Seriously..Whose Yer Daddy!

OK, so this recipe is amazing. Not only that but it is ridiculously easy to make and you will wind up looking like a total Rock Star. Thanks for the recipe Rachael Ray.

First get a London Broil (about 1 1/2 -2 pounds). Then in a bowl mix salt, pepper, chili powder, minced garlic and onion powder-go heavier on the S&P than the other ingredients. Rub the steak with the mixture on both sides and wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
Salt and pepper
One 1-inch-thick top round London broil (about 2 pounds)
2 large red onions, thickly sliced
4 baking potatoes, sliced lengthwise ¼ inch thick (Think mini-potato plates)
3 cubanelle peppers, quartered lengthwise and seeded
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
1. Preheat the grill to medium. In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Brush the steak and the onion slices with some of the seasoned oil. Place the potatoes and peppers on a baking sheet and toss with the remaining seasoned oil. 2. Arrange the peppers and onion slices on the grill, cover and cook, turning occasionally, until charred and crisp-tender, 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. Arrange the steak and potatoes on the grill, cover and cook for 9 minutes on each side for medium-rare.3. Coarsely chop the peppers and onions; return to the bowl. Thinly slice the steak against the grain and add to the mixture. Add the basil and toss. Serve the steak, peppers and onions on top of the potatoes.

Andrew Zimmern

This cat is the man. Seriously, the crap he eats FREAKS ME OUT. I honestly think the oddest thing I've ever had are chapulines (fried grasshoppers) which are actually quite good. If you ever get the chance to have a chapulines taco then I suggest that you try it with an open mind. Now I have never been a seafood fan but lately I have been trying more and more things. I went on a business trip recently and had a bunch of things to eat that a year ago I would have never tried. I can tell you that they were not my favorite things but I have tried them now (sea bass, ceviche, & a piece of octopus sushi). To this day I admit that the taste of a tuna steak makes me reel. I don't like it. But I have tried it. But this dude is straight up crazy. OK. So I will draw the absolute line if he wont eat it. His show is on the Travel Channel and he couldn't even eat the durian fruit from Malaysia. OK-so its got to be horrifying.





Hold me, I'm scared.

Dear Mrs. Katz,

Oh I totally screwed this experiment up. I bought a roaster chicken the other night and we didnt finish all of the meat. So I decided to experiment the next day with the leftovers. Chicken & Potato latkes. I remember having them at my friend Mikes house when I was a kid. His mom made them from scratch. So I figured, what the hell... So I mixed the rest of the chicken with 2 potatos that had been run through a grater, 2 eggs that had been beaten, some bread crumbs, and some shaved corn. Oh hell, how hard can making a latke be?

Dear Mrs. Katz,

Im sorry, I should have been paying attention to you while you were making those fantastic latkes. My first attempt was a complete failure. Maybe you were right. Mike and I really are idiots.

Love,

Chris

I should have looked at a recipe at least.....

It's now summer.... Beers & Brats anyone?

Ya, she makes me think of German culture too.

Okay, so seriously, who doesn't like bratwursts? I happen to LOVE them. There is nothing better than brats. I am sure that since they are associated with Germans and Oktoberfest, many associate them with the waning days and chillier temperatures.

Not me brotha! It's hot, you feel the need to grill out. Lets do this right. Good call. Here is how I do it.

Get an onion or two (not that sweet vidalia crap either), and some green bell peppers. Slice them thin.

Place in a skillet and salt them. Add just enough olive oil to coat after you flip them in the pan a few times.

Burner=HIGH.

Once you have them sizzling and some of the bottom ones are a little browned, turn the burner to low.

Cover and let it sit while they soften.

While you are doing this you need to have a pot on the other burner going. This needs to have all your brats (with a pinhole prick on each end) on the bottom and covered in beer (come on man-use St. Pauli).

You just need these to bubble - DO NOT BOIL until their color says, "I'm cooked!"

OH and by the way, I like to use a small amount (as much as will fit in the center of your palm) of curry powder in the beer. Your call.

While these are slowly getting their tasty on, you need to light the grill and have it ready. Once the Brats are ready (and you have turned off the softened onions and peppers and removed from the heat), throw them on the grill and blacken them slightly as well as toasting the buns.

Just put them all together with some grainy mustard before you add the pepper and onion deliciousness to the brat and take a trip to Bavaria.

I totally stole this recipe from Rachael Ray

This picture cant be real.... it would be a better show though.

Chicken Marsala with Rice & Parmesan Bake

I've made it. It's easy. It's good.

Okay... so I read her magazine cover to cover. Bite me!

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter
10 ounces sliced mushrooms
1 1/2 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup marsala wine or white wine (MARSALA MARSALA)
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley (I used dried)
Salt and pepper
1 cup long-grain rice
2 packed cups coarsely chopped rotisserie chicken (or boil a breast and chop)
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese (I used a lot more)

Cook it!

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. In a large skillet, heat the butter over medium-high heat until just melted. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle the flour on top and stir in for 1 minute. Stir in the marsala and cream and simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Stir in 2 cups water, the parsley, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

2. In a greased 9-inch-by-13-inch casserole, spread the rice in an even layer; top with the chicken. Pour the mushroom gravy on top. Cover snugly with foil and bake until bubbly, about 35 minutes. Discard the foil, sprinkle the parmesan on top and bake for 5 minutes more.

Real men do eat quiche

I have some great childhood memories of my mom making quiche on special occasions. I always helped and I ALWAYS ate it.

This brought me to the conclusion the real men can eat quiche.

I am not quite sure where that absolutely stupid phrase came from, but I can tell you that if somebody won't eat this because of a dumb saying then they are definitely not a real man.

One thing I have learned is that you should try new things and not be limited by others' opinions.

As I said earlier, my mom would make this and I remember it quite fondly. Well, it's fantastic. I love this recipe.

But sorry mom, the student has surpassed the master on this one.

My quiche is better than yours.

My mother is as competitive as me and I am sure I will hear about this.

OK SO HERE GOES...

Ingredients:

Deep dish pie crust (buy the store one and save the hassle)

6-8 strips of bacon (Bacon tastes good - with a Cain from Kung Fu reference it all comes full circle)

1/2 cup of the green part of a green onion (chopped)

1 cup of cubed swiss cheese

1/4 cup parmesan

3 eggs (beaten)

1 1/2 cups cream

S&P


Cook it!

1. Preheat oven to 450


2. Cut bacon into tiny pieces and cook in skillet


3. Put the pie with tin in oven for 5 minutes


4. throw the green onion into the skillet with the bacon & grease


5. Once scallions are dark green and even a litle blackend remove from skillet


6. Put bacon and scallions on paper towels and squeeze to remove most of the grease


7. remove pie from oven


8. add cheese


9. beat eggs, cream, onions, scallions and S&P together


10. thrown into pie


11. 15 minutes in oven


12. reduce the temp in oven to 350


13. use a paper towel to remove excess oil that has risen to top (just blot)


14. cook until a knife comes out clean and top is browned a little


15. Its OK to use broiler for a minute

Dad's public service announcement: Bacon is good. Eat it often.

Ribstravaganza!!

So, it's Memorial Day weekend and I took the whole family to Ribstravaganza- one of the best parties every year.

I had't been since the twins were born.

The guy who holds it is an old work friend of mine. He started Ribtravaganza 7 years ago and he always goes all out for this Memorial Weekend mainstay. He starts smoking the ribs the day before the party--seriously. He doesn't mess around and I can tell you that they are as good as or better than any ribs I've ever had at a resturant.

I brought my jalepeno corn bread to the party. Just to give you an idea of what Ribstravaganza is all about, here are a few sections of the e-vite he sent out.

IT IS TIME FOR RIBSTRAVAGANZA VII The Pork-onomic Stimulation Plan
Times are tough (but well cooked PORK is TENDER and JUICY), we are all feeling it (PERVERT, watch where you’re putting your hands we’re talking about the Pork-onomy). I feel it is my duty (as High Exultant Grill Master and Leader of the Church Of Ribstravagance) to do my part to STIMULATE (get your minds out of the gutter, there will be no feather dusters or animal husbandry at RIBSTRAVAGANZA). This is a time to REJOICE and REVEL and forget about your troubles while basking in the glory of PORKDOM.

So, what does this really mean to you? If you have to ask, you are either a Ribstravagant Virgin, you’re just stupid, or perhaps all the drugs you did as a child are beginning to cause problems now that you are getting old. To have a successful Pork-onomic Recovery you need several things (a machine gun, a large bag full of unmarked bills, 3 quarts of motor oil, a can of starting fluid, a pair of bright orange overalls, swim goggles, ballet slippers, a pair of rubber gloves, roll of duct tape and a can of WD-40 for sure… nope, my bad, there I go again, confusing my plan to take over a small Central American country with my plan to STIMULATE the Pork-onomy).

Are LITTLE PEOPLE welcome at RIBSTRAVAGANZA?
Why yes, they are, but if they start drinking too much beer we will have to cut them off. We will also have a variety of yard work and light carpentry that they can do (power tools will be provided to any child over the age of 7. Children under 7 must bring their own power tools). Just kidding (but if they wanna work we can find something for them to do).

The kids loved the party. And no power tool injuries ruined the afternoon.