Risotto doesn’t have to be difficult. Actually, risotto isn’t difficult, but it is time consuming and a bit tedious to make the traditional way. You heat stock, toast rice, then slowly and laboriously stir in the stock, little by little, until it’s all done. The Food Lab went through all kinds of testing to determine ... Read More »
The Livefire Perfect Manhattan
19 Apr ’15
I’m not likely to have cocktails too often; I’m much more likely to enjoy a dram of whiskey on its own, with a couple drops of water, or, in the case of a bourbon, maybe some ice. There are a few exceptions, though. I do like a Rusty Nail now and then, as well as ... Read More »
Yorkshire Pudding – A Start
20 Jan ’15
As I was making roast beef for a post for Char-Broil, I was trying to think of something to do alongside that. I realized I was doing a form of an English recipe I’d seen on the roast beef, so I went right to what I think of as a traditional beef side dish for ... Read More »
Christmas Goose
29 Dec ’14
It’s been a long time since I had goose of any sort. I’ve had lots of chicken, a good amount of turkey and some duck now and then. Even a bit of pheasant and/or quail. This year, it seemed a good time to bring out the Christmas goose again! People have odd reactions to goose ... Read More »
Livefire Thanksgiving Blitz Day 3
24 Nov ’14
Day 3 = Dessert! Or, more specifically, bourbon pecan pie! Yes, you heard me right. Bourbon. Pecans. Pie. All in one bite. This is a great pie, and I encourage you to try it. I get accused of using bourbon too much, but, honestly, the flavor goes so well with so many things. It’s sweet, ... Read More »
Whiskey Pickles
20 Jul ’14
No grilling today, but I have wanted to try my hand at something new – pickling! If you’ve read much here, though, you might guess that I’m not just doing regular old pickles. I have had some Brooklyn Brining Company’s whiskey-related pickles, and found a recipe trying to duplicate that on Cupcake Rehab. I had ... Read More »
Bourbon Compote
29 Apr ’13
I was recently in the South, and, yes, I meant to capitalize the “S”; if you’ve been to Savannah, Georgia, you know what I mean! Anyway, my wife and I were actually just driving through Savannah, between Jacksonville, Florida, and Charleston, South Carolina, and we decided to stop in Savannah for lunch. We pulled into ... Read More »
Slam Dunk Sauerkraut and Sausage
27 Mar ’13
Johnsonville Sausage recently asked me to come up with some ideas to have for the upcoming weekend’s basketball tournament. I think I have to polish gym floors or clean backboard glass if I say what the tournament is, so I’ll just say it rhymes with “parch gladness”! And, for this quick and easy recipe, Johnsonville ... Read More »
The Rusty Nail
13 Aug ’12
About two years ago, I was at a restaurant with my wife and some friends in Michigan, and I ordered a rusty nail. The waiter looked at me for just a second, then replied, “Good for you.” I have to say that I’ve never had that kind of reaction from a waiter on anything I ... Read More »
Scotch Oysters
5 Aug ’12
One thing I think has always been lacking is the use of whisky in cooking, so I’m on a bit of a mission to come up with uses of whisky in food. My first attempt was with grilled oysters. For the oysters, I melted about half a stick of butter and let it brown just ... Read More »
Scotch Oysters
23 Jul ’12
My wife and I were at a new-to-the-area market yesterday called Earth Fare. For the most part, I prefer Dorothy Lane Market, but Earth Fare does have a great salad bar. It’s just a bit too health-foody for me, I guess. Anyway, they have lots of bulk tofu and bark and seeds and hippy stuff, ... Read More »
My Favorite Summer Whisky Cocktail
15 Jul ’12
I’m not huge on cocktails in general, but I do enjoy a few of them. They’re not fruity things with flowers or umbrellas. The list is short, and only one was traditionally whisky based. The list is pretty short, though: Rusty Nail (as already mentioned, still my go-to whisky cocktail) A good bloody mary (must ... Read More »