over freshly toasted baguette.   Yum.

I’m looking forward to having guests, or my kids’ college friends over.  Then grind their burgers on the spot.  Way cool.

See links below for YouTube video on the Cuisinart Meat Grinder and also a steak tartare recipe on video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vma6CxtEndM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNmW24I9r2Y

P.S. Check out my finished burgers made from the fresh grounded sirloin! Delicious…

From my kitchen to yours, I bring you the delicacy of a pasta that is crispy, but at the same time tender; an explosion of flavor bathed in the glory of a fresh homemade bruschetta sauce. I hope it charms and entices you enough to cook it for yourself or to impress that special person in your life. Trust me, this recipe may be fairly simple, but it is all you need to bring some more sophistication and class to your cooking.

Ingredients (Serves 2-4)

• Box of quality pasta – Farfallone, a larger version of Farfalle pasta, or most commonly known as large bow-tie pasta.

o   Farfallone pasta was originated in Northern Italy and dates back to the 16^th century. Interestingly enough it was named after the Italian word for “butterfly” as it resembles butterfly wings. This decorative pasta form adds a nice elegant touch to our recipe.

o   High quality pasta will ensure better taste as it will hold the sauce uniformly and preserve its important ‘al dente’ texture. When choosing superior quality pasta, don’t blindly trust the packaging, but rather examine it closely and make sure it has a golden yellow color with uniform appearance and texture (no tiny specks). Lower quality pasta will have a darker brown color, dark shades, or lots of small specks in it. De Cecco or Voiello are probably one of the best brands you can find at your local supermarket. If those are not available choose one “Made in Italy” not necessarily “Imported from Italy”, nor trust the ones with Italian names, as these could actually be made somewhere else.

o   Always make sure to store your pasta in a cool, dry place. After opening the package always transfer to an airtight container to keep its quality.

• 1-1½ pound of fresh Italian parmesan cheese
• 2 Whole Shallots chopped
• 2 Whole Sweet White Onions chopped
• 1½-2 Whole Garlic minced
• 6 diced Roma tomatoes
• 10-20 leaves of fresh basil and similar quantity of parsley
• ½ cup of Olive Oil
• 2/3 cup medium quality balsamic vinegar
• 1 oz of high quality balsamic vinegar
• 4 tablespoons of sugar
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1 tablespoon of coarse ground pepper

Tools

• Large Black Iron Skillet or a large frying-pan

o   If you do not already own a black skillet definitely consider investing in one, or a couple, as they are one of the best cookware you can have and they last an eternity.  A black skillet will be made from cast iron and with time will develop a hard layer of grease or “seasoning” that will prevent the food from sticking and most importantly, it will add a unique flavor to it. Even better, there is no soap, cleaning or scrubbing involved, as usually everything slides off and you aim to leave a thin layer of greasy residue with every cooking. Other times, wiping it with a paper towel should do the trick. If you are intrigued by the secrets of black skillets then you will enjoy reading this.

• Stainless Cookware

o   All-Clad is one of the best cookware brands out there, however, if you are not much of a cooking enthusiast it may not be worth the expense. Cuisinart, Caphalon, or Rachel Ray Hard-Anodized cookware brands are also of good quality but available at a more affordable price if you are on a budget. You can read more on best-reviewed cookware here.

Procedure:

If you plan on succeeding while cooking this pasta you better be good at multitasking, as you will be juggling the following tasks simultaneously.

1. Prepare pasta “al dente”

The term “al dente”, derived from Italian meaning “to the bite” describes pasta cooked to the point it is still firm but not hard. This is very important as the pasta will undergo another cooking and you want it to hold up and retain its firmness through the process.

2. Prepare homemade bruschetta

Make a mixture of 1/3 cup of olive oil, 2/3 cup of medium quality balsamic vinegar, 4 heaping tablespoons of sugar, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 tablespoon of coarse ground pepper and the 4 cloves of garlic finely minced. For an extra zing, throw in 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper and ¼ cup of peach-mango salsa (Santa Barbara brand is a good choice).  Add the diced Roma tomatoes, toss and place in the fridge to allow marinating.

Separately, hand grate the Italian cheese. You can also use a combination of half Parmesan and half Asiago to add more flavor. Also, chop the fresh basil and the parsley to be used later on.

3. Set the stage for the first cooking

Mince the whole garlic (leaving aside 4 cloves) and chop the shallots and sweet white onions. My philosophy: if you think you’ve used too much garlic, double it - vampires beware. Sautee the shallots with the onions and as they’re turning brown add the garlic (adding it from the start would cause it to overcook and get toasty and bitter).

Second Cooking

Take the pasta “al dente” and put it in the black skillet with the rest of the olive oil and brown the pasta on high heat for approximately 5 minutes. Add the sautéed mixture of shallots, garlic and onion and quickly toss with the pasta.

Third Cooking:

Add the grated cheese, cover it and let it melt on high heat. Continue to toss every minute, for 5-8 minutes, to keep it from crumbling. The cheese will caramelize with the pasta during this time.

Transfer it to a bowl and add the previously prepared bruschetta mixture, proceed to add the chopped basil and Italian parsley. Then add about 1 oz. of high quality balsamic vinegar and do a very light toss to preserve the herbs consistency.

—-

Serve, enjoy immensely, and proceed to make love. Let me know what you think after trying it! - courtesy of The 18/8 Man.

I think everyone can agree that we all have memories around a table eating a classic meatloaf. With this interesting variation of that classic, you have the chance to share old memories and make new ones with someone special. This spin on the classic will show your culinary flair and is sure to impress!

1 tsp olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 large carrot, grated

3 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, minced

½ cup amber ale

1 beef bouillon cube

3 tablespoons ketchup

pinch, of cayenne pepper

pinch, of poultry seasoning

1 cup herbed stuffing mix

1 pound ground turkey

½ pound ground beef

2 eggs, beaten

¼ cup currant jelly or jam

2 tablespoon black currants

½ tsp dry mustard

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium to high heat. Saute the onions, carrots and parsley until soft, about 7 minutes. Set aside.

3. In a small saucepan, combine the beer and bouillon cube. Bring to a boil and dissolve the bouillon cube. Remove from heat and stir in the ketchup, cayenne pepper, poultry seasoning and stuffing mix until evenly moistened.

4. In a large mixing bowl, combine the turkey and beef. Add the eggs, onion mixture and stuffing mixture. Mix well.

5. Pat into a generously greased 9 x 5 x 3 – inch loaf pan.

6. Combine remaining ingredients in a small saucepan and boil until smooth. Pour over meat loaf and bake 1 hour. Let stand for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

Steaks with Blue Cheese Butter

The stout aroma and flavor of blue cheese have always been a steakhouse staple as a salad dressing. But in recent years the blue cheese has moved from the iceberg to the red meat. Maybe now is the opportunity for you as well to break outside the mold and woo her with this rich flavor! This recipe gives you the basis for making compound butters; which are nothing more than butter blended with flavoring agents to add another dimension to your food.
Now what does blue cheese butter do for a steak? The Ultimate steak nirvana, once she tries it you will know what we are talking about.

Prep Time:
5 Min

Cook Time:
15 Min

Ready In:
20 Min

Ingredients

                   2 (6 oz.) beef tenderloin filets, 1 1/2 inches thick

                   2 oz. blue cheese, crumbled

                   2 Tbsp. butter, softened

                   2 slices white bread, crusts removed and cubed

                   1 Tbsp. olive oil

                   2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

        Place meat on broiler pan. Broil 4-6 in. from the heat for 5-8 minutes on each side or until meat is browned and cooked to desired doneness (for medium-rare, a meat thermometer should read 145 degrees F; medium, 160 degrees F; well-done, 170 degrees F).

Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine the blue cheese and butter; set aside. In a skillet, sauté bread cubes in oil until golden brown. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Top steaks with blue cheese mixture and sprinkle with croutons; broil 1 minute longer or until cheese is slightly melted.

Written by the Author of this blog and an Interesting and Intriguing man himself. He recommends this read to all cooking and brew lovers!

“A sophisticated cookbook for beer lovers contains recipes by such noted chefs as Michael Richard of Citrus and Francesco Antonucci of Remi, and includes such dishes as A Shellfish Trio in Ale and Roasted Winter Vegetables with Honey-Pilsner Glaze.”

http://www.amazon.com/Famous-Chefs-Other-Characters-Cook/dp/0385480415/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1332883148&sr=8-1

This Martini is light, fresh, and an easy conversation starter. The exercise of preparing a drink for a lady demonstrates  the attention to detail she has been looking for and of course, your agility with your hands.   Just be warned 2 will get you goin’!

½ cup lemon vodka

½ cup Cointreau (orange flavored liqueur – or Triple Sec)

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

Splash of lemon-lime soda

Splash of sweet and sour

Rim frozen martini glass with Roses Lime Juice and baker’s sugar

Shake with ice and pour

Makes 3 small or 2 large martinis

Enjoy!!

Note: use blueberry vodka instead of lemon vodka for blueberry martinis