Monthly Archives: July 2012

Rhubarb Bitters

30 Monday Jul 2012

Posted by in Drinks

≈ 3 Comments

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Part of eating seasonally and crafting food is that there are times when what you are eating, or in this case drinking, you have had to wait long enough for it to be ready that you are enjoying the final product long after the raw materials are out of season.

I have reached a state of life, between age, parental status, and fitness goals, that I do not drink far as much as I used to, so when I drink, I tend to have a bourbon with a rock and not something fancy with multiple twists and what not. While I do not appreciate the cocktail scene when included in a restaurant setting, I can appreciate a well crafted cocktail. As much as I can appreciate the cocktail, as I mentioned earlier, my consumption is basic, but I do have a love for a Sunday afternoon soda water and bitters break. Continue reading »

Pickled Nasturtium Buds

23 Monday Jul 2012

Posted by in Condiments and Pickles

≈ 2 Comments

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As much press as there has been about edible flowers lately, there have been chortles from seemingly the same people regarding the trendiness of it all. For the most part, it is fair criticism. There is a lot of use of flowers without context and some places are insisting on having a little flower shower with every dish. Like those who toss gold lead or truffles left and right, the natural reaction is to make fun (except truffles, chefs if someone chuckles at your truffles, send them my way). Continue reading »

Ghost Chili and Habanero Hot Sauce

19 Thursday Jul 2012

Posted by in Condiments and Pickles

≈ 9 Comments

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There are condiments, like mustard, when made at home are delicious and can be flavored to suit your tastes and creativity levels. They are easy to make and the payoff is high, given the amount of work and cost that goes into making these things. Then there are condiments like ketchup, where what you get is hardly worth either the time or the effort, much less both. Homemade hot sauce lies in the middle. It is a condiment worth the limited effort to make it, but given that I am currently garden-less, the expense in producing a small bottle of the stuff stretches the limits of desirability. Continue reading »

Smoked Snout Goetta

16 Monday Jul 2012

Posted by in Barbeque, Confit, Making Charcuterie, Pâtés and Terrines, Pork, Smoked Meats

≈ 2 Comments

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After finishing my slice of smoked porchetta di testa, I realized that I had about eight pounds of deliciously smokey pigs head left over. While having a freezer full of porcine treats is nothing to complain about, one of the hard parts about eating less and having only one other adult in the house to share is that we end up with more leftovers than we know what to do with. We have jars of preserves in the pantry, jars of rillettes in the fridge, packages of bacon and sausages in the freezer. Continue reading »

Smoked Porchetta di Testa

12 Thursday Jul 2012

Posted by in Barbeque, Butcher Cuts, Confit, Making Charcuterie, Offal, Pork, Sausages, Smoked Meats

≈ 8 Comments

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This project has been in the hopper for years, literally. Three years after attending the first butchering demo from Rob Levitt, done while at Mado, and following with the “Dueling Testas” demo, I have deboned a pig’s head. What seemed impossible after watching Rob do it at the demo is not only currently possible, but something that with a little practice, everyone should be doing. Continue reading »

BBQ Bone-In Brisket and Belly-on Lamb Ribs

09 Monday Jul 2012

Posted by in Barbeque, Beef, Lamb, Making Charcuterie, Smoked Meats

≈ 7 Comments

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Last week was hot as hell, but, like Memorial and Labor Days, the Fourth of July is a BBQ holiday. There is no wiggle room in my rule book when it comes to BBQ holidays, even for 100 degree temperatures. With that in mind, since we were in the Northwoods for the week, I was planning on pit smoking a suckling pig. When looking at yield and cost, I opted for something that I thought would have less flair, but ended up being the opposite. Continue reading »

Garlic Scapes

05 Thursday Jul 2012

Posted by in Condiments and Pickles, Making Charcuterie, Pork, Smoked Meats

≈ 5 Comments

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I love farmers. I love farmers markets. I consider myself one of the most hardline, staunch advocates of local, sustainable food that I know, either online or in person, but I can not get behind the pricing on garlic scapes, green strawberries and tomatoes, and the like. Garlic scapes are like the bones that come with your chicken. If you buy chicken with the bones still with them, and you should, they can be used for good, but I would not pay for chicken bones. I would certainly not pay more for chicken bones than I would for chicken, which is the case that I have run into for both scapes and green strawberries recently as compared to their edible and ripe counterparts. Continue reading »

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