the pragmatic chef™

Back to Main

February 11, 2009

Spicy Veggie Curry. And flowers, of some sort.

It was Curry Night at the Pragmatic Manor again, and this week was veggie only- just eggplant, cauliflower and onions in a hot curry/tomato sauce with some basmati rice, garnished with a bit of cilantro and some toasted sesame seeds.

As the sun was setting I got the idea to take a shot of what's become a staple dish around here with a different backdrop. We have quite a few of the bushes around our place, but I have no idea what they are. Sure are purty this time of year, though. I wish the sun would have been a bit stronger once I got out there, but it ducked behind the clouds. You get the idea, I'm sure.

Here's the hot curry paste I've been using in these dishes. I've tried their Korma and their Tikka Masala and they're really good. I'm also looking forward to checking out their vindaloo paste, but so far this is my favorite:

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 5:02 PM | Comments (0)

Back to Main

February 4, 2009

Pizza with Hatch Green Chiles, Pepperoni, and Uber Garlic

Man, I love living in Arizona.

Just being able to walk into my nearest grocery store and see bags of freshly roasted Hatch chiles just makes me smile. Taking a bag home and using them on everything from fish sandwiches, egg dishes, and this pizza. Just peel whatever skin is remaining, chop or slice and toss 'em in.

I really need to do some kind of pork dish with these. Which makes me smile, too.

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 7:44 PM | Comments (4)

Back to Main

January 12, 2009

Saturday Night Ribeye with the Works

I decided to treat myself to a steak this past weekend, so I picked up a nice 12 oz. all natural ribeye at Sprouts, along with some shallots and crimini mushrooms. After some internal debate on the merits of grilling vs. cast iron frying I opted for the indoor style. I suppose 'the lazys' got hold of me, but I really like the ability cooking in a skillet gives me to make a pan sauce once the steak is cooked.

I seasoned the ribeye generously and let it come to room temperature while I sweated the mushrooms and shallots first, then put them aside and cranked up the heat. There was enough oil left so that I didn't need to add more to get the steak going, so I started getting a nice crust on the beef immediately. Once I flipped it, I moved it to the side, added a few pats of butter and the mushroom/shallot mixture, along with a bit a parsley.

It was medium rare, barely, and delicious. It's been a long time since I haven't been able to finish a steak, but it was so incredibly rich I put some away for later.

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 6:30 PM | Comments (6)

Back to Main

January 6, 2009

Pepperoni and Garlic Pizza

The title says it all, I s'pose...

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 6:30 PM | Comments (3)

Back to Main

December 22, 2008

Teriyaki Wings

Our internet has been really spotty tonight, so I'll post this quickly while I can, and tweak it later. These were marinated in soy, rice wine vinegar, and tons of fresh ginger and garlic all afternoon, baked in the oven, then tossed in homemade teriyaki sauce that I reduced with the leftover marinade, along with some Scirachi hot sauce, scallions, and toasted sesame seeds.

I made a few veggie sushi rolls that I've posted before, too, nothing new but fantastic nonetheless.

Been cooking? Let's hear about it!

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 7:13 PM | Comments (0)

Back to Main

December 15, 2008

Avocado Roll

I spent yesterday morning at the Lee Lee Oriental Supermarket that opened this year out in Peoria, AZ with some friends. There's also one down in Chandler across the street from the legendary C-Fu Gourmet dim sum restaurant we used to go to on Sunday mornings when I was in culinary school, but this is quite a bit closer.

It's a huge place, and I had a pantry that had been sorely depleted of Oriental staples, but holy crap! Long, long aisles- one each for Korean, Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese staples, plus a great selection of Asian produce, fresh and frozen fish, and meats. A few places to eat as well inside, but my friends and I were too busy gawking at all the merchandise to feel hungry.

I grabbed a bunch of stuff, and I was thrilled with being able to find the same brands of condiments I used to buy in L.A. when I used to make sushi every Sunday night with some equally fanatical friends. Good times, good times...

I made a few veggie sushi rolls and broiled some halibut with ponzu sauce, scallions and fresh ginger that I'll post tomorrow, but the rolls I made last night were every bit as good as anything I've ever had in a restaurant, and I'm a sushi snob from way back. Our su-meshi (sushi rice) came out perfectly, and it's not as easy as it might sound, especially since I've mangled more rice than I like to admit. The trick is, of course, is to leave it alone, which I have a hard time with. Once you add the sou (rice vinegar/sugar/salt) mixture, it's important to mix it carefully with a wet wooden spatula while fanning the rice, so that it has the right amount of stickiness, and to give it a beautiful shine.

I prepped lots of cucumber, avocado, scallions, toasted sesame seeds, and made some wasabi while the rice was cooling. It sounds like a lot of work, but the toughest thing is just keeping your pantry stocked.

I've got lots of other stuff to make this week, but so far so good!

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 6:46 PM | Comments (0)

Back to Main

December 10, 2008

Irish Posole

I suppose my "Irish Posole" was much closer to a stew than posole, with a tip of the hat to the Southwest. A nice hunk of beef, seasoned with Survival Spice®, then slow cooked in the oven on top of some carrots and onions. After about 90 minutes I added a bit of stock and braised it for another hour or so. I added some hominy and let it go for another hour.

During this time, I roasted some butternut squash, a head of garlic and a few jalapenos. Once the garlic and jalapenos were done, they were chopped and added to the rest of the ingredients, which were removed and chopped as they were tender. The squash was chopped and added to each bowl for service.

This was one of those smashed up techniques that very often result in something that's either really great, really bad, or a really good lesson. This was a pleasant surprise on the up side. I guess having a can of hominy on hand was the impetus for this in the first place- use what you have on hand, and develop the cooking chops to bring it to the table.

Have fun with cooking, and eat your mistakes!!!

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 6:35 PM | Comments (0)

Back to Main

November 24, 2008

Sunday Scramble

I whipped up a simple but delicious brunch on Sunday, just a quick scramble of some organic brown eggs with a bit of milk, tomatoes, scallions, yellow bell pepper, and some parmesan and asiago cheeses. Some homemade toasted focaccia and a bit of fruit on the side.

Poor Julie. Just as I plated this for her, I decided to run outside with it so I could shoot it in the sun.

That girl eats a lot of cold but tasty food...

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 7:03 PM | Comments (4)

Back to Main

November 13, 2008

Quick Calzone

I threw together a quick calzone using some frozen dough for dinner recently, and it turned out great. It's a great way to use leftovers and whatever you've got on hand. In this case it was pepperoni, yellow bell peppers, scallions, mozzerella and provolone cheese, along with a little pasta sauce.

I really wish I could eat pizza every day.

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 6:25 PM | Comments (0)

Back to Main

November 6, 2008

Oven BBQ Turkey Breast

In a never ending quest for variety at dinner time, this is a quick meal idea that worked out great.

I cubed a turkey breast, then seasoned well with Survival Spice®, which is great with any poultry I've experimented with. Placed in a cast iron skillet, I cooked it at a fairly low heat (275º) until it was most of the way finished, then I added some barbecue sauce to the skillet and let it simmer until it was done.

I cranked up the broiler to crisp it up, and we had it with baked potatoes and a salad.

Try it with beef, chicken, or pork shoulder.

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 8:06 PM | Comments (5)

Back to Main

October 30, 2008

Uber Lemon Chicken

It's hard not to get in a rut with weekday cooking, so lately I've been trying really hard to bring some variety into the same old staples I keep on hand.

With chicken breasts that needed cooked, a bag of lemons that was a bit past its prime, and a head of garlic that desperately needed to fulfill its destiny, I decided it was time to do something with them.

After cutting the chicken breasts into cubes and seasoning them a bit, I made a sauce with roughly a 2:1 ratio of squeezed lemon juice and Tibvrtini Olio Extra Virgene di Oliva, then added chopped garlic, dry oregano and parsley and a splash of Tibvrtini Aceto di Vino Blanco to give it a little more zip.

I tossed the chicken with more of the Tibvrtini oil and broiled the chicken until it was just about done, then added the sauce, mixed it well with the chicken, then broiled it all for a few more minutes.

I served it with parsley buttered potatoes and some broiled asparagus. Variety is a good thing.

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 5:21 PM | Comments (3)

Back to Main

October 13, 2008

Artichokes for dinner

We love artichokes around here. There's a somewhat steep learning curve to prepping, cooking, and even eating them, but it's worth the work. We're having 2 of these beautiful artichokes I picked up at the market once they're steamed, a roasted turkey breast with Survival Spice®, and baked potatoes.

Confidence is high.

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 6:12 PM | Comments (0)

Back to Main

October 6, 2008

Lunchtime Pastrami Reuben

We had pastrami on sale at our local Sprout's Market recently, so I had to pick some up. We also had some seedless rye on hand, sauerkraut, and some 1000 Island dressing so around 9AM I started craving a Reuben sandwich. Really craving a Reuben. Bad. I only had Muenster cheese, so that was going to have to do.

I actually had the willpower to hold off until 11:30, though I have no idea how. While my cast iron skillet and grill press were heating up, I laid a few slices of cheese on a slice of rye, and spread a bit of dressing on top of the cheese. I like to do it this way for a few reasons- the dressing doesn't make the bread soggy, and it mixes in nicely with the sauerkraut, which went on next. I use a fork to strain the sauerkraut well, you don't want a watery mess trashing your nice crispy Reuben, right?

Lastly, the pastrami. I suppose I could've added a bit more meat, but I've had a lot of over-the-top Reubens all across the country- Carnegie Deli, Stage Deli, Katz's, Art's, Jerry's Famous Deli, Canter's, Junior's, and a zillion in between, so I've gotten a bit put off by the 6" tall tasty monstrosities I've encountered, so I figured to best err on the side of caution. Besides, I could always make a second one...

A bit of butter in the skillet and on top of the sandwich, and into the skilled it went. I like to start grilled sandwiches with the cheese towards the heat, to get it melting, then finish the sandwich after flipping it with the cheese melting through all the other good stuff. Not too hot to start, you're trying to heat everything through, once you're confident that everything's good and hot you can raise the heat a bit to get the bread nice and crisp. A grill press, like the one below, really helps things along, retaining the heat, and helping to hold the sandwich together.

So, how was it? Awesome, though I'd like a rye bread with a little more character next time, but the Muenster was a nice change.

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 2:40 PM | Comments (2)

Back to Main

September 30, 2008

Mozz and Spinach Ravioli w/brocolli

Dinners around here most week nights are generally as quick as I can throw them together, but that's no reason why they can't be tasty, nutritious, and appetizing looking.

Costco has these raviolis these days that come with a spiced cheese blend that goes with it. It's all natural, has some basic herbs along with some sage that makes it interesting. I just boil these gently until al dente, toss with some Tibvrtini Olio Extra Virgene di Oliva that really gives it great flavor and a nice shine, then add the spice blend, along with some extra grated parm.

Steam up some brocolli, plate it up, and dinner is served!

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 7:33 PM | Comments (0)

Back to Main

September 17, 2008

Pepperoni, Garlic, and Black Olive PIzza

Okay, I used Sprouts frozen dough, but the rest is from scratch. A few tricks- when working with thawed dough, or any dough that's starting to shrink back on you as you pan it out is to let it rest, then have at it again, I've found. 10 ounces of dough will get you a 12" diameter pizza if you're patient with it. When using sliced fresh garlic, I like to add it on top of the sauce, as opposed to on top of the cheese. It keeps it from burning, and it infuses the sauce as it cooks.

It was good eating as we watched my Steelers trounce the Browns. Good times, man, good times.

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 7:26 PM

Back to Main

August 27, 2008

Simple Cheese Pizza

Here's a quick pizza I threw together recently with some pizza dough I picked up at Sprouts. I had some marinara sauce in the freezer I made for our wedding, and some mozzerella, parmesan, and fontina cheese. I just panned it out on some corn meal, and threw it in the oven on a hot pizza stone. It got a little overcooked while I went for my camera, but it tasted just fine.

I love pizza. Too bad it's so fond of hanging around my gut...

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 8:36 PM | Comments (2)

Back to Main

August 6, 2008

Whole Wheat Rotini Primavera

(Whole Wheat Rotini, squash, tomatoes, corn, pine nuts, shallots, red onion, thyme, chicken stock and asiago cheese)

In our quest to keep our carbohydrates down we've given up on pasta for the most part, but when I was scrambling for a quick dinner last night I found half a pound of whole wheat rotini in the pantry. Whole wheat pasta is considered a healthier alternative to standard semolina, but really, moderation will do you far more good than the actual pasta you choose. I just make sure to incorporate plenty of vegetables and/or meat to keep it all in balance.

Julie had bought some aged asiago cheese a while back, and it was absolutely fantastic when I shaved in a generous amount to the dish once it was on the heat, after I took the picture. It added a wonderful flavor, along with lots of Tibvrtini Olio Extra Virgine di Oliva, and a little chicken broth. Toasted pine nuts also added a bit of thickening, as well contributing depth of flavor.

We had this with some Scariyaki Salmon. Great tasting, and healthy. What a concept.

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 10:26 AM | Comments (0)

Back to Main

July 29, 2008

The joy of a good pan sauce

(All natural top sirloin and Yukon Gold potato, smothered in a Shiner Bock- balsamic reduction, with red onions and crimini mushrooms)

Well, Julie's out of town again, which means I catch up on eating some foods we generally don't eat together. Steak is one of them, and I really did this one up.

I always prefer to use some good demi-glace or stock in a pan sauce, but lacking that I collected whatever juices I could once I seared the steak while I reduced about half a bottle of Shiner Bock, loosening the fond from my cast iron skillet to get every bit of meaty flavor. I added the juices to the pan along with a glug of decent balsamic vinegar and some dijon mustard, then added my diced red onions and sliced crimini mushrooms. After giving it a saute, I added a generous pat of butter off the heat, then seasoned the sauce to taste.

It's kind of a mess, in terms of plating, but the sauce was so unbelievably good I didn't want to save the leftovers.

Update: I was only able to eat half of that last night, and just had the leftovers. A fall apart sirloin with a sauce packed with flavor. Amazing.

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 11:55 AM | Comments (2)

Back to Main

July 14, 2008

Pragmatic Guacamole

Here's the guacamole I made for the basa tacos we had recently. I know, everybody's got their own way of making guac, and everybody's technique is the 'traditional' way, but as long as you've got smashed up avocado and anything else, you've got guacamole.

I like a rustic presentation myself- diced in large enough pieces so you can see what you're getting. Avocados, small diced red onion, a concassed (box cut to eliminate the seeds and watery innards) tomato, though I don't bother to peel them; minced jalapeno, and lots of cilantro are my base. For quick flavoring I add some tomatillo salsa, otherwise I frequently reach for the Survival Spice®, which adds a ton of flavor, and is handy when you don't have a jalapeno handy or if you're making it at a friend's house when you don't feel like raiding their pantry. I would hope you would have given them a tin of Survival Spice®! Friends don't let friends eat boring food.

Cook something good over the weekend? Email me a few pictures!

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 10:29 AM | Comments (2)

Back to Main

April 7, 2008

Survival Grilled Tofu

In an ongoing effort to "take care of ourselves", whatever that means, we've been eating more vegetarian dishes lately. To most people who have tried tofu, most think of it as a large pencil eraser in terms of a flavor profile, but it certainly doesn't have to be that way.

My technique for our weekly tofu night is still evolving, but lately a few days before we're going to eat it I've been slicing a package of extra firm tofu in half, then gently pressing as much moisture as I can. I rub all sides generously with our Survival Spice® barbecue rub, then put it in the fridge for a day or so.

The morning I'm going to grill it I slap together a simple of marinade of soy sauce, worcestershire sauce, which to me gives a more 'meaty' flavor, and Tibvrtini Olio Extra Virgine di Oliva; turning the tofu slices a few times to marinate them evenly.

Though it will never top some of the meat dishes I've featured here over the years I have to say, it tastes great!

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 9:59 AM | Comments (4)

Back to Main

February 18, 2008

"Three S" chicken

Whoo boy, this was good.

I took a few minutes yesterday afternoon to marinate some chicken breasts in soy sauce, sesame oil, and Survival Spice® for about 3 hours, then grilled them off on our gas grill with a little pecan wood.

Not sure the picture does it justice, but they had a beautiful color, and they were incredibly moist. I made some basic fried rice and grilled some asparagus to go with it.

Fortunately, there are leftovers. Life is good.

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 10:47 AM | Comments (4)

Back to Main

December 22, 2007

Easy Oven Roasted Chicken w/Rosemary potatoes and Asparagus

Unfortunately these days, it would seem, on the rare evening that I get to cook anything at home, my focus is more on words like 'simple', 'easy', and 'quick' than my old goals of 'astounding' and 'unforgettable', but the news isn't all bad. Indeed, as I do everything I can to minimize prep time and shopping hassles I'm rediscovering how good simple meals can be.

For this no-hassle oven fried chicken I replaced a traditional breading station like the one at the link with a zip-loc bag. The basic steps were the same, but simpler- for a change I started with some organic chicken breasts and some Tabasco sauce in the bag, coated them, hit it with some more Tabasco, then added a mixture of flour and Survival Spice®, tossing it well to coat it fairly evenly. I didn't use bread crumbs because, well, I didn't have any on hand and easy was the point here, remember?

I prepped some red potatoes, tossing them with kosher salt, Tibvrtini Olio Extra Virgene di Oliva, cracked black pepper and some dried rosemary and put it all in to roast. While the chicken and potatoes were roasted, I trimmed up some asparagus, coating it with some more of the amazing olive oil, and with about 10 minutes to go I popped them in the same cast iron skillet with the potatoes and gave everything, including the chicken, a good squeeze of lemon juice, which really makes all the flavors pop.

Two cast iron skillets, one EZ-Hook®, and a one quart Ziploc® bag. Simple. And really, really good.

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 6:21 AM | Comments (1)

Back to Main

December 12, 2007

Stuffed Spaghetti Squash

Well, I was hoping this would be a longer post, but with the holiday crunch being what it is, I'll just have to hope that I'll have the time to add to this later. (UPDATE: I added some extra images and fleshed it out a bit more, for your dining pleasure.)

This is a spaghetti squash, halved, roasted along with some garlic, a small onion and a red pepper, then the good stuff flaked out with a fork and roughly chopped. I took the empty skins, which are quite robust, and ladled in some marinara sauce and some parm reggiano.

The veggies were tossed with some Survival Spice®, pine nuts, dry herbs, and more parm then stuffed into the skins. These roasted until it was hot, then I topped it with some home made bread cubes and a blend of mozz, asiago, provolone and more parm, then broiled it until it was brown and bubbly.

Served with a small steak on the side, it was great. I'd like to try this again soon with some crumbled sausage of some sort.

I will add to this, I took lots of pictures in the process. Really...

By the way, the seeds were terrific, roasted with some Survival Spice® and some of our Tibvrtini Olio Extra Virgine di Oliva.

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 4:19 PM | Comments (2)

Back to Main

December 4, 2007

Barley soup with rosemary focaccia

I made some smoked turkey stock from our Thanksgiving turkey last week, and put together a veggie barley soup with some of the stock. We had eaten at Monti's Saturday night, and ate an absurd amount of their rosemary focaccia, so I decided to make some to have with the soup.

Good and good for ya.

The Gordon Biersch Marzen is a decent beer, especially on sale, but it would probably pair up better with a burger.

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 8:09 AM | Comments (1)

Back to Main

November 12, 2007

Ommegang... Ohmahgod, it's good!

This is a great beer, and it added a wonderful dimension to the pan sauce I put together last night.

I was determined to keep this as simple as possible, in terms of flavors, so I decided to create an utterly simple pan sauce. Fortunately, I still had some of the "semi-glace" that I try to keep on hand, and that's really all you need, but rather than crust my top sirloin with crushed black peppercorns, ala au poivre, I figured that I could just deglaze the pan with some butter, a few cubes of semi-glace, and some crushed peppercorns.

The steak was simple, too, I used some amazing Hawaiian sea salt on the steak before pan frying it in our Tibvrtini Novello organic olive oil, and some butter. Pulled it once it was medium rare, and let it rest on a plate.

Happily, as it turns out, I didn't have enough sauce to deglaze the size of the pan I used, so I needed to add some more liquid. I was planning on drinking the Ommegang Abbey Dubbel anyway, so I splashed a bit of it in the skillet, swirled to deglaze the fond, and reduced it until it was nappé.

Serving it with the rigatoni and cheese seemed like an unlikely match, but it was great, and the sauce worked really well with the pasta, too.

This was almost unbearably good, and pretty simple to put together. Here's another picture of the finished dish:

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 9:00 AM | Comments (5)

Back to Main

November 6, 2007

Scariyaki Salmon, Roasted Veggie Couscous and Asparagus

Nothing new here- the venerable Scaryaki salmon, along with some really good store bought couscous with grilled eggplant, peppers, onion and Kalamata olives. Some quickly roasted asparagus with a drizzle of Tibvrtini Olio Extra Virgene di Olive, along with a pat of butter. The whole thing took less than half an hour to whip up, and the combination of flavors was terrific.

Been cooking and want to share? Email me!

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 9:04 AM | Comments (2)

Back to Main

October 30, 2007

Tons o' Mac and Cheese

I made a bunch of mac and cheese to freeze yesterday. Actually, it's rigatoni and cheese because that's what I had on hand, but any pasta that can hold lots of gooey cheese works great.

It's really worth the effort to make your own bread crumbs, it's a big part of the flavor.

The recipe is the same on I used before, but it's even better with Survival Spice®!

Been cooking? Email me!

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 11:44 AM | Comments (1)

Back to Main

October 23, 2007

Apple Stuffed Turkey Breast w/Polenta & Brussel Sprouts

Well, it's finally starting to cool down here in Phoenix, and I've found myself cooking more meals inside that outside lately. Not that there's a foot of snow on the grill or anything, but it's usually dark when I get home, so cooking inside just feels right.

This dish was a piece of cake- I guess I could have made a pan sauce, but after stuffing a turkey breast seasoned with Survival Spice® with apples, it stayed nice and moist. I added some polenta wedges to the cast iron skillet during the last 20 minutes, and some steamed brussel sprouts finishied it off really well.

Been cooking? Let's hear about it!

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 7:53 AM | Comments (1)

Back to Main

October 15, 2007

Fun with Food- Catfish, Polenta and Asparagus

(Cajun catfish, polenta cakes and asparagus)

I've blogged about all this stuff recently, so to keep it interesting (hopefully) I roasted everything in cast iron skillets under the broiler, and plated it up. Actually, it was functional- the asparagus was done first and was starting to cool, so I decided to plate everything on top of if.

When the face emerged, Julie added the olive eyeballs. Once we stopped laughing, we ate it. Good stuff.

How was your weekend? Email me pictures of something you feel like bragging about!

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 11:09 AM | Comments (2)

Back to Main

October 10, 2007

Cajun Catfish, grilled sweet potatoes, and brocolli

Crazy day around here, so a picture will have to do of some Cajun catfish we picked up at Sprouts Market.

Uh, doesn't that count as 1,000 words?

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 12:33 PM | Comments (2)

Back to Main

October 8, 2007

Creamy Fettucini alla Puttanesca with Salmon

Okay, I hate to start the week with something so racy, but let's get the juvenile part of this out of the way- "Puttan" means "whore".

To me, the most credible explanation of the origin of "alla Puttanesca" is that because it's a dish that can be thrown together using only pantry ingredients so quickly, the working girls could have a quick meal in between dates. I've also heard that the aroma would draw in customers. Maybe one led to another, who knows?

Our dinner last night is not the classic version. I make a classic puttanesca the way that I was taught- by sauteeing some roughly chopped tomatoes, garlic, chopped anchovy, capers, olives, with a chiffonade of parsley and basil. Then I add some cooked pasta, toss, then take off the heat, along with a good drizzle of Tibvrtini Olio Extra Virgine di Oliva.

I started out to do the classic version last night, but because we wanted to incorporate salmon with the fettucine, the Alfredo option came to mind. Being me, instead of doing one or the other, I decided to try to smash the two sauces together.

I was lucky enough to have some leftover artichokes on hand, so in they went into a saute pan with tomato concassee, black Greek olives, red bell pepper, green onions, and copious amounts of garlic. Once the veggies were done I browned off some cubes of a nice salmon filet. Once the fish was out of the skillet, I deglazed the pan with some white wine, reducing it 50%. I added a little chicken stock, reduced it a bit, then finished it off with some cream. I added back the veggies, seasoned the sauce and then added back my pre cooked fresh fettucine. Quick toss, then a few minutes with the fish back in the pan, and it was all done, ready for lots of Parm Reggiano.

It was really, really good and I didn't have to cook it under a red light...

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 9:23 AM | Comments (4)

Back to Main

October 1, 2007

Polenta Cakes with Sauteed Vegetables

I picked up a package of polenta the other day, similar to the one I have linked here. I'd never worked with pre-made stuff, and Julie had never had polenta, so a side dish experiment was in order.

I had a sneaky feeling that Survival Spice® would pair up well, so I heated up a skillet, sprinkled some slices of the polenta, and fried them up while I sauteed a mix of red peppers, Chimayo chiles, yellow squash and white onion.

Man, it worked like a champ. Apparently you can puree this with liquid to make a smooth polenta, which is more what I'm used to. I'll have to try it, but having a few of these in the fridge sure makes life easy. Easy is good these days...

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 11:57 AM | Comments (1)

Back to Main

September 26, 2007

Veggie Reuben and Tomato Soup

Julie introduced me to the concept of a Veggie Reuben. I was, of course, incredulous. "You mean, just Swiss Cheese, sauerkraut and Thousand Island dressing on rye?" She maintained that you don't need Thousand Island, either.

So, what the hey. The other night I prepped a few, adding some sauteed red onions to the sauerkraut, and I fired up the cast iron griddle, serving them along with some organic tomato soup.

It was good, I have to say. I did have some organic Thousand Island on the side, and I think it's better with it. It's also better with some corned beef or pastrami, but that's another post...

I do need to try my hand at a Southwestern Tomato Soup. One of these days.

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 8:48 AM | Comments (3)

Back to Main

September 24, 2007

Beef Stew, with a slight nod to the Southwest

Well, the weather has dipped below 90º here, so soups and stews are on my mind again. To get the party started I made traditional beef stew, with some Hatch green chiles added to give it a little zip.

This was really, really basic stuff- all natural beef, Yukon Gold potatoes, red onion and organic carrots, along with Survival Spice®, some extra garlic, and some red wine.

Maybe we should have a Soup and Stew Food Fight.

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 11:33 AM | Comments (3)

Back to Main

September 10, 2007

Steeler Wings- Victory!

Well, the football season got off to a good start- my Pittsburgh Steelers beat up on the Cleveland Browns until they couldn't take it any more. And no, I'm not a fair weather fan; during the 60s I was a fan when they were far and away the worst team in football.

What's football without hot wings? Nothin'.

I like to grill my wings, but I was getting over some kind of bug, so I had to content myself with seasoning them well with Survival Spice™, then roasting them on a parchment lined sheet pan until they were crispy:

As they were in the oven, I mixed some hot sauce, butter, more Survival Spice®, and a bit of chipotle BBQ sauce in a sauce pan, got it all melted and bubbly, poured the sauce into a work bowl, then tossed the crispy wings with the sauce. Taking a fine suggestion from Julie, I plated them on a Steelers platter.

Mmmmm... spicy, crispy and full of flavor. They tasted great with a few cold beers.

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 9:15 AM | Comments (10)

Back to Main

August 21, 2007

Artfully Fried Tilapia

Here's a quick picture of some fried tilapia I did recently, along with an artichoke. I just dusted them with flour, added a touch of oil, then seasoned them with our Survival Spice™ barbecue rub, which is wonderful on any fish, from basa to salmon!

What really makes the shot though, I think, is the super cool piece of Indian art given to us as a wedding present by our friends Mary and Dennis. It got cut off in the picture a bit, but we're thrilled to have it!

Cook anything good lately? Go ahead, start bragging...

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 9:00 AM | Comments (2)

Back to Main

August 16, 2007

Grilled Survival Garlic Chicken, Sweet Potatoes & Brocolli

In another of a long-running series of "What Did You Have for Dinner Last Night", here's a quick rundown of a quick dinner.

I threw a bunch of minced garlic in Ziplock bag, along with the ever present Survival Spice™ and a few all natural chicken breasts to marinate, while I fired up our gas grill. I took a nice sweet potato and cut it into 4 wedges and threw it in the microwave for about 2 minutes, so it could cook through while I got a steamer basket ready for some organic brocolli crowns.

Once the sweet potatoes were tender, I drizzled on a bit of our organic TIbvrtini Extra Virgin Olive Oil and seasoned them with some kosher salt and pepper.

Okay, brocolli's in the steamer and the chicken and sweet potatoes are ready to go on the grill. I grilled the taters on medium high, to get some grill marks and carmelize the sugars, then turned them down to finish cooking while the chicken was cooking. A few pecan wood chips made it all nice and smoky.

Sorry, nothing fancy about this, but it was wonderful.

Been cooking, especially with Desert Island Foods®.com products? Email me!

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 8:25 AM | Comments (3)

Back to Main

August 13, 2007

Grilled Sockeye Salmon and Veggies

I love salmon, and sockeye salmon is a nice treat whenever you find it in the market.

If you're not familiar with the sockeye variety, its color is a hint of what makes it unique. Unlike other types of salmon- Coho, regular pink salmon, etc., sockeye salmon feed almost completely on a diet of krell and plankton, which gives it the beautiful deep red color for which it is famous. I learned this morning that this diet is also the reason why the mercury levels in sockeye are so much lower than other types of salmon.

Because sockeye live farther north, they have a higher fat content. Let's see- bigger flavor, lots of rich fats and omega-3 oils, can something be so healthy and have an utterly amazing flavor, too?

Yep.

I hit it lightly with Survival Spice™, some Tibvrtini Olio Extra Virgene di Oliva, and a little hot sauce. Grilled it off, along with some portabello mushrooms, red onions, and some yellow and Italian squash.

This stuff can't be healthy, it tastes too good.

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 11:09 AM | Comments (0)

Back to Main

August 10, 2007

Friday Night Pork Pic

Here's a shot of a really simple rib technique, indirectly cooked over a gas flame with lots of pecan smoke. I kept just a touch of direct heat on them, then fired it up a bit at the end to get them crispy.

I love slow smoked wood fired ribs, but on the other hand, these were ready in a little over an hour.

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 5:34 PM | Comments (0)

Back to Main

July 31, 2007

It's Rare that I eat Steak....

... or- "How The Pragmatic Chef™ Partied Down on His First Night of Bachelorhood since His Wife Went Out of Town to Visit Her Family for the First Time since they were Married."

I thought the second title was a bit long...

My wife left town to visit her family for a week yesterday, and I got wild and crazy.

I had a beer. Actually, a great beer. And a steak. A rare steak. And no veggies.

Ain't I wild?

A shot of the steak is in the extended entry. It's rare. Don't look at it, if you don't like looking at rare steak.

I warned you.

Continue reading "It's Rare that I eat Steak...."

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 9:04 AM | Comments (5)

Back to Main

July 23, 2007

Blueberry Pancakes and Bacon

When life deals you blueberries, make blueberry pancakes...

Part of the fun of getting married (actually a month ago today), is having someone else come home with new things to play with in the kitchen. I tend to get into a bit of a rut with what's on hand, and though there are zillions of ways to combine them, eventually they start to resemble each other way more than they should. Sure, it's tasty and works out just fine, but it's generally not very blogworthy.

So when my new bride showed up with some blueberries last week, using them in pancakes came immediately to mind. So did things like making a blueberry demi-glace for some pork tendeloin, but pancakes seemed much more doable, with life being as busy as it is. Remind me to make the blueberry demi one of these days though, wouldja?

So here are the blueberry pancakes, with some crispy bacon on the side. Not a very original recipe, but I'd be glad to post it if you like. I would have used some buttermilk if I had it on hand, but regular ol' milk worked just fine.

There are a few tricks to great pancakes- don't overmix the batter, and let it rest, especially if you do. Lumps are fine, as long as they're not filled with dry flour if you break one open. Griddle heat is also key- a few dancing drops of water on the griddle is a good sign. You need a good amount of heat to activate the leaveners- baking powder, baking soda, and the eggs themselves, but too much heat will cook the 'cakes before they're done rising. Make some extra batter, so if you screw up a few you'll be covered.

Cook anything good this weekend?

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 1:05 PM | Comments (4)

Back to Main

July 16, 2007

Poolside Taco party!

(TPC's Twice cooked carnitas, grilled Basa, jalapeños and roasted garlic)

(Pickled red onions and corn tortillas)

Hiya gang-

Welcome to another fun-filled work week. While I'm back at my desk now, we actually a real day off yesterday, and man, we got the most of it. Hours in the pool, a day of cooking, and a killer taco party to boot with an old friend who happened to be in town.

Too many adult beverages, maybe, but it was well worth it.

I'll focus on individual dishes throughout the week, but here's a few pics to get your mouths watering.

How was your weekend? Email me some pics and stories, if you've got something to share.

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 10:27 AM | Comments (0)

Back to Main

May 21, 2007

Do you think Monet started out like this?

It's madness around here these day. Work, work, and getting two houses ready for moving. Cooking, while a great concept, is not feasible, so I've been making do while I spend late evenings and early mornings painting, packing and throwing out a ton of accumulated crap.

Last night's dinner, while I was painting a bathroom, was an Amy's Spinach pizza, supplemented by a ton of minced garlic and crushed red pepper. It's a decent pizza, especially for the frozen type, with lots of organic stuff.

I broke a very decent Burgundy out of the cellar, a 99 Volnay from Michel Lafarge, the last of a case I bought 5 or 6 years ago. It was always very laid back on the palette, but it had picked up some character since the last bottle I drank a few years ago.

Been cooking? Email me!

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 7:43 AM | Comments (0)

Back to Main

May 2, 2007

Salmon Two Ways w/grilled vegetables

Busy around here, so I'll add to this post later, but this is both Scaryaki Salmon, and grilled salmon with Survival Spice™.

I also grilled some peppers- red, yellow and jalapenos, along with some yellow squash, after marinating them in a vinagerette of Tibvrtini Olio Extra Virgine di Oliva, Tibvrtini Aceto di Vino Blanco, and some crushed garlic. I only had about half an hour for the marinade to work, so I made the mix more acidic than I normally would. This is a good trick, if you're pressed for time.

Been cooking? Email me!

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 11:39 AM | Comments (1)

Back to Main

April 23, 2007

Oh, how the Mighty have fallen...

I know, normally by April I'd be presenting you with the first ribs of the BBQ season.

I've been craving BBQ in the worst way, but with life being the happy bedlam that it is these days, firing up the smoker and spending the afternoon with spare ribs slathered away with Survival Spice™ just wasn't an option.

These are from a local joint called Hap's, that I like quite a bit. They do the real deal- rubbed, slow smoked in a blend of hardwoods, and they don't phone it in as far as their side dishes, either. They have a cool website, go check it out.

Okay, it's easy, very reasonable in price, and it satisfied the Q Jones, but my smoker has been looking at me in a jealous way since last night.

Soon, old friend, soon.

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 9:16 AM | Comments (5)

Back to Main

April 11, 2007

Three Cheese Lasagna

I'm not a huge fan of a cheese-only lasagna, but this was good enough to give me hope!

This was a fairly basic cheese blend- mozz, riccota, and grana padano, which had more character that a straight parm. With ricotta, I always mix it with an egg or two and some grated cheese to keep it from being boring.

I also fooled around with not cooking the noodles beforehand, something I'm not a fan of, and I proved it to myself again- I think the noodles keep too much of the starch, so I'll go back to parboiling the noodles next time, or at least giving them a good soak in some hot water.

I still need to work on the cheese blend, though. I'm considering provolone, camembert, or even some mild blue cheese. Any ideas?

I was hardly disappointed in this, though. Hardly.

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 7:31 AM | Comments (2)

Back to Main

April 9, 2007

Probst!

I'm working on a 3 cheese lasagna today, but for now it's a gratuitous beer picture I took of one of my favorite beers- Erdinger.

How was the weekend? Anybody cook anything good for Easter? Share some pictures!

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 9:44 AM | Comments (5)

Back to Main

April 2, 2007

Poolside BLT

Summer's coming, and for me a classic summer sandwith is the BLT. Okay, I think it's a great sandwich in spring, fall and winter too, but a great BLT really shines on a hot day.

My prescription for decompressing at the end of a too-long work week?

Thick cut bacon, cooked slowly in cast iron, turned to perfection with an E-Z Hook®; some cold, crisp organic greens, vine-ripe tomatoes that actually smell like tomatoes, not some vaguely tomato-like substance that's been warehoused along with K-rations from World War II until duty calls, all cradled lovingly in 2 slices of all natural toasted whole grain bread. Slather some mayo on there if you want- better yet, make your own, but I don't need it.

Add a lounge chair, a cold adult beverage, and a good book. Repeat as necessary. Often.

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 6:47 AM | Comments (1)

Back to Main

March 28, 2007

Sprouts Market Pork Tenderloin w/Survival Spice®

Nothing fancy here, but it was darned good.

This is an all-natural pork tenderloin I picked up at Sprouts Market the other day. I've been shopping there a lot recently. They have a nice blend of healthy stuff at a reasonable price point, which I find very pragmatic, indeed.

I oiled it lightly with our Tibvrtini Olio Extra Virgene di Oliva, then rubbed it with Survival Spice™.

While I preheated my oven to bake at 350º (convection), I got a cast iron skillet hot and seared the tenderloin, making sure I browned it all the way 'round. Once that was done, I popped it into the oven until it felt like it was starting to firm up, but not all the way there. Sadly (pathetically), a lot of people won't eat pork until it's the consistency of a baseball bat, and it's a shame. This was still just a tiny bit pink in the widest part of the piece, and was outrageously juicy.

I let it rest while I took some pictures, and sliced it to put on a green salad.

Fortunately, there are leftovers. Is it too early at 7AM to eat dinner?

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 8:07 AM | Comments (5)

Back to Main

March 14, 2007

Sirloin w/mushroom demi-glace

It's pathetic how little time I've had to cook lately, but I had some mushroom demi at a local restaurant recently that tasted like it had been made from a commercial base, and I nearly sent it back because it tasted burned and overly salty. I knew I could do much better at home.

I threw this together, using some of the demi-glace I made last fall. It's a nice bit of all natural sirloin marinated in mustard, worcestershire sauce and black pepper that I cooked in a cast iron skillet in butter and a good glug of TIbvrtini Olio di Extra Virgene, which normally I don't cook with, but what the hey. Not too high of a heat to keep the sirloin nice and tender, then removed the steak to rest.

I tossed in some sliced crimini mushrooms, another pat of butter, some thyme and some parsley, then after the mushrooms had softened, added 3 or 4 ice cubes of the demi. I cranked up the heat to reduce the sauce, and plated it up.

Wow, what a treat. Note to self: stay home and cook more.

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 8:57 AM | Comments (1)

Back to Main

February 26, 2007

Steak Kebabs with Survival Vinagerette

I like kebabs, kabobs, however you like to spell it, (both are correct, actually) don't get me wrong. They're really party friendly, easy prep you can do well in advance, and the simplicity of plunking down a kebab or two on a plate and not have to have a lot of side dishes is great. The problem with mixed kebabs, however, is that generally you get a bunch of burned and raw stuff on the same skewer, because each individual item takes different times to cook.

There are two ways to solve this: either make your kebabs seperately, entire skewers made up of the same ingredient, which I prefer; or par cook items to the same state of doneness, then make up mixed skewers. This was how I made these- I cut an onion in half and zapped it on the microwave for about 2 minutes, then cut it into wedges. The beef and the red bell pepper needed no pre-cooking, I knew they'd both be done in about 15 minutes.

I lucked into an amazing marinade for this, that I can't wait to try on flank steak. I combined our Tibvrtini Extra Virgine di Oliva, organic Tibvrtini Aceto di Vino Blanco, and some Survival Spice™, and was blown away by how good it was. It might even make a quick Italian-type salad dressing- I'll be playing with that soon.

These got about 15 minutes over a medium charcoal fire, and I served them on some brown rice. I'm going to be making these again, soon, and a flank steak is definitely on my shopping list.

Do any cooking this weekend? I got some great pictures in over the weekend that I'll be posting soon.

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 6:16 AM | Comments (5)

Back to Main

February 21, 2007

Survival Chicken Caesar Salad

This is not what you would call a traditional Caesar salad. Traditionally, a Caesar salad would have whole leaves of romaine lettuce, and the dressing would include a few coddled eggs. The nouvelle Caesar dressing I learned in culinary school only contains one egg yolk per cup of oil, and the egg is 'cooked' with a combination of lemon juice and vinegar, so the dressing tends to be more like a loose aoili.

To make this, I grilled off a chicken breast with Survival Spice™, and sliced it. I like a simple crouton with my Caesar, so they're just lightly oiled, along with some kosher salt and black pepper, then toasted.

I went high end with the ingredients in the dressing- an organic egg yolk, a few liquified cloves of garlic, TIbvrtini Aceto di Vino Blanco, our organic white wine vinegar, and a blend of canola oil and TIbvrtini Olio Extra Virgene. I also used lemon juice, parmagiano reggiano cheese, a bit of Worcestershire sauce, and some dry Colman's mustard.

It's not the lightest salad in the world, but it's one of my favorites.

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 10:07 AM | Comments (7)

Back to Main

February 14, 2007

Scariyaki Salmon with Broccoli fried rice

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!!! Busy day around here, but here's another version of the Scariyaki sauce on some really nice salmon filets, pan fried in a cast iron skillet. A simple veggie fried rice, using some left over brown rice, an organic egg, fresh garlic, onion, some broccoli, and a bit of the sauce finished it off nicely. Search the archives for 'scariyaki' to see some other versions.

Treat yourselves to something good tonight!

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 7:08 AM | Comments (0)

Back to Main

February 12, 2007

Who says, "Don't Play with your Food?"

I say, play all you want! Just because I haven't had time for much serious cooking these days doesn't mean I can't goof around with stuff, does it? I didn't think so. Now that I look at it again, some red onion eyebrows would've been cool.

Cook anything good this weekend? Email me some pictures and words, so we can check it out!

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 7:32 AM | Comments (2)

Back to Main

January 23, 2007

Jack Bauer loves Meatball Sandwiches

Okay, I have no idea if Jack loves them or not, since no one on that show ever eats, but that's what I made last night. There are lots of varieties of meatballs, along with meat choices- beef, veal or pork, but for a meatball sandwich I like straight 100% beef. I mixed the beef with some homemade bread crumbs, eggs, fresh parsley, lots of garlic, and enough salt that it doesn't taste bland.

I browned these off on a sheet pan while I buzzed up some crushed tomatoes with an immersion blender, then added uber amounts of garlic, some parsley, and seasoned it with dry thyme, kosher salt, and copious amounts of crushed red pepper and Survival Spice™, which adds a lot of flavor to tomato sauces, while keeping it recognizable as an Italian sauce. I added the meatballs to the sauce, and let it simmer for a few hours.

Got some good rolls from the bakery, and sliced them, along with some pepper jack cheese, making sure that the sandwich would sit flat on the sizzle plate. If you line the sides of the roll with cheese, the sandwich won't soak through as quickly, and don't overdo the sauce if you don't want to wear it! I topped it with a little greated parm cheese, got it hot in the oven, then turned on the broiler for a few minutes at the end.

Jack would be proud. I hope he wouldn't kill me for it.

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 7:10 AM | Comments (4)

Back to Main

January 17, 2007

Whole Wheat Penne w/Pesto and Hot Sausage

Pesto is such a versatile sauce, and although there are a bunch of variations out there- mint, cilantro, parsley, etc., I prefer the classic basil recipe myself. It's a no-cook sauce, which is great on a hot day, and you can dress veggies, or even meat with it. Try the pesto infused chicken in the link, it's really good.

For a quick weekday dinner, you can't beat it. The fact that I had some leftover whole wheat penne meant that all I had to do was saute up some hot italian sausage, throw the rest of it in the pan to heat up, give it quick toss, and that was it.

This is the second pesto picture I've posted, and I still haven't figured out how to plate and shoot it right. Anybody have any ideas? I tried to hit it with more light this time, but it just looks washed out to me.

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 7:07 AM | Comments (0)

Back to Main

January 9, 2007

Survival Tip with Onion, Portabello and thyme oil

(Crazy plating, I know, but ya gotta try stuff...)

I just had to have a steak for the Florida/Ohio State (blowout, as it turned out) game last night, so I grilled off a nice strip of tri-tip, rubbed with our Survival Spice™ barbecue rub. I've mentioned this before, but grilling tri-tip, even a strip like this where you're tempted to sear it off, is much better cooked over medium heat so you've got time to break down the connective tissue instead of tightening it up.

I was going to just grill the red onions and portabellos, too, but then I had a bit of inspiration. I sauteed them instead with a bit of thyme, using more oil than I normally would. What did I do with the oil after the veggies were done? Poured it over the steak, of course. You've got all this lovely infused mushroom, thyme and onion flavor going on, why waste it?

It was awesome. Survival Spice™ by itself is all you need, of course, but the extra flavor wallop from the oil was a nice change.

Been cooking? Email me what you've been making!

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 8:18 AM | Comments (4)

Back to Main

January 3, 2007

Japanese Style Salmon and Brussel Sprouts

Travel Day again today, but finally I'm headed home, ready to get back to work!

This was a pan-fried salmon filet that I marinated in soy, mirin, lemon juice and some chili/garlic paste. I'll admit, brussel sprouts weren't exactly the traditional Japanese accompianment, but they tasted good! I just steamed them, and added some butter and S&P.

Now, if I had eaten like this the whole time I was in the Midwest, my jeans wouldn't be so tight.

Say, are those Christmas cookies?...

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 7:12 AM | Comments (0)

Back to Main

December 18, 2006

Weekend Wings

I had a hankering for wings over the weekend. Actually, I hanker for wings far more often than that, but I just happened to be at the grocery store when this particular hanker began, so it was an easy hanker to satisfy.

Wow. I just used the word 'hanker' three times in a sentence. Is that a record? Try it sometime, it's not as easy as you think...

I like to grill my wings, rather than deep fry them. Grilling them over wood imparts smoky flavor to chicken, as oppposed to deep frying, where the only flavor to be picked up is the delightful essense of the Mrs. Paul's fish sticks you threw in there the last time you used it. No, thanks.

I grilled these with our Survival Spice™ barbecue rub, low and slow, to render out the fat and get them nice and crispy. In a skillet, I whipped up a "kitchen sink" sauce of butter, Frank's Red hot, Tabasco, Sciracha, hot chipotle bbq sauce, and more Survival Spice™.

Quick toss in the sauce after the wings were done, and life was good.

Don't ask me why I cropped the photo so close, there was just something mesmerizing about the glaze on the wings.

Cook anything good this weekend? Give it up!!!

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 4:13 PM | Comments (1)

Back to Main

December 11, 2006

Meat Lasagna for wussies

(Photo: TPC's family meat lasagna, shot with my new Canon Powershot A530)

I'm working on a simple, inexpensive, family friendly meat lasagna recipe. The ground rules- no fancy ingredients- sob, no San Marzano tomotoes, parm reggiano, fresh herbs, etc.

I'm using a mixture of ground beef and mild Italian sausage, so it isn't too spicy, and because a lot of people don't care for ricotta I'm mixing it with eggs and parmesan cheese to firm it up and give it more of a parm flavor profile. I also put the ricotta mixture on its own layer, so it stays in pieces that can be picked away by fussy diners.

The first attempt was successful. I think I'm going to up the garlic a bit and use a touch more crushed red pepper next time around. It's tough cooking for all ages, but I'm feeling pretty good about this approach. Next- a 3 or 4 cheese version.

Cook anything good over the weekend? Let's hear about it, and email me a picture to share, if you're so inclined!

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 8:50 AM | Comments (0)

Back to Main

November 24, 2006

Traditional Thanksgiving plate

(Photo: Thanksgiving plate '06)

Instead of a Friday Funny this week, here's a shot of Thanksgiving dinner last night. Basic, traditional stuff, but really good- it's funny, but after working really hard to create more exotic and elaborate dishes, sometimes getting back to basics is a really great change in and of itself!

I roasted the turkey with Survival Spice™ rubbed inside and out, then stuffed the bird with apples and sweet onions. I roasted it at a pretty low temp this year, 325º until the last half hour or so, so the skin didn't get quite as crispy as usual but the meat was really moist.

The stuffing this year was simple- a light brown bread with onion, garlic, celery, apples and raisins, with lots of sage and thyme.

We had a old fashioned green bean casserole, only I used fresh green beans. It was a fun change, normally I'll do my green beans with crispy bacon, then thinly slice shallots and fry them to provide some crunch.

Mashed taters, gravy and a fresh cranberry sauce I make by pureeing fresh cranberries, oranges, and apples, with enough orange juice to sweeten it a bit.

How about you? I'm starting to get in some good Thanksgiving pics that I'll post next week, if you've got one, email me!

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 7:34 AM | Comments (2)

Back to Main

November 20, 2006

"Scaryaki" Salmon w/Sauteed Veg and Barley

Dinner was simple last night- more of the Scaryaki Salmon I posted about, plus some pearl barley and sauteed veggies- a selection of bell peppers, mushrooms and red onion in Tibvrtini Olio Extra Virgene di Oliva, glazed with a good balsamic vinegar.

How about you? Cook anything good this weekend?

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 11:18 AM | Comments (3)

Back to Main

November 16, 2006

Tri-tip burrito

Here's a thrown together meal that turned out pretty well, another of my "crap, it's dinner time what do we have in the fridge and what can i make out of it" situations, which sadly have become the norm.

I had some tri-tip cut into strips on hand, so I hit them with Survival Spice™ barbecue rub, and grilled them off with some onion, while I heated up some black beans, and sliced some Colby cheese. Threw some large tortillas on the grill after I removed the beef and onions, and made some quick burritos.

The trick with tri-tip cooked this way is to not overdo the heat, just a nice medium fire until they're medium rare.

The photo's not that good, I know, but the burrito was!

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 6:19 AM | Comments (4)

Back to Main

November 13, 2006

Honey Scaryaki Salmon

Here's a refinement on the Scaryaki sauce I've posted about a few times here so far, with an adjustment for the salmon I had on hand.

I wanted something a little more traditional in terms of the sweetness a typical teriyaki sauce has, but with the heat in my "scaryaki" version, so I added a touch of honey to the usual blend of soy, hot chili garlic paste, and Sriracha hot sauce, with just a touch of sesame oil. After letting the fish marinade for about half an hour, I drizzled a bit of canola oil on the fish as my skillet was heating up. Why do I oil the fish, and not the skillet? Because if you do it this way, you'll have far less spattering, because there's no extra oil in the pan.

The honey I added this time forced me to change my cooking technique somewhat- instead of being able to sear the salmon at high heat, which of course would burn the honey, I settled on medium to medium high heat this time.

I served this with brown rice and a salad similar to the one in the Scaryaki Halibut post. Mmmmmm.....

So, cook anything good this weekend? Give!

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 6:29 AM | Comments (0)

Back to Main

October 30, 2006

Gumbo- Before and After

Here's a before and after shot of the chicken, sausage and shrimp gumbo I made yesterday, using some of the chicken stock I made recently. I've described my gumbo technique before, so the only thing I'll point out is how thick the roux is as it begins to cook. Dark rouxs use more flour because the starch cooks out over time, so don't panic and add more oil, it will loosen up as it cooks.

Lots of chopping and whatnot, but it was worth it!

(Photo: Mary)

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 9:30 AM | Comments (0)

Back to Main

October 23, 2006

Sunday Morning Fritatta (revisited)

I've blogger here about fritattas, but fritattas are an easy and classy way to make brunch, plus they're a great way to use up leftovers. This one included asparagus, onion, red bell peppers and fontina cheese, but use your imagination! I like to put a layer of cooked potatoes at the bottom, but didn't do it Sunday.

Pre-cook your fillings while your oven's heating to about 400º in the same pan, then add your egg mixture, give it a few minutes on the stove to get it hot, then pop it in the oven. Once your eggs have risen a bit, are cooked through and the cheese is nice and bubbly, take it out. Let it rest a few minutes, then slice and serve. I had sliced Roma tomatoes and avocado with this, along with some whole grain toast.

If you have leftovers the next day, take the time to reheat them in the oven, rather than in the microwave.

Cook anything this weekend? Let us know, and email me a picture!

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 8:13 AM | Comments (3)

Back to Main

October 18, 2006

Simple Grilled Salmon and Asparagus

After a busy day, there's nothing simpler than firing up a good gas grill with a few wood chips and grilling your dinner. No pots, no pans, very little cleanup, and really delicious.

Last night was salmon filets, oiled and rubbed generously with our Survival Spice™ barbecue rub, which is fantastic on salmon. After the salmon was on the grill for a few minutes, I added some lightly oiled and seasoned asparagus. A good squirt of fresh lemon juice during the last 5 minutes of cooking, and that was it.

Healthy, amazing and easy. Three of my favorite words.

What did you have for dinner last night?

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 7:58 AM | Comments (2)

Back to Main

October 10, 2006

Chicken Cacciatora

The good news- there was absolutely no Spam® in this...

My buddy Bob gave me a bunch of home-grown basil the other day. I wasn't in the mood for pesto, so I decided to make some pasta sauce with it. You know my M.O. for basic pasta sauce- lots of sauteed garlic in Tibvrtini Olio Extra Virgene di Oliva, crushed to order tomatoes, crushed red peppers and basil only- so I won't go into detail on that.

To make the cacciatora, I oven-roasted some chicken legs and thighs seasoned with our Survival Spice™ until they had a nice color and were nearly cooked through, and also sauteed some mini red and yellow peppers along with a chopped red onion. I deglazed these with some white wine, then added them to some of the tomato sauce. Once the chicken was ready, I added it as well, then simmered the whole thing for an hour.

Boiled some penned until it was al dente, then garnished with parmaseano reggiano and a sprig of Bob's be-YOO-tiful basil. Thanks again!

Bottle of red, and some crusty bread. Life was good.

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 7:45 AM | Comments (1)

Back to Main

September 18, 2006

Roast chicken with Survival Stuffing

It's starting to cool off here in the desert, and I found myself craving a Thanksgiving dinner. By cooling, I mean temps under 100º, but it makes a huge difference here in Phoenix.

Well, it's not Thanksgiving yet, and I didn't have a turkey on hand, but this stuffed chicken dinner satisfied my "turkey jones" nonetheless.

Continue reading "Roast chicken with Survival Stuffing"

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 1:30 PM

Back to Main

September 11, 2006

Whatchacallit

I have no idea what I made last night, but it was good.

Another of those market basket days, where I had a bunch of ideas what to make with what I had on hand. Pork chops and a French style mushroom cream sauce, maybe a Southwest influence with the addition of pasilla chiles; a simple pork and sausage gumbo; hot Italian sausage sandwiches with peppers and onions- my head was filled with possibilities.

I think you know this, but this is my favorite way to cook- inventory what's on hand, then make something up. What could you make with these ingredients?

Continue reading "Whatchacallit"

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 7:58 AM | Comments (2)

Back to Main

September 5, 2006

Grilled Pork Chops and Corn on the Cob

Pork chops and corn on the cob- sure sounds like Labor Day to me!

There's a few ways you can go with pork chops- super thin, so you can cook them quickly on high heat, leaving a nice crispy bit of pork goodness. You can also go with a thick-cut pork chop that you can still cook quickly, or smoke nice and slowly.

These were grilled over pecan wood, which is my default grilling wood these days, at a fairly high heat. I lot of people like their pork cooked to death, but I'm not one of them. For them, go the thin/crispy pork route.

Sigh. I have to talk about this for a minute, so indulge me. I really, really hate to even bring it up, because it's such a rare thing anyway and a serious buzz kill, but seriously, it's okay to eat juicy pork chops. Really. They can even be a bit pink, and still have no chance of containing trichinosis. By the time your pork is medium rare to medium, it's fine. Want to hear numbers? Okay. Trichinosis, even in the incredibly remote chance of infection, is gone at 138º. Medium rare pork is right around 145º. Even medium, around 150º, is still moist. If in doubt, use an instant read thermometer, and relax. Sorry for digressing, but the whole "pork paranoia" is so pervasive, it makes me crazy, and I think knowledgable people don't talk about it enough because it's unappetizing. Hope this helps.

Where was I? Right, chops. I rubbed them well with our Survival Spice™ barbecue rub, which is so good on pork that even the chops will send you a thank you note!

After they came off the grill, I let them rest a few minutes. Pork chops, because they're generally so lean, really benefit from resting 5 or 10 minutes or so before service.

Man, they were good. The sauce you see on the side is from a friend's company that I'll talk a bit about later in the week, but suffice it to say it's one of the best bottled sauces I've had!

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 6:41 AM | Comments (7)

Back to Main

August 10, 2006

Grilled Ribeye and Corn

I took this picture in front of the chiminea by the pool. Chiminea's are a sort of ceramic outdoor fireplace, great for taking the chill out of the nighttime Arizona air during the winter. I'm looking forward to firing it up again soon!

Ribeye's are one of my favorite steaks- packed with flavor, and incredibly tender and juicy when cooked properly. I marinated this in worcestershire sauce, Colman's mustard, and tons of freshly ground black pepper, which enhances the flavor of the beef while adding a nice zip and depth of flavor. I grilled it, along with an ear of corn, over mesquite until medium rare.

I cook corn in different ways, depending on my mood and how many ears I'm grilling. Often I'll flavor the finished ears with butter and Survival Spice™, which does a great job of bringing out the natural sweetness. This time, though, I just peeled back the husk and removed the silk, removing the outermost husks. I then wrapped the corn up with one of the husks, tying a clove hitch to hold it together. Geeky, but effective...

A small green salad, and a nice bottle of Burgundy on the side. Big flavors, good times.

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 9:26 AM | Comments (2)

Back to Main

August 2, 2006

Cast Iron Pork Chops topped with Mushrooms and Red Onions

As you well know, I've been eating a lot of veggie dishes lately. There have been days recently that as I posted a dish I could just feel the carnivores begging for a nice hunk of meat.

I've been jonesing too, I guess, so last night I grabbed this nice thick-cut pork chop, basically a pork porterhouse because it has a nice sized tenderloin attached to it, and heated up a trusty cast iron skillet. As the skillet got hot, I lightly oiled the chop and generously rubbed it with Survival Spice™, which gives pork all the lovin' it will ever need. I roughed chopped a red onion and sliced some regular white mushrooms, and other than prepping a simple green salad, I was good to go.

I wanted this to be simple so I did everything in the same skillet, but if you want a nice crust to your chop, the last thing you want to do is dump everything in at once. Other than the fact that your veggies would be done far too soon, your mushrooms in particular are going to release a lot of liquid, which would keep your chop from getting beautifully browned. And we love a nice crispy crust, don't we?

So, into the medium hot skillet the chop went, nicest side down. I gave it plenty of time to get nice and crispy, and to let the Survival Spice™ work its magic. Once I flipped the chop, I added the onions to give them a head start, then the mushrooms a few minutes later. The chop was done, so I transferred it to a plate and then topped it with the mushrooms and onions.

Oh man, was it good. Juicy, crispy, and tender, and wonderfully complemented with the veggies on top. Don't forget, I had a salad, too...

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 8:11 PM | Comments (4)

Back to Main

July 31, 2006

Veggie Stuffed Red Bell Peppers

I know, another vegetarian dish, blah blah blah, but when you can pack a dish totally full of great flavors and make it healthy, it's just good, period.

Did I just say that?

I mean, I'm such a carnivore-- stuff me full of spare ribs, a Cowboy Ribeye, or a grilled chicken and I'm a happy guy, believe me.

But I've always enjoyed veggie dishes that are packed with flavor- a great veggie curry, or spinach and garlic pizzas, that don't make me aware that I haven't had any meat in the entire meal. So when I saw beautiful red bell peppers with a perfect shape for stuffing, I knew what was going to be on the menu.

Continue reading "Veggie Stuffed Red Bell Peppers"

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 9:43 AM | Comments (0)

Back to Main

July 26, 2006

Pesto and Chicken with Whole Wheat Rotini

Here's a simple dish I made last night, after seeing bunches of fresh basil at the market. It's fun to just shop, then let whatever I find inspire my meal ideas, because most of the time I don't really crave anything in particular.

In keeping with the low-glycemic lifestyle that reality has thrust upon me, I found some whole wheat rotini that were really good. The idea behind eating whole wheat, as opposed to a pure white flour, is that the bran tends to slow down the conversion of the starch to glucose, so that your blood sugar levels don't spike as much.

While I was pan-frying some boneless chicken breasts in Tibvrtini Olio Extra Virgene di Oliva, lemon and S & P, I mashed 5 cloves of garlic in my mortar and pestle with a little kosher salt. I added a few handfuls of the fresh basil and pounded my frustrations away. I toasted a small handful of pine nuts, beat the crap out of them as well, then added a handful of grated parmesano reggiano, a generous glug of the wonderful Tibvrtini oil, salt and pepper.

I drained the pasta, put it back into the pot, added the diced chicken, gave a quick toss with the pesto, and dinner was good to go.

What did you have for dinner last night?

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 10:06 AM | Comments (2)

Back to Main

July 19, 2006

Pork Shoulder Salad

Busy days don't doom you to a horrible dinner death, as long as you cook when you can and keep the basics in your pantry and in your fridge. This was a 5 minute dinner I made last week that was not only amazing, it was healthy and inexpensive, too.

Starting with some of the BBQ pork shoulder I made over the weekend with Survival Spice™ and a basic BBQ sauce, I halved a head of butter lettuce and rough chopped a few scallions on the bias.

A quick drizzle of Tibvrtini Olio Extra Virgene di Oliva and Tibvrtini Aceto di Vino Blanco provided the most basic and the most incredible vinagerette imaginable, then I topped the greens with a scoop of the reheated pork. Season and serve.

Easy. Amazing. Healthy. A great combination.

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 10:09 AM | Comments (2)

Back to Main

July 14, 2006

Ravioli with Sauteed Zucchini, Scallions in Tibvrtini Vinagerette

(Not my best picture, but whatcha gonna do?)

When faced with just a few ingredients, and dinner time looming, do you shake in fear, or do you see it as a challenge to be conquered?

This was one of my typical "raid the fridge/freezer and make something up", or "market basket" dinners, but it turned out really well. Plus, the one skillet prep is always a bonus.

I just boiled enough water in a skillet to hold a half dozen 3 cheese ravioli that I had in the freezer. Once they were hot, I removed them to a plate and dumped the water. After heating some Tibvrtini Olio Extra Virgene di Oliva, I did a quick sauté of some Italian zucchini and green onions.

I added back the ravioli to fry them a bit, seasoned with S & P, then drizzled it with more of the organic oil and some Tibvrtini Aceto di Vino Blance, their unbelievably good organic, unfiltered white wine vinegar, and plated it.

Topping it off with some grated Parmesan Reggiano, it was a quick, easy, delicious meal that I would have never thought of when planning a menu. To me, that's the fun of 'market basket' cooking, it forces you to appreciate what you have to work with, and by painting yourself into new culinary corners, it makes you a better cook.

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 11:04 AM | Comments (2)

Back to Main

June 15, 2006

Masitas de Puerco- Cuban twice cooked pork

(Photo: Mary)

I love pork. There, I said it. Of course, if you find that shocking you probably haven't been reading very long, because we've all cooked quite a bit of pork around here over the last year or so.

One of my favorites is Masitas de Puerco because it combines multiple cooking techniques- a slow braise that renders fat and tenderizes the cut, and frying, which results in a crispy bit of pork with a moist, succulent center. As with any good braised dish, the braising liquid is used as a finishing sauce. Serve with white rice, black beans, fried plantains and white onions.

Continue reading "Masitas de Puerco- Cuban twice cooked pork"

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 9:43 AM | Comments (5)

Back to Main

June 13, 2006

Cuban night

(Photo: Mary, of Cuban Night)

Over the weekend, some foodie friends and I got together for another internationally themed food night. This time the theme was Cuban food, which I love. Hearty, flavorful and like all the cuisines of the world, influenced by the indigenous crops of the area. Things like onions and limes are familiar, of course, but many Americans have never had varitions of familiar fruits such as plantains and Seville oranges, which are staples in the cuisine of Cuba.

Plantains are a larger, starchier version of bananas. Less sweet to begin with, the starch factor increases the longer the picked plantains are stored as the sugars convert to starch. Sliced on the bias and fried, I like to lightly salt them as they rest on paper towels. Good stuff.

Seville oranges are a tart variety. Naranja agria (sour orange) juice is a key ingredient in mojo, a "mother sauce" of Cuban cuisine. If you don't have the real deal, a fine substitute to add lime juice to orange juice, roughly 1 part lime to 3 parts orange juice.

I made fried plantains, a garlic chicken dish, some masitas- fried pork, and the traditional onions that accompany them. My friend and ace photographer Mary made some really good red beans and rice to go along with it.

I'll post some individual dishes this week, but you owe it to yourself to try Cuban food if you've never had it. I just wish I would have had a Cuban cigar for dessert...

What did you have for dinner last night? Email me!

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 9:56 AM | Comments (3)

Back to Main

June 10, 2006

Old Fashioned BBQ Chicken and Grilled Veggies

I'm trying to watch what I eat these days, but there's no reason that healthy food can't be delicious, too.

Here's a Saturday night dinner, boneless, skinless chicken breasts rubbed generously with Survival Spice™, grilled then basted during the last 10 minutes with a BBQ sauce that I'm evaluating. I'm not a big fan of boneless and skinless chicken and I prefer my BBQ with sauce on the side, but I find that if you don't overcook it, it does absorb flavors really well. Plus, it's something different, which is refreshing in and of itself...

The veggies, a red bell pepper, Italian zucchini, yellow squash, and a red onion were marinated for about a half an hour with Tibvrtini Olio Extra Virgene di Oliva, Tibvrtini Aceto di Vino BIanco, kosher salt, and a little bit of Survival Spice™. Take your time with them, especially the onions, so that you carmelize your veggies well.

As I proved to myself with the Scaryaki Stir Fry and the Scaryaki Hallibut Salad, I think it is actually possible to eat well and still be satisfied at the end of your meal. I think big flavor is the key to achieving satisfaction. There's nothing more frustrating than pushing back from the table after suffering through a bland, "healthy" meal, then berating yourself a few hours later after you've binged on ice cream.

Quality ingredients, simple yet well executed preperation. I can live with that.

Are you trying to eat better? Share your tips!

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 8:27 PM | Comments (2)

Back to Main

June 7, 2006

Scaryaki Stir Fry

(Photo: TPC's Scaryaki Stir Fry)

Dinner last night was a fairly simple but really good stir fry I threw together, using what was on hand. Hmmm, I say that a lot, don't I? I guess it's just my M.O...

While I cooked some brown rice, I marinated a few chicken breasts in soy, Sriracha hot sauce, chili garlic paste and sesame oil while I chopped a red pepper, some scallions, washed some bean sprouts and opened a can of water chestnuts. Heating my wok on my hottest burner, I heated some canola oil and stir-fried the chicken, then removed it to a bowl. You should always add the whatever's going to take the longest time to cook first, so in went the red pepper. A few minutes later I added the scallion, then the water chestnuts and finally the sprouts.

I added the chicken back in and added some chicken broth, reduced it and some more of the marinade ingredients. Some toasted sesame seeds finished it, and it was ready in 10 minutes.

Proper stir fry requires high heat, so prep everything ahead of time, because your dish will come together quickly.

What did you have for dinner last night? Email me pics, if you have them!

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 9:52 AM | Comments (0)

Back to Main

May 31, 2006

"Scaryaki" Halibut Salad

(Photo: TPCs Scaryaki Halibut Salad)

This is one of those "Here's what you got, make something up" dishes that totally kicked butt. I call it "Scaryaki" because it was spicy and flavorful enough to peel paint!

I started by marinating some halibut filets (thanks, Lloyd!!!) in more or less equal parts of soy sauce, chili garlic paste, and Sriracha hot sauce, stuff that should be in your refrigerator at all times, I think. Make extra, so you have some to use as a dipping sauce.

I got a cast iron skillet really hot, added a touch of oil to it, then fried my halibut filets. Warning: you might want to stand back a bit, the spicy aroma is a bit intense. I, of course, breathe it in like Vapo-Rub...

The salad couldn't be simpler. A small head of butter lettuce, washed, outer leaves removed, and broken in half. An amazingly simple but incredible oil and vinegar from two parts Tibvrtini Olio Extra Virgene di Oliva and one part Tibvrtini Aceto di Vino Bianco, kosher salt and pepper. I still haven't topped this extraordinary combination and I've tried, believe me. A few snipped organic chives from the herb garden and then plated it all up.

It blew me away. I'm really trying to watch my diet these days, eating healthy stuff all week so I can splurge a bit on the weekends, and this dish really reinforced the idea that big, bold flavors can do a good job substituting for a lack of fillers.

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 8:19 AM | Comments (3)

Back to Main

May 30, 2006

Tiramisu

(Photo: TPCs Tiramisu)

I made some tiramisu for a party Saturday night, and it turned out really well.

Tiramisu, which means "pick me up", is a classic. Savoiardi, or lady fingers, are dipped in expresso and some sort of alcohol, generally marsala wine, brandy, amaretto, coffee liquor, or rum, then layered in a dish or parfait glass with a decadent blend of marscapone, which is an Italian cream cheese; egg yolks, sugar and whipped egg whites. Alternating layers of bittersweet chocolate make it something to savor.

Though incredibly rich, a good tiramisu is lighter than you might imagine it. The lady fingers, if dipped or brushed properly don't become compacted under the weight of the egg/cheese mixture, and when the egg whites are folded in properly to the marscapone, it gives it a light, fluffy texture.

There's a lot of bad tiramisu out there, don't let it keep you from seeking out the real thing.

What did you cook for Memorial Day?

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 12:30 PM | Comments (6)

Back to Main

May 25, 2006

Penne Arrabbiata con Pollo

(TPC's Penne Arrabbiata con Pollo)

Here's another delicious and easy dish. This is great baked in an over for an hour or more, but I'm giving you the quick version.

I used chicken thighs because I had them on hand, and I really like them. They work well in a simmered dish like this because they have enough fat to keep them moist. If you make this with breasts, you'll want to cook them off almost entirely then remove them while the sauce comes together, adding any juices from the meat to the skillet, of course. Adding peppers and onions (some add mushrooms as well) would make it a cacciatora, but I didn't go that route.

To define a few terms, Arrabbiata means "angry", referring to the spiciness in the dish. Cacciatora is an Italian word for "hunter", inferring a rustic style of cooking.

Easy, easy, easy. Here's how it came together.

Continue reading "Penne Arrabbiata con Pollo"

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 11:41 AM

Back to Main

May 5, 2006

Mega Pepperoni, Garlic and Fresh Mozzerella Pizza

(Photo: TPC)

I haven't had much of a chance to do much cooking, let alone take pictures of it, because I'm heading out of town tomorrow for 10 days. I had to cook something before I left, though, and you can't go wrong with pizza, right?

Here's the latest in a series of pizzas I've been making, and this one is a twist on a classic. It might be hard to tell from the pictures, but the entire pizza is covered with sandwich sized slices of pepperoni.

Continue reading "Mega Pepperoni, Garlic and Fresh Mozzerella Pizza"

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 11:51 AM | Comments (2)

Back to Main

April 25, 2006

Citrus Herb Chicken

(Photo: Mary)

Here's some chicken I marinated and grilled over mesquite and a little pecan wood this weekend. The marinade was just lemon and oranges, olive oil, some Tibvrtini Aceto di Vino Bianco, lots of garlic and a sliced onion, fresh rosemary, kosher salt, and black pepper.

I really like to do this in one gallon plastic bags, because it makes it so easy to turn, but you might want to double bag it or put it on top of something in the fridge just in case you spring a leak.

I used breasts and thighs, but I cut the breasts in half because I grilled some tri-tips, too, which lets guests try a small piece without feeling wasteful, and you can see that I separated them as I took them off the grill to make it easy for them to choose what they wanted. It was juicy and packed with flavor.

The grilling season is here! Life is good.

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 10:32 AM | Comments (0)

Back to Main

April 18, 2006

Pecan Grilled Pork Chop with potatoes and green salad

It's nice to have all day to put together a meal with great sauces and creative garnishes, but here in the real world it just doesn't happen during the week very often.

This was a simple dinner that took only 45 minutes to put together. I started with some thick cut pork chops, which were rubbed with Survival Spice™, then grilled over pecan wood. The potatoes were microwaved until tender, oiled and rubbed with kosher salt and were grilled along with the chops, which really gives them a nice smokey flavor.

The romaine salad had a simple Tibvrtini Olio Extra Virgene di Oliva and Tibvrtini Aceto di Vino Bianco dressing that is still my favorite combination of these two extraordinary flavors, bar none.

What did you have for dinner last night? Email me a picture and a description!

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 11:44 AM | Comments (2)

Back to Main

April 7, 2006

White Pizza w/Bacon, Onions, Asparagus and Parm

Here's the latest of a series of pizzas I've come up with, and I think it's a winner.

White pizzas are a great change from the typical pizza, and one of the easiest ways to make a pizza unique. It really pays to think in terms of removing items from a dish, as opposed to thinking about what you can add, this gives you discipline as a cook.

Instead of sauce I used Tibvrtini Olio Extra Virgene di Oliva and quite a bit of grated Grana Padano cheese. I chopped and rendered crispy 4 or 5 slices of thick cut bacon, a large onion sliced thinly and some asparagus, all separately, then let them cool before topping the oil and cheese. It was baked at 500 on a pizza pan, then slid onto a stone to brown the bottom.

It's an amazing combination of ingredients- salty, sweet, crisp and chewy. Try it!

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 8:34 AM | Comments (2)

Back to Main

March 29, 2006

Comfort Food- Pork Stew, Mashed Potatoes and Gravy

To me, there's nothing like comfort food, especially on an overcast, drizzly day. This is another kid-friendly meal, part of a series I've been doing along with the Parmesan Chicken Strips and the Mac and Cheese I've done so far.

I enjoy cooking for kids, because it forces me to strip recipes back to the basics. Kids can be picky eaters, to be sure, but cooks have to be aware that children are supertasters, born with far more taste buds than they'll have in adulthood, so they're very sensitive to seasoning and heat. So as much as I love to build sophisticated flavors, such as exist in Survival Spice™, I made this dish with just kosher salt and a tiny bit of black pepper.

I've spent the last year resetting my pallete, getting back to basics with my cooking, and I can't tell you how gratifying it is to bite into a beautifully tender piece of pork and having it taste like, well, pork! Try doing this occasionally when you burn out on your dishes, I think it will make you a better cook.

Continue reading "Comfort Food- Pork Stew, Mashed Potatoes and Gravy"

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 9:24 AM | Comments (2)

Back to Main

March 27, 2006

Easy Pasta- Farfalle w/Asparagus, Black Olives and Onions

(Just before I grated some grana padano cheese on top)

Here's another quick pasta dish I made over the weekend. You might recall that I wrote back in September about Lazy Man's Pasta, a technique where everything, including the pasta, was cooked in the same casserole dish. I loved the simplicity of it, but I thought I could improve the sauce and make it even simpler. This has a surprising amount of flavor due to the chicken broth, so even a hard-core carnivore like me enjoyed it.

Continue reading "Easy Pasta- Farfalle w/Asparagus, Black Olives and Onions"

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 9:03 AM | Comments (5)

Back to Main

March 22, 2006

Roasted Garlic, Spinach and Roma tomato Pizza

I had some left over dough and sauce in the freezer from the pizza I made a week or so ago, so this was pretty easy to get together. This time I used fresh mozzerella and Roma tomatoes, in addition to a bunch of spinach and a head of garlic.

I know I touched on this before, but using spinach and fresh tomatoes on pizza always has the potential to turn your pie into a watery lake. The trick to using these ingredients is to make absolutely sure that you get as much water out of them as possible.

After you saute your spinach and garlic, wring the spinach thoroughly, and let it rest on paper towels. Salt the tomatoes after you slice them to help them release their moisture, as well. Also make sure that your sauce is the proper consistency, if it's watery at all, it'll run all over the place and burn on the pan.

I baked this at 500º on a corn meal dusted aluminum pizza pan sitting on top of my pizza stone until it was just about done, then slid it onto the stone for last few minutes to brown the bottom.

This is a really great combination. I just made dough for 4 more pizzas, so I'll be posting variations of this until I'm so fat I can't get a pizza into the oven any more. Maybe if I can find a pizza peel with a 8 foot long handle...

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 8:00 AM | Comments (1)

Back to Main

March 15, 2006

Grilled Salmon Salad with Tibvrtini vinageratte

(TPCs Grilled Salmon Salad with Tibvrtini vinageratte)

This made a great, light, easy lunch yesterday, something I should do a lot more, judging by the way my clothes mock me as I try to squeeze into them. Ah, the struggles of a middle-aged man who's in the food biz...

My dress pants: Look, Porky, you've been trying to squeeze into me for 5 minutes. Get a sackcloth or a mumu, wouldja? I'm bustin' at the seams here!

Where was I? Right, lunch.

I grilled some salmon with lemon juice and Survival Spice™ and once cool, flaked it by hand. This is a great technique for using any leftover meat- steak, pork, chicken, whatever you've got on hand. I had some salmon, romaine lettuce and a carrot so that's what I used. No sweat, I can make a meal of this.

I've been into simple oil and vinegar dressings again lately, after coming full circle on lots of exotic, elaborate combinations. BTW, one of them I got via email from Shelleigh was using Survival Spice™ mixed with ranch dressing. Try it, it's amazing, but I digress. Again.

After prepping the lettuce, which I'll talk about tomorrow, I peeled a carrot using my zester, which gives a nifty edge if you're into that, mine just happened to be closer than the peeler. The way I like to do simple oil and vinegar dressings is to toss everything lightly with Tibvrtini Olio Extra Virgine di Oliva, which is just amazing for salad. I prefer this to pouring on a finished dressing, because it coats the greens without them laying in a pool of oil. Really tasty oil, but enough is enough, right?

I plated them, topped them with the salmon, and drizzled it with Tibvrtini Aceto di Vino Bianco, an extrordinary white wine vinegar that we also sell. (Hint, hint.) A squirt of lemon helped marry the greens to the salmon, and I seasoned generously with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. The right amount of seasoning is critical to making simple dressings work. I finished it up with some grated parm and lunch was served.

Really easy, really great, but my pants still don't fit. Crap.

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 6:48 AM | Comments (0)

Back to Main

March 13, 2006

Cooking for Kids 3- Cheesy Rigs and Mini-Meatballs

This weekend's bulk cooking project was a few pans of Cheesy Rigatoni and Mini-Meatballs. Designed to be kid-friendly, it still had plenty of flavor for adults, too.

Pasta is a bit tough to freeze and reheat well, so if I know that I'm going to freeze it, I'll leave it even more al dente than usual, and toss the pasta lightly with oil before I add it to the pasta, to minimize sublimation in the freezer. What's sublimation? It's that nasty freezer burn, maybe I'll touch on it later this week.

Continue reading "Cooking for Kids 3- Cheesy Rigs and Mini-Meatballs"

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 10:32 AM | Comments (5)

Back to Main

March 3, 2006

Garlic and Spinach Pizza

(Photo: TPCs Garlic and Spinach Pizza)

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 "Garlic and Spinach Pizza"

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 7:52 AM | Comments (5)

Back to Main

February 27, 2006

Pesto Infused Roast Chicken and Red Potatoes

Curse you, Biggles!!

I just about had to go change my shirt when Dr. Biggles emailed with a cool gadget I'm going to post later this week, and to taunt me about a chicken dish he had just written about. When I went to his site, I was dumbfounded at the sight of prosciutto stuffed under the skin of a tasty 'chicky.' I commented that I had to have chicken for dinner Friday night, and I did.

No prosciutto on hand, and on a Friday evening after a long day in the office, there was no way I was going to the store. I did have some some chicken breasts and some leftover pesto, though. Hmmm.....

Continue reading "Pesto Infused Roast Chicken and Red Potatoes"

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 8:35 AM | Comments (6)

Back to Main

February 15, 2006

TPC's Risotto with Shrimp, Portabellos and Asparagus

(Photo: TPC's Risotto with Shrimp, Portabellos, Asparagus, Pine Nuts, red peppers, roasted garlic and onions, topped with Peccorino Romano)

I think risotto is one of those comfort meals that can also be really romantic. If you've never made risotto, or worse yet, never had it, you're missing one of life's simple pleasures. As long as you've got the rice for risotto in your pantry (arborio or carnaroli), you can make risotto with whatever else you've got handy. A properly made risotto is soft and creamy, but still with a slight 'tooth' to the rice. It is not sticky and mushy.

Continue reading "TPC's Risotto with Shrimp, Portabellos and Asparagus"

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 12:14 PM | Comments (3)

Back to Main

February 8, 2006

Simple Grilled Chicken and Potatoes

(Photo: TPCs Simple Grilled Chicken and Potatoes)

Being especially lazy last night, dinner was simple, quick and delicious- grilled chicken breast with Survival Spice™ and an all natural plum chipoltle sauce I'm evaluating that's amazing, plus a salad of organic greens with a vinegarette recipe that I'm about ready to post. The highlight, though, was a really simple and fast way to do potatoes on the grill.

This was so simple. I sliced some red potatoes, drizzled them with a bit of Tibvrtini Olio Extra Virgine di Oliva, and popped them into the microwave until they were just about cooked through. I'm not a big fan of microwaves for anything but reheating, but it works pretty well in this case, and it sure saves a lot of time. I do recommend oiling them before nuking, I think it helps mitigate the mealy 'microwavy texture' nuked potatoes get.

Here they are on the grill. Dig the E-Z Hook® in action. I can't tell you how easy this makes life. It's become absolutely indispensable around here, I have to say.

I grilled them until they were crispy outside and soft inside, which only took as long as the chicken did to cook. I hit them with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, and dinner was served.

What did you have for dinner last night? Email me!

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 8:42 AM | Comments (1)

Back to Main

February 7, 2006

Diana's Organic Bison Steaks

(Photo: Diana's Organic Bison steak with rice pilaf and sauteed carrots)

Another terrific email from our North of the Border foodie friend, Diana. Who could forget her Everyman's Edible Slider w/homemade Chili Sauce, or the Puffy Corn Omelet that she entered in Food Fight Four?

Diana's lucky enough to have a local butcher that has organic bison steaks, so she grabbed what looks like a porterhouse cut and the Survival Spice™ and went to work. Served with a rice pilaf and some sauteed carrots, I have to say it's a great meal, even if she was rooting for the Seahawks...

What did you have for dinner last night? Email me a picture with a description!

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 9:20 AM | Comments (9)

Back to Main

January 31, 2006

Slow baked pork chops

(TPCs Slow-baked pork chop with roasted red potatoes and brussel sprouts, with sausage/pine nut/Bosc pear dressing and home made demi-glace.)

This was all about slow cooking. I had some dressing in the freezer from Thanksgiving already, so all I had to do was prep the brussel sprouts (wash, peel and cut an 'X' in the base to help them cook evenly) and potatoes. I lightly oiled then rubbed the nice, thick pork chops with Survival Spice™, and put it all in a roasting pan, drizzle it with some good olive oil, then baked it at 300º for about 90 minutes.

Normally, I would either sear the chop first, or cook them at 250º for even longer, but I was curious to see how this would work out, and it was really good. You lose a bit of flavor development by not searing it first, but this gets you a really tender, moist chop that I enjoyed eating. If you wanted to, you could brown one side first, or just throw it under the broiler for a minute at the end.

After everything was done, I poured the fat out of the roasting pan, hit it with some home made demi-glace I made Saturday, and finished the sauce with a pat of butter.

I'm going to post on the demi-glace later this week. This was made from odds and ends I had stashed in the freezer, but it turned out really well.

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 9:01 AM | Comments (0)

Back to Main

January 30, 2006

Omelet with grilled salmon, pepper jack and chives

I try to cook a good breakfast at least once each weekend. I know you didn't think a lot of my bacon sandwich last week, but someday in a weak moment you'll try it, and then you'll thank me, silently. I'll know...

I love omelets. Fast, easy, and endlessly versatile. Here's one I made from some leftover salmon, flavored with Survival Spice™. If you haven't tried Survival Spice on salmon yet, you can see the great color it adds here. I chopped some chives from the garden, cut up some pepper jack cheese, and it was done. Easy.

You might think this took a lot of eggs to make, but it's only a 2 egg omelet with some milk added. The trick to getting nice volume to an omelet is a hot pan. Eggs are leaveners, activated with heat, so you need to be a little aggressive with the fire. It's important to also have all your fillings cooked beforehand, so they don't cool the eggs and you're not waiting for your filling to cook while your eggs burn. Saute everything in your pan first, then remove to a plate, wipe the pan out then assemble your omelet.

This is a great combination of flavors. The salmon already had great flavor and pairs really well with eggs, the pepper jack added a bit more heat and creaminess, and the chives contributed flavor, texture, and the familiar onion quality you typically enjoy with lox.

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 8:21 AM | Comments (6)

Back to Main

January 6, 2006

Standing Rib Roast in Salt Crust

Here's the standing rib roast we had for Christmas dinner. I posted some pictures and the marinade here, in case you missed the original post.

It turned out really well, the extra day I spent marinating it was well worth the effort. This was pulled from the oven at 130º, rested for a few minutes, then I carved it into indiviual portions. My family doesn't care for medium rare beef for the most part, so I've had good luck placing individual slices onto a sheet pan and putting it back into the oven for a few minutes. This also creates a nice bit of au jus as well, so everyone's happy.

Continue reading "Standing Rib Roast in Salt Crust"

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 8:20 AM

Back to Main

December 21, 2005

TPC's White Bean and Ham Soup

(Photo: TPC- not a bad pic, if I do say so myself...)

It's the end of the year drill at Desert Island Foods™.com, and one thing in the DIF test kitchen freezer was the ham from the Orange Survival Glaze photo shoot. End of the year- everything must go, so I took about half of it, plus the bone and made this bean soup I've been craving since it got cold here. Okay, cold in Phoenix is relative, but I saw a mini-icicle on a garden hose one morning a few days ago. Brrrrrr.....

Okay, back to the soup. This took about 3 1/2 hours start to finish, without presoaking or precooking the beans. With a soup like this, I really don't think it's necessary because the extra starch helps thicken the soup. If you were really pressed for time, I think you could just put the beans in with the ham bone and omit the first onion and carrot. Take the extra hour if you possibly can, though.

Continue reading "TPC's White Bean and Ham Soup"

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 5:20 AM

Back to Main

December 19, 2005

Steak kabobs

Mmmmmm, steak kabobs. This was sent in by Jerry a while ago, and I found it in the process of doing my end-of-year cleanup of our hard drives. Sorry, Jerry! It looks great, though.

Personally, when I'm making kabobs for a large group, I tend to make kabobs of each ingredient, then take them off the skewers to serve, as I did here. (See kabob pic at the bottom of the post.) Make sure you soak your wooden skewers before you add your ingredient, so they don't catch fire on the grill.

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 12:10 PM | Comments (0)

Back to Main

December 7, 2005

Alaskan Halibut, Green Beans and Potatoes in vinagerette

(Another charming, slightly out of focus photo by yours truly...)

Just a simple weekday dinner, nothing fancy. Okay, the weekend meals aren't that elaborate either, most of the time, I gotta admit. Not during the holiday crunch, anyway...

As I was steaming some red potatoes and green beans, I took some fantastic Alaskan halibut (thanks again, Lloyd!), drizzled it with a bit of oil, and a touch of lemon juice and Survival Spice™.

While that was on the grill, I made a quick vinagerette of some butter, Tibvrtini Olio Extra Vergine di Oliva and Tibvrtini's amazing Aceto di Vino Bianco, along with some salt and pepper in a bowl.

When the veggies came out of the steamer, in they went into the dressing, sucking up the butter and all those great flavors.

The halibut was terrific, subtle with a great buttery texture. Just a pinch or two of seasoning was plenty. This would make a killer Nicoise salad. Hmmmm.... if there were any leftovers, that is.

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 7:39 AM | Comments (6)

Back to Main

December 5, 2005

Easy, Easy Grilled Chicken

Our friend, the chicken. What a great pallet to build flavors on. Enough fat to carry flavors deep into the meat, then they melt away, leaving you with a lean, healthy meal.

This was so easy. Take a whole chicken, tuck the wing tips under the wings, cut out the backbone with a pair of poultry shears or a sharp knife, and press to lay it flat. Drizzle with olive oil, kosher salt, and some lemon juice, then rub generously with Survival Spice™ on all sides. I cooked this indirectly on the gas grill with some pecan chips, but you can easily just put it on a sheet pan in a 375º oven.

This took about 45 minutes, then I let it rest for 5 minutes or so. Man, it was good. Crispy skin, and nothing but flavorful, juicy meat underneath. A crusty baguette and some grilled asparagus finished it off.

Did I mention it was easy?

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 8:46 AM

Back to Main

December 2, 2005

You can see where this is going...

I took shamefully few pictures of the great meals I had on my little vacation, but I managed to take a shot of some New York strip steaks marinated in olive oil and Survival Spice™ before they went on the grill Wednesday night. Served with some killer mashed potatoes, a monster jalapeño corn souffle, and a mesclun green salad with toasted walnuts and blue cheese with vinagerette.

Oh, and wine. Lots and lots of wine. Ouch...

Thanks to Jason and Lisa for being such terrific hosts, and a big shout out to Jerry and Audrey for hosting the Saints/Gumbo and Steelers/Burger Bar nights!

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 7:52 AM | Comments (2)

Back to Main

November 9, 2005

Flourless chocolate cake, butter toasted walnuts and kona bittersweet chocolate sauce

(Photo: John, in Chicago. TPC logo is only to thwart dastardly image robbers...)

Gawd, the stuff I find in my inbox at 5:00 in the morning! Today's "drool til you're satisfied" moment is brought to once again by John, in Chicago. John's offering/torture is a flourless chocolate cake, with butter toasted walnuts and a kona bittersweet chocolate sauce. It was a sin to crop this picture, just seeing the full shot of this chunk o' heaven brought chocolatey tears to my eyes.

BTW, John has a really cool photography website called Open Tune.org. I'm begging him- post some of your food pictures, too!

Email me your food pics and recipes, I'm going to arbitrarily start awarding an occasional tin of Scovie Award winning Survival Spice™, especially to those submitting for the first time. Remember, simple or elaborate, I don't care, the only criteria I ever use revolves around "Does it taste good?"

Continue reading "Flourless chocolate cake, butter toasted walnuts and kona bittersweet chocolate sauce"

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 8:06 AM | Comments (0)

Back to Main

November 6, 2005

Pan Fried Pork Chops with Survival Country Gravy

Mmmmmm, a great Sunday supper. As I was frying some thinly sliced potatoes and onions in bacon fat over medium heat in a cast iron skillet, I prepped the pork chops. Standard stuff here, first a bit of flour, then equal parts of flour, corn meal and Survival Spice™. Classically, you would use some liquid between the first flour dredging and the final crust like buttermilk or egg, but I've found that with flat items like pork chops and fish, as long as there's a bit of moisture there and you have a few minutes to let it sit, you often don't need it.

Once the potatoes and onions were done, I took them out of the skillet and kept them warm. In went the pork chops with some more bacon grease. You do save bacon grease, don't you? Not too high of a heat or you'll burn the corn meal, plus the breading will stay on the chops much better if the meat doesn't shrink too quickly. Okay, turn the chops once, that's it. Off they go to keep warm with the potatoes.

Survival Country gravy? Easy. A bit of flour in the skillet to soak up the fat, then about 2 parts milk to 1 part cream. I know, it's not traditional country gravy, but the French culinary school training is never far away, I'm afraid. A bit more Survival Spice™ for a nice peppery freshness, then it's time to plate it up with some steamed broccoli. BTW, this is also wonderful with sausage and biscuits. If you don't have cream, just use extra milk and reduce it well.

I just wish I would have had some apple sauce. Next time, a rustic apple compote with it. I will be making this again.

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 6:34 PM

Back to Main

November 4, 2005

Biggles' Survival Lemon Chicken

(Photos: Dr. Biggles), M.A.L. (Meaticologist At Large)

The master of Meathenge keeps tormenting me with pictures like this, and the only way I can ease my pain is by sharing it with you. Survival Spice™ and lemon is a potent potion for chicken. Email me your food pics! We love to see them.

Sadistic, ain't he? Here's his Halloween treat, which because we can't taste it, is more like a cruel trick:

Continue reading "Biggles' Survival Lemon Chicken"

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 6:38 AM

Back to Main

November 1, 2005

Biggles' Survival Teriyaki Beef with Onion Gravy

(Photos: Dr. Biggles)

Dr. Biggles, M.A.L. (Meaticologist At Large) over at Meathenge, sent this in recently. It's a simple weekday dinner, done ala Biggles. He bought a really great looking beef roast that had been marinated in teriyaki sauce, added some onions, topped it off with Survival Spice™, and threw it in the oven. The onion gravy came together quickly, and I'm seriously bummed I didn't get a chance to taste it.

More below the fold...

Continue reading "Biggles' Survival Teriyaki Beef with Onion Gravy"

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 8:40 AM | Comments (3)

Back to Main

October 26, 2005

Alaskan Halibut

(TPCs Alaskan Halibut crusted with pine nuts and Survival Spice™)

I hate to keep going on about this, but this truly was a magical pairing of ingredients, and I don't say that lightly. Lots of things I cook up in my head before I cook them on the stove aren't quite as good as I hoped that they would be, but this was exactly what I intended to make.

Halibut is an amazing fish to work with. It's incredibly subtle, with a firm texture, and it's important to not overwhelm it with strong, inappropriate flavors. I decided to just make a simple crust of ground pine nuts, flour and Survival Spice™. I've used Survival Spice™ with halibut before as a rub, but it's important to not overdo it. Salmon and other oily fish- lay it on, it can take it.

I dusted the fish with flour and kosher salt, squeezed a bit of lemon juice in lieu of egg wash to help the breading stick, and then just lightly breaded it with the mixture. Again, think subtle. Pan fried in Tibvrtini Extra Virgin Olive Oil and butter, it was ready in minutes. Covered on a plate, I tossed the raviolis and the blanched asparagus with the sauce and it was good to go.

The sauce was intended to add richness and decadence in terms of mouth feel, and the background heat from the pasilla chiles was just right. More richness from the cheese raviolis, and the asparagus finished it off. Truly a special meal in so many ways.

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 11:34 AM | Comments (5)

Back to Main

October 25, 2005

3 cheese ravioli with pasilla cream sauce and asparagus

(TPCs 3 cheese ravioli with pasilla cream sauce and asparagus)

This was an excellent combinations of flavors that I served last night with some Alaskan halibut filets that I'll post tomorrow. Per Lloyd's request, I'm developing some Southwest fish dishes for him after he was kind enough to ship me a sampler of some of the most superb seafood I've ever tasted straight from Alaska.

After blackening the skins off of a few pasilla chiles, I pureed them with bit of homemade chicken stock and some heavy cream, then reduced it quite a bit. I balanced the heat with a touch of honey, seasoned with a bit of Hawaiian sea salt, shredded a bit of grana padano cheese, and that was it. It was really good, the pasilla cream sauce paired beautifully with the halibut and asparagus as well. A bright gewurztraminer did a great job cutting through the cream without overpowering the halibut.

Highly recommended. I'll elaborate a bit more tomorrow, but I have to say I'm looking forward to making this again soon for a proper photo shoot.

Update 10/27: I've had some emails asking for more information about this dish. The raviolis, which contain ricotta, mozerella and parmesan cheese, come through a good friend from a company in Los Angeles who makes them only for restaurant use at this time, but they are starting to test locally in a Whole Foods market there on a limited basis. All I can say is that I've had 5 or 6 kinds now, and they're extraordinary.

Pasilla chiles are known as chilacas when fresh and chile negros when dried. The chilacas, which I knew would look great with the asparagus and the halibut, with a nice warmth in the heat profile. Working with halibut, which has such a subtle flavor, I knew I needed to complement it in terms of texture- cream, a bit of crunch in the pine nuts, heat without overwhelming flavor from the pasillas, etc., and not in terms of strong flavors.

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 8:37 PM

Back to Main

October 24, 2005

Sometimes only chicken soup will do

(Photo: TPC's Classic Chicken Noodle Soup)

It's cooling off here in the desert, so things like slow simmering stocks and soups are gradually pushing aside the grilled meats, veggies and quick pan sauces that dominated the summer dinner menus around here.

I've talked a fair amount about how I prefer to make stock- roasting chicken pieces and parts first, then taking off the meat and continuing to make the stock from only the well browned bones so the meat doesn't get stripped of its flavor- so I won't belabor it here. Great stocks are flavored from the collagen in bones, the younger the bones, the more collagen. This is why veal is preferable to beef when making stock, espagnole, demi-glace and the ultimate explosion of beef flavor, glace de viande.

If you've never tried making soups this way, give it a shot.

What did you have for dinner last night? Email me your dinner, I dig seeing the great stuff you all come up with!

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 10:53 AM | Comments (3)

Back to Main

October 14, 2005

Survival Citrus Chicken a la Biggles

(Photos: Dr. Biggles)

This episode of "What did you have for dinner last night?" is brought to us by the revered master of the coals and all that's carnivorous, Dr. Biggles of Meathenge fame. Shame on you if you call yourself a foodie and don't visit his site every day!

Biggles did an uber-simple weekday meal, "Survival Citrus Chicken a la Biggles", along with a green salad. A quick marinade of lemon juice on the chicken and a healthy rub of Survival Spice™, and he was cookin'. Biggles tells the tale in his inimitable way, in the extended entry.

What did you have for dinner last night? Email me with a picture and a description! Important: delete the spam busting "REMOVETHESEWORDS" from the email address. I hated to put that in, because it's confusing, but I already have plenty of Nigerian investment opportunities to consider over the weekend.

Continue reading "Survival Citrus Chicken a la Biggles"

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 9:16 AM | Comments (4)

Back to Main

October 12, 2005

Alaskan King Crab legs with Survival Butter

(Photos: Mary, who seems very happy to shoot food pictures...)

What a feast. I got a shipment of Alaskan seafood in yesterday from my buddy Lloyd, who totally hooked me up. Alaskan King Crab legs, more crab, halibut filets and steaks, and killer smoked silver salmon.

He's challenged me to develop some Southwest techniques for preparing them, and since I just flew in yesterday, last night's dinner needed to be simple and fast. I clarified some butter, and infused it with plenty of Survival Spice™.

I'm a real purist when it comes to crab, especially the best King Crab on earth, so I wasn't sure if it would go over, but it did in a big way! I had to dump the plain butter into the "Survival Butter" because it clearly was the favorite. The sweetness complemented the crab beautifully, and the spice gave it a wonderful depth of flavor, again, complementing the crab's flavor and not obscuring it at all. Wow.

We sat outside on the patio watching baseball, drinking Red Hook ESB and dipping huge chunks of this amazing crabmeat and a Willo Bakery baguette into the butter, and life couldn't have been any better. Thanks, Lloyd!

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 12:48 PM | Comments (4)

Back to Main

October 7, 2005

Simple Pasta sauce, must be that time of year...

(TPC's Quick Pasta sauce, with an hour yet to simmer)

Shauna made pasta sauce last night, check it out. Though Shauna wishes that she could have simmered her's longer, to me a fresh, vibrant tomato sauce is always preferable to one that's been cooked to the point that the flavors are dead.

This is the sauce I made for the Spaghetti with Sausage a few days ago. As I've mentioned before, I keep basic pasta sauces simple and them embellish them to each dish I make from it. Good quality tomatoes, fresh garlic, great olive oil, and fresh basil from the garden for pasta sauce, and oregano for pizza sauce is all you really need.

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 10:49 AM | Comments (0)

Back to Main

October 6, 2005

Easy 3 cheese pasta with asparagus

I had to run out for a meeting last night, so dinner was thrown together in less than 10 minutes. I sauteéd some garlic and asparagus quickly in some wonderful olive oil, added some milk and Survival Spice™ and some left over spaghetti, and let it reduce while I grated some grana padano, jack and cheddar cheese and threw that in, and garnished with a bit of chopped parsley. Easy, fast, and darn good.

What did you have for dinner last night? Email me with a picture or a link, and remember, great dinners don't have to be complicated...

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 9:17 AM | Comments (1)

Back to Main

October 5, 2005

Simple Spaghetti with Sausage and Sautéed Asparagus

Last night's dinner was spaghetti with hot Italian sausage, carmelized onions and shaved grana padano, with a side dish of sautéed asparagus in Tibvrtini Olio Extra Virgine di Oliva and butter with toasted pine nuts and a splash of Tibvrtini Aceto di Vino Bianco. Crusty bread for dipping in the olive oil and vinegar, and life was good.

For me, there's nothing like the smell of home made tomato sauce simmering with garlic, olive oil and homegrown basil.

What did you have for dinner last night? Email me with a picture or a link so we can see what you're cooking!

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 7:10 AM | Comments (1)

Back to Main

October 4, 2005

Wild Caught Alaskan Halibut- by John in Chicago

(Photo: John)

Wow, John. This looks really great. Sent in by John in Chicago, who is a bad ass cook, he describes this as:

wild caught alaskan halibut - encrusted w/ rosemary infused Panko,
the dipping sauce is anchovy - cilantro - olive oil - garlic - lemongrass - chili paste -
mesquite honey , the veggies are tossed in lemon - capers - butter - and pepper ,
the plate is dusted w/ SURVIVAL SPICE (tm)

Email me what you had for dinner last night!

In case that doesn't make you drool enough, take a look at the picture of the halibut on a piece of foil after it was done in the extended entry:

Continue reading "Wild Caught Alaskan Halibut- by John in Chicago"

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 12:08 PM | Comments (4)

Back to Main

August 10, 2005

Hatch Green Chili Pork stew

Update: For another great Hatch green chile stew, here's one sent in by Dennis.

This is not a traditional New Mexico stew by any means, but there are no rules, right? As I went through the market, I grabbed things I was in the mood to eat, and figured out a technique to smash it together. This is the fun of being a good home cook, and why I urge home cooks to learn techniques, not just parrot recipes.

The technique I did was the complete opposite of the Traditional New Mexico Pork Chile I made recently, where I simmered the pork in plain water. This time I built a pecan fire in my grill and roasted the pork, onion, garlic, carrot and Hatch chiles first, then trimmed the pork and got it started in water with a bit of homemade chicken stock because I didn't have a lot of time and I wanted to make sure I had a hearty stock. You can see that the pork got a nice amount of smoke in a fairly short time.

After 90 minutes of gentle simmering, I added the chopped veggies, except for the corn, and a bit of dry oregano. More simmering, then the corn I had taken off the cob went in for the last few minutes.

Rustic, hearty, inexpensive and easy. Good stuff.

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 8:43 AM | Comments (0)

Back to Main

August 9, 2005

The makings of a Hatch Green Chili Pork stew

The harvest for Hatch green chilis is well underway, so I couldn't pass them up. I grabbed some and half of a pork shoulder, got home and fired up the grill. We'll see what happened tomorrow.

Update: Due to moronic spammers, comments have been turned off on this post.

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 9:53 AM

Back to Main

August 1, 2005

How NOT to plate a dessert

I had to post this, just because it cracked me up. I have to plead high alcohol consumption, plus this was the last course of a 6 1/2 hour meal yesterday.

This is the Cowboy Cupcake I was working on last week, with vanilla whipped cream, and a reduction of apricot, ancho, honey, lemon juice and cinammon in a squirt bottle.

It was amazing, even if it looks like a bomb went off. I knew it was going to be problematic putting whipped cream around a hot soufflé. I was going to freeze the bottom plates and just put a blob on the plate with the apricot reduction but never got around to it, so I just plopped it all together and called it good.

I'll post the Cowboy Cupcake recipe if you ask nicely...

Do you have a food disaster story? Let's hear it!

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 11:49 AM | Comments (5)

Back to Main

July 26, 2005

"Cowboy Cupcake" version 1

(TPCs "Cowboy Cupcake", v1)

Here's a dessert I've been working on. I'm calling it a "Cowboy Cupcake" for now, but it's actually more like a soufflé with a cowboy twist. I'm using Scharffen Berger chocolate and I'm fooling around with ancho and pequin chiles, toasted pine nuts and coffee with this one. I'm actually pretty happy with this, it has a really decadent molten center and just a nice background touch of heat, now to figure out what to serve with it. I'm thinking about maybe some sort of creme anglaise or a whipped cream. Any ideas?

It's been a real chore having to eat one of these every day, but it's all for science...

Update: The actual Cowboy Cupcake recipe can be found here.

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 8:35 AM | Comments (9)

Back to Main

July 24, 2005

Cowboy Ribeye au Poivre with South of the Border-laise Sauce

I did quite a bit of cooking this weekend because I'm working on a few recipes for a party at the end of the month and I'm updating some content on the Desert Island Foods™.com site. The first version of the 'Survival Fries' I made are here.

Dinner Saturday night was my quick Franco-Phoenix version of a classic- Steak au Poivre with a Bordelaise sauce. I've been thinking about it since Dr. Biggles had made a cool version from an old cookbook last week, so I thought I'd see if I could do a quick version of one of my favorite sauces without an important ingredient, veal demi-glace.

It turned out really well and was an interesting experiment. I'll do a quick summary here and I'll do a more comprehensive recipe later if enough of you are interested.

With the impending storm on the horizon and not having any demi-glace, I decided to make it indoors so I could maximize the use of pan juices. I rubbed the steak with whole-grain mustard and a quick rub of smashed black peppercorns, brown sugar, coffee and kosher salt while my cast iron skillet was heating up. In a bit of oil and butter I cooked the steak to rare, knowing that carry over heat would bring it to medium-rare, then removed it from the skillet and wrapped it in foil while I made the pan sauce.

I added enough flour to the skillet to soak up the juices, then added a bit more oil and butter and sweated a few minced shallots until translucent. I deglazed with a cup or so of good red wine (a Penfold's Shiraz) and reduced it 50%, whisking to incorporate the roux and pan drippings. For a Southwestern touch, I added a teaspoon of adobo sauce for some extra depth of flavor and some background heat. The resting beef at this point had released some juice, so that went in as well.

After adding a few sprigs of fresh thyme, I added a can of chicken stock. A good beef stock would been my preference, but you use what you've got and it worked out fine because of all the beef flavor in the cast iron and from the steak. I cranked up the heat and reduced this 50%, until it was starting to thicken up a bit. I turned off the heat, whisked in a few pats of butter and some chopped parsley.

Meanwhile, I did a quick sauté of Asparagus, Crimini Mushrooms, and Pine Nuts.

Good stuff.

What did you cook this weekend? Leave it in the comments and email me a dish you're particularly proud of.

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 12:00 PM

Back to Main

July 22, 2005

Roast Chicken w/Veggies

(Photos: Dr. Biggles)

This is a great dish. One pan, no fuss. Dr. B used Survival Spice™, which I love to see, but don't feel like you have to have to use one of my products to send in your dish. This is all about giving people ideas for simple, amazing weekday dinners. Though I really feel that my stuff really makes that easy, I'm not going to stand on a soapbox with a frickin' megaphone. Here's Biggles' email:

Here is tonight's meal. What with Gout in the forefront of my mind, using mostly vegetable matter is what I need to be eating. So far, I've found roasting those nasty things the best way to go. No vegetarian dinner would be complete without two slices of horizontally sliced thicky bacon within the veggies and a whole chicken roasting up on top. After putting, carrots, celery, onion, shallot and broc in to a bowl and tossing with extra virgin olive oil, I sprinkled in a large amount of Survival Spice. I did this because I wanted a sweet and spicy return on those little bastards. The darned broc is pretty tender so I piled it high under the chicky. Everything is better when it comes from under a chicken's wing.

The bird got some extra virgin olive oil, kosher salt and an assortment of herbs. Since I can't eat most of the chicken, I put some Survival Spice on the chicken wings, those MINES. Add about 3/4 cupfuls of natural chicken broth and install in to a preheated 375 degree oven.

Every half hour pull out and toss the veggies. At this point you could put a lump of butter over the chicken or baste with good dry white wine. Hells bells, do boff. As with any basic roasting meat, this goes on the bottom rack. Serve this, if necessary with some starch. Fresh corn located on the cob would be a good choice.

The important thing to remember here is to roast your vegetables, use your roast or bird to marinate and not use too much broff in the bottom of the roaster.

ps - As far as the size of your roaster goes, you want most of the vegetables to be exposed to the heat. Leaving them under the bird will steam the them and while this isn't a bad thing, it isn't what we want. We're looking for blackened portions of your food, something tasty.

What did you have for dinner tonight? Email Me a dish you're proud of.

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 9:42 AM

Back to Main

July 21, 2005

Grilled Salmon on greens with Shiitake Mushrooms and Thai Vinagerette

(Photo: John)

Reader John from Chicago sent me this a while back and I'm finally getting around to posting it. He describes it as: A chilled, grilled wild caught alaskan king salmon on a bed of greens w/shitake mushrooms, grape tomatos and a balsamic thai dressing.

Wow, it looks really good. A nice salad and a good bottle of wine, what else do you need?

I'd love to know what else was in the dressing, if I find out I'll let you know.

Email Me a dish you're proud of.

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 10:38 AM | Comments (0)

Back to Main

July 20, 2005

Grilled Tri Tip with Button Mushrooms

(Photo: TPC reader Michael from LA. The mushrooms were cooked on a side burner but I included them here so you could see them. My P-shop chops are slowly getting better.)

Michael sent in this picture of a tri tip he grilled with Survival Spice™. There's so much I like about his dish. I love tri tip, which is a beef cut a lot of people, especially those of you back East aren't familiar with, but the main thing I was happy to see, other than the fact he's a fan of our rub, is that he has a smoker box setup for his gas grill.

I recommend these highly and I like the cast iron model he selected. You can get these for around $10 and it allows you to use wood chips to add a lot flavor to whatever you're grilling.

Wow, Michael. Nicely done!

Email me a dish you're proud of to me here.

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 10:03 AM | Comments (11)

Back to Main

July 19, 2005

Chicken en Molé- Weekday version

(TPCs easy weekday Chicken en Molé)

I love to make molé. Technically, since 'molé' is derived from 'mulli', the Nahautl word for 'sauce', this is a real molé, but a traditional molé has lots of ingredients that combine to create a wonderfully textured sauce with layer upon layer of flavor.

This ain't it by a long shot, but since the pantry and my time were both equally lacking, I made do with what I had. I took some chicken thighs I had grilled off the day before and simmered them in some chicken stock and some of the chili pureé I had left from the Traditional New Mexico Pork Chile I made recently, which gave me a big head start.

I added some more dried oregano, a bit of cumin, a pinch of cinammon, a few bittersweet chocolate chips, a squeeze of honey and simmered it until it thickened up to the right consistency. A classic molé gets its texture from pureéd nuts and tortilla but none of that here today. I took the kernels of a few ears of fresh corn and added that too for a bit more sweetness and texture. Grilled off a few flour tortillas and you have a very decent molé in less than an hour.

This looks like a pretty good molé if you've got the time to check it out. I wouldn't use as much oil as they call for, I'd replace some of the cloves with allspice, substitute almonds instead of peanuts, etc. but the recipe gives you a pretty good representation of the techniques involved.

What did you have for dinner last night?

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 9:30 AM

Back to Main

July 18, 2005

Lockeford Basil Sausage

(Photo: Paul)

This was sent in by reader Paul in the Bay Area. Here's Paul's dinner:

Have you ever been to Lockeford Ca? It is located about 2 hours from the Bay Area . It is near Stockton about 10 miles East of highway 99. The downtown area is about 3 blocks long. It is not a memorable town unless you see the Lockeford Meat Co. All of a sudden this town is the "Mac Daddy". You walk in and there is a sausage for everyone. Tonight we are going to have Basil Sausage. I also recommend trying their Dakota Sausage. It is a blend of Veal, Pork, and Turkey. It is a really mild and delicious treat. You may not have heard of the Lockeford Meat and Sausage Co if you live in the Bay Area. They stay fairly local through the Sacramento- Stockton corridor. They are at all the festivals and events in this area. (Asparagus, Crawdad,and a lot of county festivals).

Lockeford Meat & Sausage
PO Box D
19775 N Cotton
Lockeford CA 95237-0160
(209)727-5584 Fax: (209)727-5585
Bob Pettersen

Menu

Basil Sausage
Green Salad (Homegrown Carrots, Beets and Cucumbers)
Corn on the Cob
Chipotle Corn Bread (Pinole Farmers Market)
Grilled Portabella Mushroom
Chardonnay (Edgefield , Troutdale Oregon)

Thanks, Paul. Always fun to get these! You can share your dinner by emailing it here.

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 8:19 AM

Back to Main

July 13, 2005

Organic Basil Pesto with Shrimp and Spaghetti

(TPCs Organic Basil Pesto with Shrimp and Spaghetti)

It was 115º here in Phoenix yesterday and the basil in my herb garden took a bit of a beating, so I threw together this pesto dish. Not my finest picture, sad to say, but it really tasted good, at least!

The name pesto, for those who don't know, is a derivation of "pounded" and the word pestle, as in mortar and pestle. A traditional Italian dish, it is an uncooked sauce and is terrific on hot and cold pastas and in pasta salads. It is typically made from basil along with garlic, toasted pine nuts, olive oil and grated parmesean cheese but spinach, cilantro, mint and parsley pestos have made their way into the marketplace over the years.

The important thing with pesto is that it must be made just before service to keep the bright green color. Without getting too technical, as basil is crushed chemicals inside and outside the cell walls are combined, creating a black result. A good way to cheat if you have to make it ahead is to use some Italian flat-leaf parsley in your pesto along with the basil. It will not brown quite as deeply so this is done a lot in restaurants. Parsley also gives a nice aromatic lightness that a lot of people like.

You can make pesto in a food processor, but this will really accelerate the blackening process because of the high speed and heat of the blades so be careful. Use a mortar and pestle! It's easy, very theraputic and it has a great Wow factor if you make it front of guests, just prep your ingredients in advance.

Here's my very 'scientific' technique:

1) Crush 4 or 5 cloves of garlic in your mortar, using your pestle. If you aren't garlic crazy, cut it down because raw garlic will become quite sharp with all the pounding.
2) Add 2 big handfuls of basil, grinding them down gradually to a rough paste.
3) Add a handful of toasted pine nuts and smash 'em up a bit. I used my toaster oven to toast these for the first time per Dr. Biggles excellent suggestion, though I found my toaster oven is a bit uneven so you might want to give them a shake halfway through.
4) Add a couple of handfuls of grated parm cheese, enough olive oil to make it somewhat pourable, stir then season TT.

I've been playing around with peccorino romano cheese a lot lately. It's a sheep's milk cheese I really like the flavor of but it's quite salty, which is why you should season your pesto at the very end.

Embellish with meat if you want. I had done a quick pan fry of some shrimp I had and tossed them with the pasta. Grilled chicken is terrific, too. Toss with your pasta and you're done.

What did you have for dinner last night?

Update- Someone asked me if I had used the Tibvrtini Extra Virgin Olive Oil I carry at Desert Island Foods™.com in the pesto.

Nope. That oil has so much character that although I could maybe see drizzling a bit of it on the top, it's a waste to use about a quarter of a bottle of an expensive oil in a pesto because there's so much other flavor there already. In a dish for dipping crusty bread in, absolutely, or drizzled on an organic green salad on the side would be amazing.

It would be decadent, though. I might have to try it next time...

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 8:45 AM

Back to Main

July 11, 2005

What did you have for dinner last night?

Hey, this looks great! Sent in by readers Jerry and Audrey, this is a terrific summer meal. And the drinks sounds great, too!

So, last nite we were about to eat this fabulous meal when I remembered to take pics. Here is a grilled top sirloin with Survival Spice™, grilled veggies with my own special blend of spices, and then we made a grilled sirlon, veggies, spinach, and shredded carrots salad. Taste that!

And for the cocktails, We had a 3 M, that would be a Mango Margarita Martini, yeah ya rite.

Nice job!

If you have a submission to "What did you have for dinner last night?", email it to the pragmatic chef™.

After you click on this email link, you need to delete 'REMOVE THESE WORDS' before sending your email. They have been added to minimize spam.

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 6:57 AM | Comments (0)

Back to Main

June 30, 2005

Frozen dinner- Stuffed Pork Loin and Cheesey Potatoes

Raided the fridge for dinner yesterday, time's a bit tight these days keeping up with Desert Island Foods™ biz.

I had made this stuffed pork loin for about 25 friends and family members this winter and had some left over. Normally I would have done a roulade with it but with having to do 2 full loins in the time I had, I figured I'd try it this way. The stuffing was probably hot Italian sausage, pine nuts, parsley, garlic, Colman's mustard and fresh bread crumbs, though I tend to do it differently every time. I seared it on the grill with a bit of pecan wood then finished it in the oven, you can see a bit of the smoke ring in the pork if you look closely.

I originally served it with a Poblano creme sauce but that was gone. For this, I just reduced some chicken stock with some mustard and fresh rosemary and thyme. Sliced the now-thawed loin and simmered it in the sauce so it could pick up some of the pork and stuffing flavors.

The potatoes were in the freezer too, an American take on Pommes de Terre Boulangere. Sliced potatoes baked in chicken stock, onions and fresh thyme. Topped off with Jack and Cheddar cheese and broiled until brown and bubbly. Kids call them 'Cheesey Potatoes' and I like that name just as well, really!

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 8:28 AM

Back to Main

June 28, 2005

A Beef about Pork

The National Pork Board has announced its goal to increase the fat content in pork products by a few percent in the coming years, due to criticism of now widely-used practices of "enhancing" pork by basically brining the product to add moisture and customers trending towards more natural and organic food choices.

The Reuters article continues:

"Some people think we've gone too far in taking all the fat out," said David Meisinger, assistant vice president of educational services at the National Pork Board.

"When consumers buy pork, they don't want to see any fat in there. But when they eat it, they like the flavor and juiciness that a little bit of fat gives it."

Meisinger emphasized that this new pork will not be the high-fat, high-cholesterol variety that the industry abandoned two decades ago when it began likening itself to chicken with its well-known "Pork: The Other White Meat" ad campaign.

The goal is to keep pork healthy and lean while improving taste and texture by adding more marbling, Meisinger said, referring to the intramuscular fat that makes meat more juicy and tasty.

With more marbling, cuts may go from 99 percent lean to 97 or 98 percent lean, he said.

What a concept. Developing a product that actually tastes good instead of injecting crap with space-age polymers.

I like a fattier cut myself, like a shoulder or the pork butt pictured above, rubbed with Survival Spice™, and cooked low and slow in a smoker, in an oven or a combination of both. Always cook your meat cut fatty side up so as the fat renders during cooking it flows through the meat, adding flavor.

If you're cooking a chop or tenderloin, don't cook it until it's as hard as a brick, either. When in doubt, use a meat thermometer and pull it from the heat at around 145º. Carry-over cooking will take it to 150º. People are a bit overly concerned about trychnosis, which is just about unheard of these days and is killed at 138º anyway.

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 8:27 AM

Back to Main

June 16, 2005

Grilled Salmon w/Asparagus and Crispy Salmon Skin Strips

Easy and good. Here's how I like to grill salmon fillets. A bit of oil and Survival Spice™ on the top and the bottom gets oil and a generous amount of kosher salt to help crisp it.

Onto a medium-high grill bottom side down until the skin is set up enough to remove. Flip the salmon onto the presentation side a a slight angle (if quadrillage is your bag), remove the skin and keep it on the grill where it will get enough heat to get crispy but not burned. If there is a lot of dark meat on the filet, scrape most of it off with your spatula and season the bottom with more Survival Spice™.

Turn, don't flip the fish 60º when your fish has the first grill marks. Grill a few more minutes until your presentation side looks good. Flip the fillet onto its now-seasoned bottom and cook until done.

I'm begging you, don't overcook your fish! Most people grill fish until it flakes and that's too late. By the time the connective tissue (myocommata, for bonus points) breaks down the actual meat is overdone. You want to pull it off the grill just before it flakes and carry over heat will do the rest.

Cut your crispy salmon skin into strips. I really like salmon skin if it's cooked well, some folks don't. Such is life.

Oh, the asparagus? Oiled and salted, onto the grill. A good squirt of lemon when it comes off. Easy.

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 8:11 AM

Back to Main

June 13, 2005

New Mexico Pork Chile with Corn Risotto

I love cooking Southwest dishes and man, did this turn out well! Twice cooked pork (simmered in water for 2 hours), then cut up and fried. Defat the cooking liquid, add it to the now crispy pork. Make a corn meal slurry to thicken the stew along with some roasted pureéd New Mexico chiles, garlic and oregano and simmer for a few more hours. A great change from traditional chile with beans, hearty and filling.

The corn risotto is a take-off on the classic rice dish. Sweat a chopped onion in butter, add fresh cut corn, a finely diced jalapeño or serrano and toss. Add some cream and simmer a bit more to reduce the cream. Top with grated cheese (Jack, Fontina or whatever you have around) and pop under the broiler for a few minutes until the cheese is browned and bubbly. If you want to present it like I did, let it cool to room temperature.

To assemble, scoop chile into your bowl, cut a wedge of the risotto and place it in the middle of the bowl and back under the broiler or into a hot oven until it's bubbly again.

Serve with warm tortillas.

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 6:01 AM

Back to Main

June 11, 2005

Grilled Corn and Squash Quesadilla

Actually, it was lunch today, but I love quesadillas. Such an easy and delicious way to use up leftovers. Grated Jack and Cheddar cheeses, some salsa, homegrown oregano and you're all set.

Easy to prepare, too. Fire up your grill with a medium fire or pre-heat a 375º oven. (If you use your oven, make sure there's something on the shelf underneath your quesadilla to catch drippings.

If you have a pizza pan or sizzle platter fine, otherwise you what you've got. Start with a little oil on the platter and lay down your first tortilla. Use whatever you want for filling, just make sure it's cooked first, the veggies in mine would have never gotten cooked in time if I hadn't. You really should have some kind of cheese to hold it together if you want to flip it. Don't overfill it! Lay your top tortilla in place and brush some more oil on top.

Slide your prepared quesadilla onto the grill or oven rack. Give it a few minutes, take a peak underneath and rotate 60º if you've gotten your grill marks going. (Proper quadrillage is always worth bonus points in my book.)

Okay, flipping. The easiest way is to put your plate back on top of the quesadilla, slide your spatula (wide is good) underneath and whle pressing down a bit with the platter, smoothly and confidently turn the whole thing over in one movement.

Grill the other side until the whole thing is nice and gooey. Check it by lightly lifting the top tortilla. Slide it back onto the platter and serve with more cheese, sour cream and guacamole.

Oh, and a nice cold Shiner Bock. Life is good...

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 2:43 PM

Back to Main

June 9, 2005

Grilled Corn on the Cob

I also grilled a few ears of corn. This is so easy, I don't know why people make a huge production out of it and it's a great technique because the corn is cooked in the husk, which gives it even more flavor.

Lay the whole ear on a hot fire, husk and all. You can pre-soak but with really fresh corn I don't feel it's necessary, the kernels and the silk should contribute enough moisture to create the steam you need. Keep it turning, removing the husk layer by layer as they burn away. You don't want to do this too early because you'll lose that seal that's keeping the steam in. I keep a plastic bag around for the husks and I just hold the ear with my tongs and pull the husks off by hand. You might want to keep a side towel handy for this if you're not a total masochist like I am...

In around 15 minutes, push on a few kernels. If they feel soft and well, cooked you're about there. Take off the rest of the husk, give the corn a few minutes on the coals to sear off the silk, and enjoy!

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 8:02 AM

Back to Main

Seared Ahi with Grilled Rosemary Squash

Easy and amazing. Zip the rosemary leaves off into a ramekin with a little olive oil while you're seasoning the fish, which was just canola oil and Survival Spice™.

Season the squash with S & P then drizzle with the infused oil. Don't do this too far in advance so your veg doesn't absorb too much oil and get mushy. 10 minutes is plenty. This is all about fresh, clean flavors.

Drizzle the fish with a bit more oil, then lay the ahi best side down on the hottest part of the fire and the squash away from it a bit. If the fish sticks, don't move it! Eventually it will lift away on its own.

After a few minutes, sneak a look at the fish and squash to see if you have grill marks yet. If you do, rotate 60º and give it a few more minutes. Flip and get ready to plate! Ahi should not be overcooked. Feel it with your finger, if it's mushy wait a minute. When it's just starting to set up but still has some give to it, you're good to go!

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 7:47 AM

Back to Main

June 7, 2005

Another easy pasta dish

Shrimp with spaghetti in a sauce made from butter/olive oil, lots of garlic, white wine and a bit of chicken stock and parsley, topped with asiago cheese.

I wanted to show you this dish as another variation of the simple pan technique I mentioned here last week.

I had a few emails after I posted that entry asking what the exact amounts of wine and stock were. I can't tell you that, not because it's some big secret but because this is more of a technique than a recipe.

The type of wine and the stock you have on hand are going to vary, depending on what's around. If you have a sweet wine like a Reisling, for example, you might want to not use as much as you would if you had a bottle of Pinot Grigio.

On the other hand, if you have some really good homemade stock you might want to really feature that, conversely if all you have is some canned stock that doesn't have much flavor you might need to use twice as much and then reduce it until it has some taste. Be careful when you do this though, it may become quite salty, you might not need much salt later.

TASTE AS YOU GO!!!! TASTE, TASTE, TASTE!!!!

Didn't mean to shout but I hope you get my point. Using what's on hand is much more interesting to me because I'm not eating the same old thing all the time, plus I'm taking advantage of the best ingredients available and featuring them prominently. Learning to cook this way, really cooking instead of blindly following a recipe will give you better meals and a lot more fun in the kitchen in the long run.

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 8:45 AM

Back to Main

June 6, 2005

Beer can Chickens with Survival Spice™

This is how those fire fighters should have cooked that chicken! Sent in by Jerry in Los Angeles recently, this is a great time to show these birds off. Wow, this guy can cook! He just slathered them in Survival Spice™ and cooked them on indirect heat until they were falling off the bone tender.

This is such a good technique and I really liked the way he used the skewers to hold them together.

Awesome job, Jerry!

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 8:03 AM

Back to Main

May 26, 2005

What did you have for dinner last night?

Spaghetti arrabiata with hot Italian sausage, red peppers, onions, tomato and organic thyme, oregano and torn basil, topped with grated Parmesan cheese.

A lot of people are intimidated with making pasta dishes like this because they haven't learned how to make a simple pan sauce. It's important to know how to do this, it's so much simpler than making tomato sauce.

Once you've sauteéd your meat and veg, deglaze with a 1/4 C or so of white wine (I keep a bottle of leftover wine in the fridge specifically for this), and gently stir to incorporate the browned bits in the pan. Note I said browned, not blackened, if you've scorched anything get the nasty bits out before you start your sauce.

Once you've done this, add a 1/2 C of stock and 2 chopped Roma tomatoes, whatever fresh herbs you want to use and simmer a few minutes. Taste for seasoning and add crushed red peppers, salt and pepper accordingly. Add your cooked 1/2 pound of pasta, give it a few minutes to come together and plate it up with some grated Parmesan.

A quick time-saver I want to make sure you know about. If you're cooking pasta for 2, cook the whole pound and save 1/2 of it, lightly oiled in a 1 quart zip-lock bag for later in the week. It will hold for days like this and it makes for a quick second meal, which is what I did here. Actually, I made this whole meal from leftovers, we had the sausage, peppers and onions earlier in the week so this whole dish took less than 10 minutes. Gotta love that...

So, what did you have for dinner last night?

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 8:12 AM

Back to Main

May 11, 2005

Smoked pork and roasted corn salad

Sliced smoked pork butt and roasted corn with romaine, radishes, jack cheese, radishes and organic home grown red pepper, parsley and chives. Easy and really good, because I cooked the pork and corn over the weekend when I had some time.

A lot of people don't like leftovers, and I understand that, but I try to use them in a different way than I did originally, salad instead of pork sandwiches and the corn on the cob. That way you don't feel like you're eating the same thing over and over.

I need to be eating more salads these days, I'm afraid...

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 7:12 AM

Back to Main

May 9, 2005

So....

Cook or eat anything good this weekend? I smoked a pork butt and grilled some corn for dinner. No pictures, sorry, but maybe I'll make a salad tonight with the leftovers for your drooling pleasure.

If you're nice...

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 7:53 AM

Back to Main

April 29, 2005

Yep, I made them...

Back skin peeled, rubbed generously with Survival Spice™, then smoked for 4 hours in hickory and pecan.

So tender you could almost cut them with this.

Posted by The Pragmatic Chef at 11:18 AM