Archive Page 13

Back Home Again in Indiana

Published August 17, 2010 Non-food posts 1 Comment

It has been over 6 weeks since I posted to this blog.  During that time, our family moved from the San Francisco Bay area back to Indiana where my wife and I grew up.  The primary purpose of the move was to be closer to family.  In the two weeks since we’ve been in our house, we’ve managed to share at least one meal with my dad and step-mom, my mom and step-dad, my wife’s mom and dad, my grandma, my sister,  my wife’s sister, her husband, and her daughter, and my wife’s brother and his daughter (though unfortunately not his wife who was out of town).

We’re missing our California friends (especially the Foxes) terribly, but it has been great to spend time with family.  Some photos of our nieces from this weekend are below.

Leek Bread Pudding

Published August 17, 2010 Sides , Vegetarian 1 Comment

Click here for a PDF of this recipe without photos.

When I was looking for a starch to accompany some grilled meats, I came across this one from Thomas Keller’s Ad Hoc at Home.  Everything I’ve made from that book has been a hit, and this was no exception.  The leeks, herbs, butter, and cheese make this perfectly savory (if not exactly low-fat).

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Chipotle-Glazed Baby Back Ribs

Published August 17, 2010 Grilldome , Main Course , Pork , Rick Bayless 1 Comment

Click here for a PDF of this recipe without photos.

If you’ve been following this blog for very long, you know that I’m a huge Rick Bayless fan.  Rick Bayless is famous for, among other things, his frequent use of Twitter.  He recently began a twitter recipe contest that involves him publishing a recipe via his Twitter feed (which is limited to 140 characters for those unfamiliar with the application).  His fans can then make the recipe and send him a photo of the results.  The 10 best responses in signed copies of his latest book, Fiesta at Rick’s.

Unfortunately, I missed the contest (which has been through 4 different recipes so far) while I was in the process of moving, but I still thought I’d give some of the recipes a try.  Here is the exact text of the recipe for Chipotle-Glazed Baby Back Ribs:

Proc 4 grlc,6T ancho,4t sugr&peppr,5t salt,1t oreg,½t cumin.Rub 4 slb ribs;ovrnite.Bake 300 75 min.Blend:7oz chiptles&3/4c honey.Grill;glaze

My longer version is below, but it is essentially identical to his tweet.

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Julio’s Delicatessen is moving!

Published July 7, 2010 Non-food posts 2 Comments

Over the next few weeks, we will be relocating from the San Francisco Bay Area back to Indianapolis.   As we prepare for the move (and while our pots and pans are in boxes on a moving truck) my blog activity will be significantly reduced.  But please stay tuned – we’ll be back in business as soon as we get moved-in.

Salsa Mac and Cheese

Published June 20, 2010 Rick Bayless , Sides , Vegetarian Closed
This recipe is another Rick Bayless original.  It’s really just a standard mac and cheese recipe with some jarred (or homemade) salsa included.  Because we made this for a family meal, we used mild salsa, but this would be even better made with a fairly spicy salsa.

Rack of Pork Arista

Published June 14, 2010 Main Course , Pork Closed

Click here for a PDF of this recipe.

Sticking with the Thomas Keller theme, I made this dish for Sunday dinner.  As with the chicken, brining the meat for 10 hours or so before cooking is key.  After the pork reaches the target temperature and comes out of the oven, it needs to rest for about 30 minutes before cutting and serving.  This provided the perfect window to roast some spring vegetables (baby carrots, new potatoes, pearl onions, radishes, and asparagus) and make a salad to serve with the pork.

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Catalan-style Chicken and Seafood

Published June 14, 2010 Chicken , Main Course , Rice , Sausage , Seafood , Spanish 1 Comment

Click here for a PDF of this recipe.

I’ve been on a Thomas Keller kick lately, so I decided to try this recipe from Ad Hoc at Home. It’s very similar to (and, in my opinion, not quite as good as) paella with one notable exception: the result of brining the chicken for 10 hours prior to cooking was the best chicken I’ve ever made.  I will be looking for opportunities to use this same chicken brine with other recipes in the very near future.

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Dinner for 70

Published June 7, 2010 Main Course 2 Comments

A few months ago, some friends of mine suggested that we put together a fundraiser for our church that would entail me cooking for a large number of people.  They asked me “what’s the largest number you could cook for?” I thought for a minute and answered “I don’t know, maybe 40.”  A date was selected, plans were made, and we began trying to sell 40 seats for the event (which was planned to be both a fundraiser and an occasion to honor our long-serving Treasurer).

Things began to evolve and the event took on a life of its own.  The list of attendees reached 70 people at one point, though I believe we ended-up serving 66.  We also raised several thousand dollars for the church and threw a great party.

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Shrimp and Grits, Momofuku-style

Published May 30, 2010 Bacon , Eggs , Main Course , Seafood 4 Comments

Click here for a PDF of this recipe without photos.

I’ve written before about how much I like David Chang’s food (see resources page and Bo Ssam post, for example), but it’s worth repeating – the guy is doing wonderful things.  He’s a classically-trained, Korean-American chef who grew up in Virginia, worked in Japan, and lives and works in New York.  He has three restaurants in New York and is unquestionably one of the hottest chefs in America right now.  While it was the significant amount of profanity in his cookbook that first caught my interest, the 100% success rate I’ve had on recipes from the book is the real reason I love it.  This dish basically takes standard low-country shrimp and grits and adds the Japanese touches of bacon dashi and usukuchi.  It’s absolutely worth a try.

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Thomas Keller’s “Dinner for Dad”

Published May 24, 2010 Chicken , Grilldome , Main Course , Potato 1 Comment

Click here to see a PDF of this recipe without photos.

This meal – barbecued chicken, mashed potatoes, collard greens, and strawberry shortcake – is really pretty basic.  The point of posting it here isn’t so much about grilling chicken as it is making this specific recipe from Thomas Keller’s Ad Hoc at Home. In the book, Keller explains that his father lived next door for the last few years of his life.  This meal, which was his father’s favorite, also turned out to be his last.  The way he describes his feelings about cooking in this book (and in interviews I’ve read or seen on TV) describes my approach to cooking as well: “When we eat together, life is better.  Our lives are enriched when we share meals.”

In the book, Keller includes a number of  “lightbulb moments,” almost all of which are great kitchen tips.  Along with this recipe, he writes “the first lightbulb moment I want to offer is one I was lucky to realize in time, and hope that others will too.  It may seem obvious but it’s worth repeating: Take care of your parents.”  Hear, hear, Chef.

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