Miscellaneous
Things that don't fit anywhere else
Ditalini’s Chiles Rellenos
Ditalini and I recently joined a produce co-op. Every Saturday we pick up two good-sized baskets of seasonal vegetables and fruit. This Saturday we found eight big green chiles mixed in with our haul, and Ditalini decided to make chiles…
Making Peanut Brittle, Take #1
We made peanut brittle from a Food Network recipe. The idea was for Ditalini to bring some to work, and to make small gift packages of what’s left. We’re not totally happy with the results of the recipe, though, so…
Crouton’s Shrimp & Chicken Italian Sausage w/Cheese Polenta & Sriracha Sauce
Let me just say, right off the bat, that this was an experiment based on a popular Southern dish, shrimp & cheese grits. Next time I’ll add a green vegetable on the side for color, and perhaps substitute chicken breast…
Fresh Hatch Chiles
This entry isn’t a recipe, though it’s closely related to one, Crouton’s New Mexico Green Chile Stew. I wanted to share a bit of local color with you, namely the Hatch green chile roasters who set up shop in front…
Dry Rubs for Pork Spareribs
Corky’s Style Rub 1 tsp cayenne 3 tbsp kosher salt 3 tbsp course ground pepper 2 tbsp dried thyme 2 tbsp marjoram 6 tbsp cumin 4 tbsp allspice 6 tbsp paprika 2 tbsp garlic powder 4 tsp celery salt 4…
Preserving Lemons
Preserved lemons have many uses, but we primarily use them to prepare two Moroccan recipes: Chicken Tajine (aka Rotten Chicken), and Chicken Tajine w/Harissa, Artichokes, & Grapes. You can store preserved lemons in your refrigerator for up to 6 months.
Dry Rub (Poultry)
First, a caution: I haven’t used this rub recipe yet. A friend sent it to me, and I will use it . . . anyway: ground expresso cayenne pepper paprika sugar salt pepper Mix equal parts expresso & cayenne, half…
Dry Rubs for Beef
Dry rub for beef brisket: This is the basic dry rub I use to coat beef brisket before smoking: 3 parts brown sugar slightly less than 1 part kosher salt 1 part chili powder 1 part pepper 1/3 part garlic…
Brine (Poultry)
Basic Brine for Chicken 3 qts water 3/4 cup kosher salt 1/4 cup sugar Change the proportions as necessary to make enough brine to cover your chicken. This is sufficient to cover a 5-lb whole fryer. Pickling Spice Brine for…