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July 22, 2008
Oscar and Mojo like Survival Spice
A great picture of Chilebrown's dogs Oscar and Mojo with some tins of our Survival Spice® barbecue rub, sent in by Paul, whose blog is really kicking ass these days.
Okay, that's it for the great pet blogging- back to food tomorrow!
Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 11:43 AM | Comments (1)
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July 21, 2008
R.I.P., Hankie
We lost a good friend this morning, after 20 years. If you have pets, please hug them a little tighter today, for us.
Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 12:40 PM | Comments (7)
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July 16, 2008
Stumble Upon
Update- 7/17 I've got the page coded properly now, just click on the "Stumble It" button at the bottom of every post, and it will open a new page with all the geeky stuff filled in for you. Just add a comment, pick a category (Food/Cooking, please), say it's not adult content and post! You'll have to create a free account the first time, but it's cool to browse through the content that's posted, I must say.
You may have noticed that I'm experimenting with Stumble Upon, which is a kind of cool way for people to publicize things they find and like on the internet.
I'm not sure exactly how it works yet, but each entry has a time that it was posted. You copy that link, then click on the button to go to Stumble Upon. Paste in the link, and off you go. It was easy to set up an account, and I'm looking forward to checking it out more. Give it a try and let me know in the comments if you managed to get it to work...
Er, something like that. Anyway, I'm still working out the bugs, but publicity is a good thing, especially for our growing Desert Island Foods®.com business!
Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 08:39 AM | Comments (0)
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July 04, 2008
Happy Fourth of July 2008!
... from Desert Island Foods™.com. I hope whatever you're grilling, it's got Survival Spice™ on it!
Do you know what you're cooking today? If you'd like to email me your food pics, I'd be glad to post them. No idea what we're having here, it's only going to be 109º today, brrrrr..... I'll have to run to the market and make something up. That's the best way to throw a menu together anyway, I think.
Happy Fourth! See you Monday.
Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 07:38 AM | Comments (0)
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July 01, 2008
The "One Post a Day" Promise
Okay, I'm back.
Sorry for the long absence, a combination of burnout, being crazy busy with work and life, and a death in the family just made it impossible to focus on new site content for a while. It's important to me to get back at it, and publicly challenging myself to post every weekday seems like a great way to keep the pressure on to write.
Here's a promise- I'll post something every day Monday to Friday for the rest of the year, and if you're one of the first 10 people to "bust me" in the comments for skipping a day, I'll give you a tin of Survival Spice®. Simple as that.
Uh, speaking of Survival Spice®, I hope you have enough for the Fourth of July!
Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 01:06 PM | Comments (4)
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May 27, 2008
Pray for Grant Achatz
(Photo: Alinea)
I wrote about Alinea before, when it first opened. Apparently Chef Grant Achatz has tongue cancer, which obviously is like an painter losing their eyesight. His innovative cuisine has put him at the top of the food world, and hopefully the treatment he's receiving can save his life, as well as his tongue.
Thoughts and prayers go out to Grant and his family, you can read a great article about Grant and his battle at The New Yorker.
Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 04:37 PM | Comments (4)
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May 06, 2008
Mouth Watering Cured Meats
Apparently Chef Mario Batali's father has a cured meat business in the Seattle area. No online ordering, (ed: what's up with that, it's easy!) but some great looking stuff, and they'll take phone orders.
Thanks to Bob for the link.
Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 08:48 AM | Comments (0)
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April 24, 2008
Beautiful Salmon, ready for the grill
A really nice salmon fillet, rubbed with our Survival Spice® barbecue rub and a bit of Tibvrtini Olio Extra Virgene di Oliva. Something about this image was just really interesting to me. To you, who knows?
Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 07:53 AM | Comments (2)
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March 23, 2008
Happy Easter from the Desert
Happy Easter to all our Christian friends and customers, from everyone at Desert Island Foods®.com!
I humbly apologize for the lack of posting lately- attribute it to a brutal work schedule, and frankly, some serious bloggy burn out. I'm here, doing great, and trying desperately to find some time to spend in the kitchen. Any idea where I can get an extra hour every day?
Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 08:30 AM | Comments (1)
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February 22, 2008
Farewell, old friend...
This is a Wear Ever non stick skillet I've had forever, but I think it's finally time to say goodbye. I don't use nonstick skillets much except for cooking stuff like eggs, and this has been an absolute workhorse.
I've used these in professional kitchens a lot because they're really inexpensive, and although I own much nicer cookware I'm not a snob about what I use. It's a tool, and it's your job as a cook to understand the limitations of the equipment and ingredients you use on a daily basis, then figure out a way to make it work. Bang for buck-wise these are a great value, though not the prettiest product out there.
Let the food do the talking, I say.
Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 01:04 PM | Comments (7)
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January 30, 2008
Super Bowl Favorites- Wings and Poppers
(Photo: TPC's Grilled Jalapeño Poppers with grilled Hot Wings)
By popular request, here's my jalapeno popper technique. For more info on how I like to make wings, check these out!
Not a Super Bowl goes by in my world without Poppers. I'm not talking about those crappy, breaded things stuffed with cream cheese, I'm talking about a fresh jalapeno filled with jack cheese, shrimp and bacon, then grilled. I learned this version from my buddy Jerry, who somehow wrangled Super Bowl tickets yesterday, but I only hated him until I ate my first Popper! We've tried a million variations, sausage, pepper jack, colby, crab, etc., but we keep coming back to these ingredients.
They're really labor-intensive, but once you've served them to guests, they'll be more than happy to help you prep them next time.
Continue reading "Super Bowl Favorites- Wings and Poppers"
Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 07:31 AM | Comments (5)
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January 08, 2008
Happy New Year! Or- I'm back?
Happy New Year, and all that stuff. Yep, I'm back after sort of an impromptu break from blogging to spend some time with my in-laws- lots of great meals and sights to see, but they left a few days ago and I'm just sorting out all my New Year's resolutions, doing more blogging being high on the list.
Not a great start to that, I'll admit, but we'll correct that in the weeks to come, I hope.
Thanks for supporting Desert Island Foods®.com, there will be a newsletter with some newsletter-only sales coming soon, so let me know if you're not on the mailing list yet.
Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 07:38 AM | Comments (0)
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November 22, 2007
Happy Thanksgiving from the Desert!
(Photo: Turkey with Survival Spice® barbecue rub, and stuffed with apples and sweet onion.)
Happy Thanksgiving from Desert Island Foods™.com!
Because having a pair of stretchy sweatpants in the drawer is something to be thankful for, isn't it? We have so much to be thankful for this year, and we hope you have a happy, healthy "I'm so frickin' full I could bust" Thanksgiving.
Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 06:21 AM | Comments (2)
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November 21, 2007
All ready for tomorrow?
I'm finally down to a short punch list on our Thanksgiving meal shopping. We're doing a not so traditional menu this year- I'm smoking a 15 lb. turkey and making a Southwestern stuffing with pine nuts, Hatch chiles and maybe some prickly pear if I can find some, with some polenta added for good measure. We're also going to have mac and cheese instead of potatoes.
The only Midwesty tip of the hat to Thanksgiving dinner is the traditional green bean casserole, complete with cream of mushroom soup and those fried onion dealies on top. Gotta have that.
We're making the rounds after our dinner for dessert and whatnot, so it's actually a pretty easy day, considering.
What are you making? Feel free to share menus and commiserate on the incredible amount of work it takes to create the perfect Thanksgiving.
Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 06:35 AM | Comments (1)
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September 03, 2007
Happy Labor Day!
Whatever you're grilling, it's better with Survival Spice™ on it! We've got our buy two, get one free promotion that's been extended until September 15th, so stock up now and save!!!
Whether you need to work or not, thanks for your support of Desert Island Foods™.com.
Have a safe and happy holiday. Email me your food pics, we love to see them.
Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 09:14 AM | Comments (0)
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August 28, 2007
Hankie, the Family Gourmand
Okay, I've been a slouch this week, so time to break out the cute cat pics.
This is Hankie. He has an eye for quality champagne, doesn't he?
Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 03:27 PM | Comments (5)
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July 12, 2007
Made me laugh
Thanks to Steve for the email!
Update: Welcome, Neatorama visitors! Feel free to browse around, and use the search box to look for a recipe, or you can just scroll through the Recipe/Techniques archive.
Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 03:34 PM | Comments (2)
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June 28, 2007
Home. Hitched. Happy.
Well, I'm a married fella. We got home late last night, and I've got a pile o' stuff to catch up on. I got lots of good emails with pics and links that I'll start posting as soon as I figure out where I am!
Thanks for all the kind emails, I'm looking forward to getting back into the kitchen.
Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 07:32 AM | Comments (4)
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June 12, 2007
I'm alive
Sorry for the lack of posting, including the cardinal sin of not putting up a Friday Funny last week, but the cross country move has gone well, and we got the truck unloaded yesterday. We're headed back next Tuesday for the wedding, so I won't be able to post that week, but I'll try to put up a few posts this week.
Thanks for your patience, it's been an enormous amount of work, but it will be worth it.
Wedding gifts? No thanks, but I will say we're "registered" at Desert Island Foods®.com, where you can get yourself something nice!
Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 07:50 AM | Comments (0)
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May 28, 2007
Happy Memorial Day!!!
... from Desert Island Foods™.com. Enjoy it and have a safe holiday. In honor of our troops, please consider sending two tins of Survival Spice® overseas with our Two For the Troops program.
What's on the menu today? Keep those cameras by the grill!
Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 08:41 AM | Comments (0)
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May 16, 2007
From the Archives- Spinach and Garlic Pizza
(Photo: TPCs Garlic and Spinach Pizza)
TPC note: I'm on a plane today, but I was hungry for pizza, so I thought I'd share this post from March of '06. This was a good 'un! A close up picture is in the original post, here.
Sometimes you just feel like making pizza. Okay, is it just me?
I've made a lot of pizzas, but I don't make it at home much because it's time-consuming to make the dough, but it's so worth it because you can make enough to freeze in individual portions. I'm not posting a recipe today, because frankly I tend to wing it when I make my dough and sauce, but here's a couple of tips, anyway.
Continue reading "From the Archives- Spinach and Garlic Pizza"
Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 07:25 AM | Comments (1)
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March 17, 2007
HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!!!!!!!!
And happy birthday to my buddy Bob, who is very unlikely to remain sober....
Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 11:25 AM | Comments (0)
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December 24, 2006
Merry Christmas from Desert Island Foods®.com
(Just taking a break after the last package of the year shipped Saturday...)
Whew! Our second holiday season is now behind us, and I'd like to take a minute to thank all of you for the support you've given Desert Island Foods®.com over the last year. I really depend on word of mouth to help us continue to grow, so I appreciate everything you do to help us spread the word! Our shipping dept. is closed until January 5th, but you can still place online orders and call customer support.
Thanks for stopping every day, and I'm looking at ways that we can improve what we're doing, so that we can do an even better job for you in 2007.
Merry Christmas, everyone. I'll be traveling between now and the rest of the year, but I'll be blogging from the road, especially if you email me pictures of what you've been eating!
Thanks again, and whatever you celebrate, I wish you the very best this time of year.
Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 02:36 PM | Comments (5)
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November 23, 2006
Have a great Thanksgiving!!!
(Photo: Easy BBQ turkey with Survival Spice™ bbq rub, and stuffed with apples and sweet onion.)
Happy Thanksgiving from Desert Island Foods™.com! May your holiday be filled with great food, loved ones and gratitude. And great food.
Did I say 'great food' twice? Yep.
Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 11:43 AM | Comments (0)
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November 07, 2006
Go Vote!!!!
Whatever your political flavor, get out there and vote today! As an aside, our shipment is going out to Operation Gratitude today, thanks again to all who donated! I'm going to leave the "Two For the Troops" ad up in the right sidebar so you can continue to help us spread the word and ask your friends and family to help, as they do shipments a few times throughout the year.
Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 08:16 AM | Comments (1)
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October 25, 2006
Operation Gratitude Bleg
We're getting ready thip our donations to Operation Gratitude so please make your donations for the holiday drive! Sadly, we've fallen far short of our goal, so whatever you can do to help is really appreciated. For $7.99, you can donate two tins of Survival Spice™, normally an $11.98 value. We'll then ship, at our expense, your donated tins to Operation Gratitude to be included in the packages.
This is such a good cause. Please help!!
Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 08:26 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
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October 24, 2006
Foods you loved as a kid, but can't stand now
Milk toast. I've mentioned this before, but I loved milk toast as a kid. When we were sick, my Mom would take a piece of white toast, of course, slather it with butter, then place it in a bowl, then pour in a bit of hot milk. This, being the 60s, was way before microwaves; could you imagine being able to reheat something in the same dish you were going to eat it in back then? Sorry, I digress. The last step was to liberally cover the top of the toast with sugar. Mmmm.... it seemed so good back then.
So, you might ask, how do I know I wouldn't like it now? I tried it about 10 years ago. Home in L.A. (at the time), thousands of miles from Mom's ministrations, I attempted the dish in an attempt to ward off whatever cold/flu/leprosy bug was pummeling my aching body.
How was it? Not so good. Inedible, actually, maybe I need to get Mom's recipe. Now that I look back on it, I'm sure I didn't put nearly enough love in mine.
Got any childhood food memories that haven't stood up to your adult palate? Thanks to Julie for the idea for this post.
Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 07:57 AM | Comments (5)
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September 21, 2006
Operation Gratitude reminder
I haven't done a post about this lately, and the sales numbers show it! Just reminding you about our program we're doing with Operation Gratitude by offering a special product for their holiday shipments to the troops overseas. For $7.99, you can buy two tins of Survival Spice™, normally an $11.98 value. We'll then ship, at our expense, your donated tins to Operation Gratitude to be included in the packages.
You can get more information about this program here. As a reminder, there's also an ad in the right sidebar so you can order at any time! If you would like to add this sidebar ad to your blog or website, email me and I'll get send you the image and the underlying code.
Just to summarize:
• You personally will receive no tins if you order this product, you are donating them to Operation Gratitude.
• You can certainly order our regular products to be shipped to you in the same transaction as well.
• Operation Gratitude is a 501(c)(3) organization, so your donation of $7.99 is tax deductible.
• We respect your privacy and we never share customer information, so if you would like an acknowledgment of your donation directly from Operation Gratitude, just indicate this in the "Special Instructions" box during the checkout process, and we'll forward your name and email address to Carolyn, who created this wonderful organization.
• You can donate as many tins as you like!
• If you prefer to donate cash instead, you can donate directly to Operation Gratitude by visiting their website.
Whatever your politics, our troops are overseas, and sadly will be there for some time yet. Operation Gratitude's collections for the big holiday shipments will begin soon, and their goal is to put together at least 40,000 packages on their next drive. I'd like to send as many tins of Survival Spice™ as I can afford, but I need your help!
Please, please pass this information on to your friends, family and co-workers and ask them to help. I'll be shipping tins collected to date sometime in early October. I'm going to leave the "Two for the Troops" product up for the forseeable future, but I'd love to send them more soon!
Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 08:19 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
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September 18, 2006
Spam® Cookoff- Announcement 2
I mentioned this last week, and so far I know Chilibrown is in, and Biggles is starting to send Spam recipes, so he's warming to the idea. I don't know if Diana can get Spam® in Canada, but I hope she can!
I think Spam® needs to be the primary ingredient, at the very least. I'm tempted to soak it to get the flavor out, but that probably defeats the purpose.
Sharpen your knives up, and let's finalize the details this week. As I said before, I think imagination needs to be a vital criteria for the judging. I'll award a six-pack of Survival Spice™ to the winner, just so there's some motivation!
Leave a comment if you're interested, and we'll finalize the rules.
Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 11:57 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
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September 04, 2006
Happy Labor Day!
... from Desert Island Foods™.com! I hope whatever you're grilling, it's got Survival Spice™ on it!
Have a safe and happy holiday. Email me your food pics!
Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 08:57 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
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July 04, 2006
Happy Fourth of July
... from Desert Island Foods™.com! I hope whatever you're grilling, it's got Survival Spice™ on it!
Have a safe and happy holiday. Email me your food pics!
Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 06:13 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
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June 09, 2006
Final Father's Day reminder!!!
(Photo: Mary)
Still haven't gotten your Father's Day present yet? Our BBQ Lovers gift basket is in stock, ready to ship in plenty of time before next Sunday if you order soon.
It's the perfect gift for Dad! It contains:
• A tin of Survival Spice™ along with a booklet with tips for use.
• Our popular DIF Logo Apron.
• An E-Z Hook®.
• A nifty Survival Spice™ refrigerator magnet.
The packaging includes a cool dual tone basket, with clear cellophane wrapping (it looks colored in the pic, I know, it was shot against a light gray background), and tied up with colorful raffia.
Only $29.99! We also have cool DIF T-shirts, plus everything in the basket is available seperately, too, including Survival Spice™, a gift Dad (and you, of course) will love.
Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 09:27 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
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June 06, 2006
The Pragmatic Chef™ gets one year older...
... and hopefully, a bit wiser. My 6/6/6 birthday is today, so as soon as the orders are out, so am I!
BTW, before I run out, Dr. Biggles and I were talking about another Food Fight. We were thinking about a cruel challenge- using Survival Spice™ in a dessert. Cookies, cakes, ice cream, fruit, pie, the skies the limit. Put your evil thinking caps on!
Anybody interested?
Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 09:35 AM | Comments (14) | TrackBack
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May 29, 2006
Happy Memorial Day...
... from Desert Island Foods™.com, enjoy it and have a safe holiday.
What's on the menu today? Keep those cameras by the grill!
Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 08:37 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
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May 12, 2006
From the Archives- Cowboy Ribeye/ South of the Border- laise Sauce
Here's another one from the archives that I really enjoyed. I think this is a good example of having something in mind that you'd like to make, then using whatever you have on hand to achieve it. I'll definitely make this again, it's a Southwestern tip of the hat to a great French classic.
Here's the original post:
Continue reading "From the Archives- Cowboy Ribeye/ South of the Border- laise Sauce"
Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 07:52 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
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May 11, 2006
From the Archives- How not to plate a dessert
I mentioned that I'd post some "greatest hits" while I'm out of town, but this might have to qualify as a "greatest miss."
It was delicious, but I think it's important to have some humility as a cook, and to always be aware that a potential disaster is right around the corner! As you become a better cook, you have more tools in your bag to mitigate a disaster and even create something new and cool out of it.
Er, this wasn't one of those times...
My cowboy cupcake recipe was posted here.
The original post follows:
Continue reading "From the Archives- How not to plate a dessert"
Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 08:35 AM | Comments (6) | TrackBack
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April 16, 2006
Happy Easter
Happy Easter to all our Christian friends and customers, from everyone at Desert Island Foods.com.
Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 12:08 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
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March 16, 2006
Guinness braised corned beef- tomorrow
I'm going to put up a recipe tomorrow, which calls for corned beef (duh), onions, potatoes (I'm using new red potatoes) carrots and cabbage. Get yourself some cans of Guinness (2 or so for the recipe and more for you) and some Colman's dry mustard powder, if you want to cook along.
Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 09:03 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
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January 13, 2006
Port, and the food that loves it.
(Photo: The Shoal Grass Lodge's Beef Tenderloin with Benjamin Port Wine, portabello mushrooms and Peppercorn sauce. Not a bad looking entree, and I'm not terribly snobby about table settings, but what's up with the blue plate on that charger? Sheesh.)
Do you like port? I love port, but my appreciation of it has only developed in the last 5 years or so. I think that's because I always drank really cheap port before, which is kinda like pouring Ripple into some cough syrup. Kinda. I particularly like tawny ports, which unlike ruby ports, are aged more than two years, and up to 40. There are also white ports and vintage ports, but I like tawnys for the bang for the buck.
Ports pair beautifully with food, which is why you see them served with fruit and used in sauces. Cherries, blackberries, cranberries and pear, amongst others are magical with port.
I saw an article at Nation's Restaurant News written by Erica Duecy that put port into my mind again. Free registration required, so I'll get you drooling with some of the dishes the chefs in the article are featuring this month:
Continue reading "Port, and the food that loves it."
Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 10:07 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
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January 12, 2006
Let's talk Burgers
(Photo: Double Double, which I worship.)
I'm setting up a burger bar for Saturday football, just because the last one was such a hit, and I'm looking for some new garnish ideas. I'm already going to heavily carmelize a bunch of shallots and maybe roast some pasilla chiles, along with some of the other usual stuff, but I'm asking all of you for ideas.
What's your dream burger? Beef, turkey, chicken, portabello, tofu? What kind of bread? What do you like to top it with? What do you serve with it? And quit drooling already, it's beneath you!
Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 09:07 AM | Comments (7) | TrackBack
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January 10, 2006
Food Fight Five
Now that the holidays are over and things are settling down a bit, I'm thinking that it's just about time for another Food Fight. Food Fight Four featured a lot of really great dishes, in both original and interpreted versions, and I'm really thrilled with the amazing job everyone did. It was a lot of fun, and I'm sure we can top it!
I'm still finalizing the 'cruel twist' this one will take, and it will depend on how many people can join in this time, so comment or email me if you're interested, or if you know you can't participate. Let's get some of the new readers involved, too!
Update: A few have entered by email so far, and I can say that this Food Fight will much less time-intensive. Definitely only one round, for one thing.
Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 11:04 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
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January 05, 2006
Happy New Year from Desert Island Foods!!!
A full year of food-bloggy goodness is ahead of all of us! Back in the office now, and relieved that things have gone smoothly around here while I was gone.
Lots to catch up on. What's new with you? Did you cook anything good over the holidays? Email me some pictures and let's get everybody drooling!
Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 11:10 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
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December 15, 2005
TPC's Fantasy Breakfast Bar
(Photo: salon.com)
So, what's for breakfast? Omelet, waffles, bacon and eggs, fruit, caviar, cereal, udon, cold pizza, name it!
Really, let's talk breakfast. If you could have anything you wanted for breakfast, what would it be?
Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 09:31 AM | Comments (10) | TrackBack
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December 14, 2005
New TPC Logo, version 2
Comments?
Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 09:17 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
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December 09, 2005
Weekend graphics geeking...
For 6 months now, I've been meaning to upgrade the look of this site, now that the Desert Island Foods™.com site is in a good spot to leave it for now.
This is my first shot at it. I like the stainless steel vibe, (which is a shot of my refrigerator at home, btw) but I think it needs some more zip. Keeping in mind that this is only about 2/3 the size of the real deal, what do you think?
Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 07:40 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBack
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December 01, 2005
I'm back.
Sooooo.... what did I miss?
Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 03:52 PM | Comments (2)
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November 29, 2005
Road Trip- Day 2
We had a killer burger bar setup for football last night- choice ground round with Survival Spice on a killer sesame roll- roasted peppers, carmelized onions, and sauteed portabellos in a beurre blanc sauce with a variety of cheeses and all the trimmings. Sorry, no pictures but you can just imagine the greasy goodness, can't you?
It just goes to show that even a simple burger can kick butt if you do it right. And this stuff was right. Life was good, even if the Steelers went down whining...
Back in the office Thursday.
What's your dream burger?
Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 10:36 AM | Comments (5)
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November 28, 2005
Road Trip!
I'll be traveling until late Wednesday night, so blogging will be a bit light.
Amuse yourselves! I'll give you a topic:
"My Gawd, why did I eat so much on Thanksgiving?"
Discuss...
Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 07:57 AM | Comments (0)
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November 24, 2005
Happy Thanksgiving!
Happy Thanksgiving from Desert Island Foods! May your holiday be filled with great food, loved ones and gratitude. And great food.
Did I say 'great food' twice? Yep.
Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 07:40 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
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October 30, 2005
Carnival of the Recipes
The Carnival of the Recipes #63- Tricks, Treats & Eats is up at Everything and Nothing, which looks like an interesting site, to boot. Lots of cool recipes to peruse over a cup of coffee this morning. Nice job!
Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 09:01 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
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October 12, 2005
Childhood Food Memories Meme
I've been tagged with a meme by Meg. I've been challenged to write about 5 childhood memories of food, and it's been fun to take a bit of time to remember some of this stuff. Here's what I came up with:
Cubed potatoes and meat balls- This is reportedly the first dish my Mom learned how to cook when my parents got married. I remember it involving little meatballs with rice in them, and diced potatos in a tomato sauce. Good comfort food.
Milk toast- We used to eat this when we were sick. Buttered toast in a bowl with warm milk and sugar on top. Just for the heck of it, when I was sick some years ago, I made it again. Kinda lost the charm, I guess it needed Mom's touch!
Mom's Irish Stew- What can I say? It's the best. I'm sitting here drooling as I think about it. Usually no dumplings, just lots of buttered bread. It was even better the next day. I make a mean stew, but I can't touch hers.
Hot dogs at Forbes Field- Long, skinny foot-longs burned to a crisp. I remember eating them in the bleachers at Forbes Field, watching Roberto Clemente.
Richardson's Fries- One of those French Fry stands at the County Fair. Long, long fries, cooked to perfection served in a paper cone. I remember burning my fingers on hot, salty grease and not caring. Lots of vinegar and a bit of ketchup.
Bonus memory:
Eating a Milk Bone. What can I say? It was good, too, as I recall it...
Wow, I really killed some time doing this. Where did the morning go?
I guess I'm supposed to tag 2 other food bloggers with this. How about:
Dr. Biggles and Shauna? If you can't do it, I understand! But it was really interesting how many memories I came up with.
Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 09:10 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
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October 11, 2005
Home
Sorry for no blogging today, I went to San Diego for the Steeler/Chargers game last night. Lots of fun but just got off a plane. See you tomorrow!
Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 05:39 PM | Comments (0)
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October 07, 2005
I Heart Bacon turns one!
Congratulations to Meg over at I heart bacon, who's celebrating her blog's first birthday! Her home page is listed under 'Food Blogs", check out the cool simple syrups she made to flavor cocktails.
The super-cool elk salad she made for Food Fight Four is here. Go visit and wish her a happy blog-birthday!
You have voted on your favorite interpreted dish, haven't you?
Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 09:05 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
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September 29, 2005
Broadband, and a Gratuitous Hummus Pic
(Photo: Mary, of the hummus from TPC's Mediterranean Madness)
Over 60% of the internet connections in the U.S. are now broadband, according to this article from the AP, up from 51% last year.
In a related story, a Japanese company is developing an electrical outlet that will double as a broadband connection. A very cool idea, considering that a power line only uses a tiny part of its potential bandwidth.
I follow this stuff, partially because I'm a recovering geek, and mostly because it affects decisions about the Desert Island Foods™.com website. BTW, I'll post a link to our first newsletter tomorrow, if you want to check it out over the weekend. It'll be short and sweet, I promise.
Okay, I'll admit it. I posted a picture of the hummus I made Saturday just so I could call this a food post. Try not to hate me, but I thought this was interesting. I said I was a recovering geek...
Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 07:43 AM | Comments (5) | TrackBack
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September 01, 2005
New Orleans
Not to get heavy with y'all, but I'm sure you're as concerned about the people of New Orleans and in the surrounding areas as I am. Please take a minute to do what you can to help. Maybe us Food Bloggers can feature a restaurant, any ideas? And please donate what you can to organizations like the Red Cross.
And when the city, with its rich food heritage, is ready for us, I hope we can all go back and patronize all the great restaurants I've been fortunate enough to eat in. And you don't have to go to New Orleans to help these businesses get back on their feet. Classic places like Café du Monde sell their famous beignet mix and chicory coffee online, so order up! I called their 800 number a few times and I've gotten no response, so I'm assuming their web business is local, too, but I'll keep checking.
If you haven't settled on your Food Fight entry, make it New Orleans themed! Maybe I'll do a version of gumbo for mine.
Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 01:37 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
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August 22, 2005
I'm Back
Great to be home, blogging will resume tomorrow. Anything going on I should know about?
Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 06:12 PM | Comments (3)
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August 19, 2005
Out of Town
I'll be out of town until Monday night, so blogging will be light or nonexistent, not that I blog much on weekends, anyway.
I'll try to check email as I can, but please don't count on a response until Tuesday. I will be checking voice mail on the DIF toll-free number fairly frequently, though.
Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 10:04 AM | Comments (0)
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August 18, 2005
Food Fight #4
(Photo: Food Fight #3 winner Dr. Biggles)
I'm starting to think about the next Food Fight, but I'd like to throw in a twist.
Here's what I'm thinking- Instead of just cooking dishes and submitting them, which is great, why don't we each enter a recipe? Maybe set some guidelines as far as cost, say no more than $15 or $20. I think maybe non-vegeterian this time but I'm certainly into doing a vegetarian version next go-around.
Here's the twist. You don't make your own recipe. Once they're in, I'll assign them randomly to all of the entrants and away we go. You make the recipe you're given, tweak it in you own style, shoot it and enter it, along with the revisions you made.
Does is sound like fun? Should we maybe have some sort of theme? I've always enjoyed the 'market basket' competitions I've been in, and I know I've got a bunch of bad-a$$ cookies that read this every day. Who's up for a little challenge? I'd be willing to up the ante as far as the prizes this time, too.
Let me know what you think, and what changes you might suggest.
Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 02:16 PM | Comments (14)
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August 05, 2005
PB & J & chips sandwich -or- Reconnecting with my Chidhood
Busy day today, so I had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for the first time in a while. It's a pantry staple, but generally there's something more interesting around, whether it's leftovers or a recipe I'm working on.
I got a real kick out of it, I have to say. The ingredients were a bit more upscale than what I had as a kid, whole grain bread, all natural peanut butter, etc. but the effect is the same. The crowning touch came as I spied a bag of tortilla chips. Inspiration struck, and I smashed a few on the sandwich before I buttoned it up.
The thought I took away from my sandwich was another reminder of something I've been really conscious of lately anyway. Great, simple, well prepared and well-executed flavors. It's always a temptation to 'gild the lily' when putting a meal or a menu together, but I think it's a real tribute to the cook and the discerning diner that can find and eliminate the superfluous elements of a dish.
How about you, have you reconnected with a dish from your childhood lately? What have you eaten in your past that you'd love to have again?
Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 12:36 PM | Comments (10)
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July 23, 2005
Sunset -or- Why I love Arizona, Reason #472
View from "The West 40"
Chance of losing power (again)- 60/40, I'm guessing.
Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 09:13 PM | Comments (1)
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July 22, 2005
Finding love through your stomach?
Here's something to round out the week. There is a gourmet club called The Single Gourmet in California, a dating service without the long questionaires, apparently. From the press release:
"The best way to not only meet people but get to know them is over dinner at a table with six or more people," said McCarthy, an Irvine resident who started The Single Gourmet in Orange County nearly 15 years ago. "Single Gourmet members are upscale business and professional people who prefer keeping their private lives private." McCarthy does not disclose personal information for members. Instead, members who pay an annual fee may attend any of the events to meet others and disclose through conversation whatever information they choose to share.According to Dan Lewis, a long-time Single Gourmet member in his early 40s, food and wine draw out the best in what he is looking for in a companion. "If she's adventurous with eating food, then she's probably adventurous in life," he said in an article published by the Orange County Register, on February 3, 2005.
What's your take on this? Is this a better approach than traditional dating services, or would you prefer to know more about someone before you met them for the first time?
Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 11:40 AM | Comments (6)
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July 15, 2005
Carnival of the Recipes #48
The Carnival of the Recipes #48 is hosted this week at One Happy Dog Speaks. Check it out and make something new this weekend!
I stumbled onto this a while back. A lot of bloggers contribute a recipe every Friday, some sophisticated, some not.
How cool is that? Pick a recipe that suits your cravings and your level of cooking skills and go for it!
Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 10:29 AM | Comments (0)
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Taking food pictures in restaurants- What do you think?
(Photo: Paul McCann, of Per Se's "Rillettes of Hallow Farm's Young Rabbit
with Mission Fig Relish, Field Mizuna, and Rabbit "Jus")
The Per Se review at Kipblog I mentioned a few days ago generated a discussion on "diner's rights", for lack of a better term.
A commenter named Jerry weighed in on the restaurant's right to protect the images of its dishes, and I found myself on the side of the consumer. An interesting debate, I think, and important enough to mention here.
What do you think? Does a restaurant have the right to ban discreet photography of its dishes? Does a restaurant have the right to ban photography altogether? Does the consumer have the right to photograph a dish they have paid for and to take pictures of their restaurant experience, to commemorate their night out?
Please go back to Paul's original post and read the discussion in the comments section, then come back here and tell me what you think.
Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 08:39 AM | Comments (4)
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July 14, 2005
Cooking for fun and prizes
Dr. Biggles at MeatHenge is looking for new dinner dishes for the family so he's having a recipe/photo contest. Winner gets a cool book. Check it out!
Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 07:57 AM | Comments (0)
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July 07, 2005
Cheers to the UK
This is not a political blog by any means, and it will stay that way, but I can't let the day end without extending my condolences and best wishes to the people of London.
I hope everyone will take the time to pray, send good karma, or whatever you believe in doing to the victims and their families of this tragedy.
Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 02:46 PM | Comments (0)
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July 05, 2005
Food Fight reminder- get 'em in!
Just a reminder that the Red, White, Black and Blue Food Fight entries should be in by the end of Wednesday. I've seen some really good previews, so I think this will be a good one!
Rules and regs, etc. here.
Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 10:58 AM | Comments (0)
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July 01, 2005
Lots of recipes over at the Carnival of the Recipes!
The Carnival of the Recipes #46 is up over at Anywhere But Here. Check out some great color-coded recipes, from basic to more time-intensive choices like my Traditional New-Mexico style Pork Chile.
Have a great Fouth of July weekend! Please take a minute to remember what this holiday is all about.
Blogging will be light but remember to take some food pics for the latest Food Fight competition, which ends on the 6th.
Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 08:22 PM | Comments (0)
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June 24, 2005
IT IS ALIVE!!!
The new Desert Island Foods™.com site is now live for your drinking, dancing and hopefully shopping pleasure!
Please check it out and let us know what you think.
I'd like to again thank Gary Sanders at iBlue.com for all his hard work on the programming. Nicole and Gabe Bonilla at Bonilla Design provided the visual design for the site and our packaging and marketing artwork.
These people are true professionals and do creative and meticulous work, which is a rare combination of attributes.
Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 08:43 AM
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June 10, 2005
BATHHOUSE Spa at the Mandalay Bay
Via Hospitality.net:
Mandalay Bay today announced that BATHHOUSE Spa has been selected as the winner of the first annual Creative Achievement Award for best spa design by Hospitality Design Magazine, the premier architecture and design publication for the hospitality industry. Created by New York-based design firm Richardson Sadeki, BATHHOUSE Spa is located on the second floor of THEhotel at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Nevada."BATHHOUSE Spa is one of the most striking and dramatic projects that has ever come across our desks here at Hospitality Design," said Michael Adams, editor-in-chief of the publication. "We rarely highlight spas on the cover of HD, but given its exquisite features, we were compelled to feature BATHHOUSE on the cover of our August 2004 issue.
The picture is of the ladies pool, more pics in the article. Interesting design but a bit stark for me, kinda "nouveau upscale bunker". Very shee-shee, though this old news, judging by the cover date. I wonder what the spa at Steve Wynn's new place looks like?
Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 09:09 AM
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June 06, 2005
Ready to pay sales tax for internet purchases?
Naturally this subject is of great interest to me.
43 states are campaigning to collect sales tax on every internet purchase, according to Channel 9 news in Denver:
"The Internet Tax Freedom Act says that states cannot treat sales on the Internet differently than they treat any other kind of sale--and this system that we've created does exactly that," says Scott Peterson with the Conforming States Committee, which is spearheading the effort."It treats every sale exactly the same regardless if it's over the counter, over the catalogue, over the phone or over the Internet," he says.
The states say they've been losing as much as $16 billion annually to the Internet. They say that new software will make collecting the money almost automatic and that they can have a system in place by Oct. 1.
Colorado Governor Bill Owens says he doesn't like the idea and that Colorado won't be part of it.
"We're getting lots of taxes in terms of income taxes and other taxes because of the rise of the Internet, we shouldn't tax sales over the Internet," said Owens.
Personally, I buy a lot of stuff online and I find the lack of sales tax helps to offset shipping costs. I also feel the internet increases competition on the marketplace and helps keep prices to consumers down. Not only will you pay more for your purchases by including sales tax, the additional accounting costs to companies will also have to be passed on as well.
Sure, in the short term states may benefit, but a lot of small internet companies, including mine, will be hurt by this and as jobs are eliminated the states will collect less income taxes from the companies that survive and their ex-employees. I think this is a horribly short-sighted move.
I think we all have an opinion on how efficiently the government spends the money it collects from us already...
Do you think internet sales should be taxed? Why? Will this affect how much you spend online?
Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 06:38 AM | Comments (2)
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June 01, 2005
Cilantro- love it or hate it?
Me, I love it. How about you?
Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 08:58 AM | Comments (2)
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May 31, 2005
Food Fight reminder
Thursday, June 2nd is the deadline for the latest Food Fight™. Rules and judging criteria are here.
Hopefully you got a few good shots of your Memorial Day's BBQ! If you weren't able to keep the wolves from your dish while you went for the camera, there's still time to whip something up today or tomorrow. Remember, good closeups of your dish are what gets the "drool factor" high enough to win. Good luck!!!
Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 08:59 AM