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 »
Thanksgiving Day Turkey-palooza!
24 Nov ’15
With Thanksgiving being a day for tradition and family, I only slowly add or change things for the meal. For instance, I’ve done fried turkey, but prefer a traditional (to my family) smoked turkey. I’ve tried to introduce good green bean casserole, a la Alton Brown, but some still prefer the Campbell’s soup, French’s onion ... 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 »
Livefire Thanksgiving Blitz Day 4
25 Nov ’14
I don’t have a lot of photos for today, but I want to talk about a controversial part of Thanksgiving: green bean casserole. Alton Brown has a recipe for the best green bean casserole I’ve had. It takes a bit of work, but it’s really worth it. It doesn’t include any canned soup or onions ... Read More »
Livefire Thanksgiving Blitz Day 2
23 Nov ’14
Day 2 of the Thanksgiving Blitz is about side dishes! The turkey takes center stage, but it won’t stand up without great side dishes, right? Later, I’ll show you how to dress up the regular old Campbell’s soup green bean casserole and give you my secret for the best turkey gravy. Today, however, is all ... Read More »
Pickle Tasting
27 Jul ’14
It’s been a week since I made pickles for the first time, and time to try them out! We opened up some of the plain dill pickles to try. They’re good, and vinegary. A bit sharp, but they should mellow over time. For plain dill pickles, I think I would add a bit more spices ... Read More »
Steaks Of Summer #5 – Grilled Ribeye
16 Jul ’14
The 5th Livefire Steak Of Summer is the simplest so far, and one of the best, a straightforward salt and pepper ribeye from Food and Wine! It’s one of my favorite steak preparations, especially for a prime-grade hunk of ribeye. For a good steak, there’s nothing like just a bit of salt and a bit ... Read More »
Porkopolis Eggfest 2014
12 Jul ’14
Today, I’m one of the demo cooks at the Porkopolis Eggfest in Cincinnati. It’s a lot of fun, and there are over 500 people expected! I’m doing sides, desserts and drinks, and dipping back into some favorites: Browned butter fingerling potatoes Blackberry thyme crisp Grilled peach bourbon iced tea Sound like a good hour of ... Read More »
A Culinary Ode To The South
29 Apr ’13
After getting back from our recent trip to the South, I had really wanted to try to keep the spirit of our vacation going. As long as I can. No matter how hard it can be. To do this, I decided to use my stomach. Or maybe I should say my tastebuds. Yeah, that sounds ... Read More »
Pig Candy v2.0
19 Dec ’11
I’ve been making pig candy for years now. It’s a simple, delicious way to prepare bacon by covering it with brown sugar and a touch of cayenne, then baking/smoking it until the bacon is crunchy and the brown sugar has coated it. It’s just addictive stuff! I was thinking this year of fixing candied pecans. ... Read More »
Beef Ribs and Tomato Pie
16 Jul ’11
I’ve used my Bubba Keg a lot over the last couple of years, and I love cooking on it. There’s one thing my XL Big Green Egg has over the Bubba Keg, though… size! I think it’s almost double the size of the Bubba Keg. And it really is easy to use, too. I tried ... Read More »
Blackberry Thyme Crisp
28 Jul ’09
I’m going a bit nuts with the crisps and cobblers, but I’ve got all this great fruit that I want to use up, and crisps are quick and easy and not too bad for you. There’s a spot a couple miles from my house that sells blackberries. It’s not even a farm, just a house, ... Read More »