restaurant quality short ribs

This is so good I can't do it justice writing about it. Make sure you spend the time to brown the ribs: it's totally worth it.

Ingredients:

2.5 pounds boneless beef short ribs
1 large pinch of sea salt
5-10 “twists” of fresh ground pepper
1 tablespoon butter
1 sweet onion
1 portobello mushroom
1 pkg of crimini mushrooms
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup beef broth
1/2 can of tomato paste
2 tablespoons on Tamari
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 large spoonfuls of fresh/local unfiltered honey
5 sprigs fresh thyme

For gravy:
2 tbsp cornstarch/potato starch

Directions:

Sprinkle salt and pepper over ribs. In large pan over medium-high heat, melt butter and brown ribs on all sides. (About 3 minutes per side.) Remove from pan and set aside.

Sauté crimini mushrooms in the same pan until they begin to release their liquid. Pour mushrooms and liquid into the bottom of the crockpot. Sauté onion in same pan until translucent. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute more.

Place ribs on top of mushrooms in crockpot, cover with onion/garlic mixture.

In bowl, whisk broth, tomato paste, Tamari, Worcestershire sauce, and honey. Pour on top of meat in crockpot.

Add fresh thyme sprigs on top of meat.

Cook on low for 7-8 hours.

For the gravy: once cooked, remove the meat to a plate, and strain the liquid in the crockpot into a sauce pan. Set aside the mushroom and onion mixture. Add a small amount of the liquid to the cornstarch/potato starch to remove lumps and then add the cornstarch/potato starch mixture to the remaining liquid and whisk to make a gravy.

Serve over mashed potatoes.

Adapted from The Sparkle Queen's recipe

easier pumpkin something

I had fancy plans for dessert this Thanksgiving, but didn't actually get around to making the more complicated than I wanted to deal with pumpkin flan recipe below. So in my search for something easier I found this pudding recipe that was super simple. And it's a great base for so many other puddings I can't wait to try out. You can stop before you add the pumpkin and spices and end up with a great caramel pudding.

Ingredients:

1 cup 1% milk
1 cup half and half
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 large eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin-pie spice

Directions:

Whisk milk, sugar, and cornstarch in a large saucepan; bring to a boil. Boil 3 minutes, whisking constantly.

Beat eggs with a whisk in a large bowl.

Gradually add half the hot milk mixture to the beaten eggs.

Return milk-egg mixture to pan. Cook over medium heat 3 minutes, or until thick, whisking constantly.

Remove from heat; stir in pumpkin, salt, and pumpkin-pie spice.

Spoon evenly into 6 (6-ounce) custard cups. Let cool, and chill for about 30 minutes, or until pudding is set.

Recipe courtesy of Health.com

thanksgiving pumpkin (something)

I knew I wanted something pumpkin-based for Thanksgiving, but I also knew I didn't really want pie. Something lighter always seems like a good idea after such a heavy meal, but I wasn't sure what direction to go in. My plan is to try out the Pumpkin Flan recipe below. I love flan. And I'm a pretty big fan of pumpkins. So combining the two seems like a winner to me.

Ingredients:

Flan Caramel:

1/4 cup water

3/4 cup pure cane sugar, preferably organic

Pumpkin Custard Filling:

1 cup half-and-half 

1 cup heavy cream

3/4 cup pure cane sugar, preferably organic

1 cup solid pack pumpkin (not sweetened canned pumpkin pie mix)

6 large eggs

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon salt

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350° F

Have ready a 9-inch round deep dish pie plate and a shallow roasting pan that the pie plate fits in.

Combine water and 3/4 cup sugar in a small heavy saucepan. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat, tilt pan several times but don't stir. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, until mixture turns a medium amber color. Watch closely to prevent burning. Immediately pour the hot mixture into pie plate and carefully tilt the plate to evenly coat the bottom of the plate before the sugar hardens. Set aside.

Combine half-and-half, heavy cream and 3/4 cup cane sugar in a heavy saucepan. Heat on medium until warm and sugar dissolves.

Combine pumpkin, eggs, spices, vanilla and salt in a large mixing bowl. Beat on high until blended.

Slowly drizzle warm cream mixture into pumpkin mixture, whisking until smooth and combined.

Pour pumpkin mixture over the hardened caramelized sugar in pie plate. Place pie plate in roasting pan and add about 1 1/2 inches of boiling water to roasting pan. Carefully place pan in preheated oven and bake for 60-70 minutes or just until custard sets.

Cool completely and refrigerate until ready to serve. Use a knife to loosen flan from sides of pie plate. Invert on a plate to serve. Can be prepared and refrigerated up to 2 days before serving.

Recipe courtesy of About.com

the world's best... jalapeno cheddar cornbread

This is one of those dishes where I want to eat the whole thing as soon as it comes out of the oven. I actually have to force myself not to make it all the time so I don't eat it constantly. I think eating about this cornbread all the time. The key is to make it a day ahead of time (good luck trying to wait a day to eat it) and then cut slices and fry them in butter. It is out of this world good.

This is a combo of a "from-scratch" recipe and the directions on a gluten-free boxed cornbread. 

Ingredients:

1 box Gluten Free Pantry Yankee Cornbread & Muffin mix

1/4 cup sugar

1 1/3 cups milk

1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten

6 tbsp butter, melted, plus extra to grease the pan

8 ounces aged extra-sharp Cheddar, grated, divided

1/3 cup chopped scallions, white and green parts, plus extra for garnish, 3 scallions

3 tablespoons seeded and minced fresh jalapeno peppers

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the cornbread mix and sugar in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the milk, egg, and butter. With a wooden spoon, stir the wet ingredients into the dry until most of the lumps are dissolved. Don't overmix! Mix in 2 cups of the grated Cheddar, the scallions and jalapenos, and allow the mixture to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.

Grease a round 9 inch casserole dish.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and sprinkle with the remaining grated Cheddar and extra chopped scallions. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until golden brown on top and a toothpick comes out clean. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Don't forget to fry up slices in butter!

Recipes courtesy of the Food Network and Gluten Free Pantry

the world's best...hot artichoke dip

Somehow a couple of my all-time favorite recipes haven't made it on here yet. Mostly because I knew exactly where to find them. But now seems like a good time to add them. First up is the magic baked artichoke dip that disappears every time you put it out. Seriously, make sure you take a couple bites before it goes out on the table because you might not get some otherwise. Below are the original amounts in the recipe, but I usually make a double batch.

Ingredients:

5 tablespoons (packed) grated Romano cheese (about 1 ounce)

3 tablespoons mayonnaise

3 tablespoons sour cream

1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon onion salt

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1 14-ounce can artichoke hearts packed in water

1/4 teaspoon paprika

Rice crackers for dipping

Directions:

Drain the artichokes well and chop into 1/4-inch pieces. 

Whisk 4 tablespoons grated Romano cheese, light mayonnaise, light sour cream, dried marjoram, black pepper, onion salt, and garlic powder in medium bowl to blend. Stir in chopped artichoke hearts. Transfer mixture to oven safe dish. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover mixture and refrigerate.)

Preheat oven to 375°F. Bake dip until heated through, about 20 minutes (about 30 minutes if chilled).

Preheat broiler. Sprinkle dip with remaining 1 tablespoon grated Romano cheese and paprika. Broil until cheese melts, about 2 minutes. 

Serve in the dish it was baked in, just let it cool a bit before you put it out on the table.

Recipe courtesy of Epicurious.com

sticky chicken

Finding something for us to eat is hard enough, but also trying to feed two kids can be a seemingly insurmountable problem sometimes. Fortunately we came up with something that everyone devoured - so much so it looks like we might be making it once a week. And since we usually have most of the ingredients on hand we can throw it together at the last minute, which makes it taste even better.

Homemade Grilled Chicken Teriyaki

3/4 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
2 tbsp honey
1 1/2 tablespoons ground ginger
1 1/2 tablespoons powdered garlic
8-12 skinless boneless chicken thighs (about 3 pounds)

Combine everything but the chicken to make the marinade. Toss chicken in marinade to coat and let marinate for 15 minutes. Brush grill with oil. Grill chicken until cooked through, about 5 minutes per side.

Serve with sushi rice.

Adapted from Epicurious.com

grape roasted chicken

I'd been craving roasted chicken for days and finally bought a roaster along with some herbs to throw in the oven. I also picked up some delicious champagne grapes, and remembered having seen a roasted chicken and grapes recipe somewhere along the way. We made a couple of adjustments to the recipe I found and it turned out better than we thought possible. Goes especially well with purple mashed potatoes.

Ingredients:
1 pound assorted seedless grapes (tiny grapes especially good)
1 head of garlic, cloves peeled
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme plus 6 large sprigs
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 half lemon, quartered
1 4-to 4 1/2-pound chicken, excess fat removed from cavity

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400°F. Remove grapes from stems. Gently toss grapes, garlic cloves, chopped thyme, and 1 tablespoon olive oil in large bowl to coat. Rub chicken with remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil; sprinkle inside and out with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place thyme sprigs, a handful or grapes and lemon quarters in cavity. Place chicken in large roasting pan; arrange grape mixture around chicken. Roast until instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of chicken thigh registers 165°F and grapes are shriveled, about 1 hour 10 minutes.

Transfer chicken to platter; let rest 10 minutes. Using slotted spoon, arrange grapes and garlic around chicken. Transfer pan juices to small pitcher; spoon fat from surface of juices and discard. Serve chicken with pan juices alongside.

Adapted from Epicurious.com

veal alicante

A creation based on two veal recipes from our favorite Portuguese restaurant.

Ingredients:

8 (2 ounce) pieces veal scallopini (the higher quality, the better - Provimi is best.)
A box/bag (or two) of baby spinach (5 oz (10 oz for two))
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup white wine
1 tablespoon potato starch
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon grey sea salt
1/4 teaspoon lemon pepper
1/2 teaspoon sage
1 cup half and half
1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese
4 tbsp Parmesan cheese
4-6 slices of soppresata (or prosciutto)
fresh basil
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Tenderize the veal well with a meat mallet.  Rinse then chop the stems off the spinach.

2. Cook the baby spinach in a small amount of olive oil until fully wilted (add garlic / garlic powder to taste).  Sprinkle some lemon juice over the spinach then set aside.  Lightly cook soppresata in the spinach pan.

3. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the scallopini with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  Add scallopini to the hot, oiled skillet, and cook until golden brown on both sides, and no longer pink on the inside, about 4 minutes per side. Remove to a paper towel lined plate, and keep warm.

4. Pour in lemon juice and white wine into the pan in which the veal was cooked (or a saucepan). Increase heat to high, and bring to a boil. Boil for 1 minute. Dissolve the potato starch in about 2 tablespoons of chicken broth, and set aside. Pour the remaining chicken broth into the skillet, season with sage, garlic, pepper, salt and lemon pepper, and bring to a boil. Once the sauce is boiling, stir in the dissolved potato starch, and cook until thickened and clear, about 1 minute. Remove the sauce from the heat, then whisk in half and half.

5. On each serving plate place two scallopini pieces.  On each piece layer a wad of cooked spinach, a piece of cooked soppressata, and both mozzarella and parmesan cheese.  Layer another scallopini on each stack of spinach, cheese, and meat to make sort of a small veal sandwich.  Pour the creamy lemon wine sauce over each veal sandwich and top off with fresh basil leaves and cracked pepper.

spaghetti squash spaghetti

2 spaghetti squash
2 cups of pasta sauce
1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese
4 tbsp Parmesan cheese
fresh basil
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Place squash on a rimmed baking sheet. Make 2-3 vents in the top of the squash by poking deep slits with a sharp knife. Bake in oven for 60-65 minutes at 350 degrees.

Remove from oven and let rest for 10-15 minutes. Cut squash in half, length wise, and scoop out seeds (use two spoons to remove seeds easily). With a fork, shred the inside of the squash.

Season squash with a little salt and pepper. Add in 1/2 cup of pasta sauce to each squash half. Mix well until all the squash "noodles" are covered. Top with 1/4 cup of shredded cheese. Sprinkle each half with 1 tbsp of Parmesan.

Place squash under the broiler for 5 minutes until bubbly and melted. Chop fresh basil and sprinkle on top.

Adapted from Family Fresh Meals

super simple squash soup

1 butternut squash
1 buttercup squash
2 32 oz cartons of chicken broth
1 cup half and half
sour cream
fresh basil
salt and pepper
finishing salt (Hawaiian Black Lava Salt)

Cut both squashes into inch sized chunks. Place chunks in stockpot and fill pot with chicken broth to cover squash. Add salt and pepper to taste. Boil until squash is very soft. Remove from heat. Add half and half. Use hand-blender to puree until completely smooth. Chiffonade basil. Ladle soup into bowls. Spoon sour cream into soup. Sprinkle with basil and finishing salt.

you're radishing

I've never liked radishes. Both spicy and bland at the same time, I couldn't stand those weird, watery little guys. But I kept running across a radish, butter and salt combo that sounded intriguing if only because people kept saying how good it was. That seemed impossible to me, so when I found a bag of radishes for less than a buck at the store I thought that even if I hated them at least it was an experiment that would only cost me 99 cents.

So as I was making dinner one night I sliced up one of the radishes, spread a little butter on them and sprinkled them with a little French grey sea salt. And while my mind wasn't blown, I was pleasantly surprised at how well the salt, even more so than the butter, balanced out the spiciness of the radish. And after the butter sat out a little bit and became spreadable it might have even been a little better. I would say that when looking for a bit of a salty, crunchy snack salted radishes do the trick.

But now I had an entire bag of radishes, and while I liked the above well enough, I wasn't about to eat an entire bag of radishes that way. In search of something new, I found this recipe for Roasted Radishes with Brown Butter and Lemon, which looks delicious, but wasn't quite what I was looking for. I was hoping for more of a chip-like preparation. None of the recipes were quite what I was looking for, so I made up my own based on my vast experience of throwing vegetables in the oven and cooking them until they're GBD: golden, brown and delicious.

1 lb bag of radishes

salt

pepper

seasoning

olive oil

Preheat over to 375 degrees. Line cookie sheet with tin foil. Brush with olive oil to coat. Slice radishes as thinly as possible. Arrange on tin foil in one layer. Cover radishes with one layer of paper towel and blot to soak up some of the excess water on the radishes. Discard paper towel. Brush radishes with a light coating of oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper--we used crushed schezuan pepper (which adds a nice sweetness) and black lava salt. Cook for 10 minutes and flip each radish over (I did this by hand, easier than with a spatula). Cook for another 10 minutes. Remove any radishes that are light brown in color. Cook the rest for 5-10 minutes until all are a light, golden brown.

I assume these can be served cool, but we finished them before they got that far. 

*This is very tasty, but a bit of work. Start to finish it took about an hour, which is a lot for how few/small the chips are in the end. But it is a good way to go if you've got lots of radishes to consume. 

lemonized grilled veggies

One of my favorite things about summer is grilling. And nothing is as good on the grill as veggies (I mean, steak is obviously the best, but veggies are a very close second). This recipe flavors the vegetables up front while also creating a dressing to toss them in after they've been grilled.

3-4 rainbow peppers

1 zucchini

1 summer squash

1 onion

2 lemons

1/4 - 1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 tbsp spice mixture

The original recipe I found for this used harissa as the spice mixture, but we didn't have any on hand so we used a signature blend of spices from a shop in St. Augustine, FL - anything flavorful will work.

Cut the vegetables into large chunks (so they don't fall through the grill grates). Cut 1 lemon in half lengthwise. Place everything in one large bowl. 

Whisk together juice of second lemon, olive oil and spice mixture to create a dressing. Pour over vegetables and mix to coat.

Grill veggies, including the cut lemon, over high heat until the zucchini and squash are soft and the skin of the peppers has blackened.

Return grilled veggies to bowl with leftover dressing, squeeze juice of grilled lemon over everything and mix to coat one more time. Serve. 

less than smooth smoothie

Smoothies are meant to be an easy thing to throw together, but I always find I never quite make them right. But I finally figured it out and wanted to capture it for all posterity.

All Fruit Smoothie

1 banana
1 peach
10-12 raspberries
1 cup blueberries
1 cup half and half (or more depending on how thick you want it)
1 tbsp honey

Blend everything together. Drink!

spring fever steak

I've had enough with the winter at this point and I'm ready for some warm sun and grilling. This will be one of the first recipes we try when it's finally warm enough to break out the grill.

Mojito Steak Salad

1 (8-ounce) top sirloin, fat trimmed
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh chopped mint
2 tablespoons sugar
1 ounce white rum (optional)
Juice of 1 lime
Salt and pepper
1 head Romaine lettuce, chopped
1 red bell pepper, minced
½ red onion, minced
1 cup corn cut off the cob
8 to 10 cherry tomatoes, halved

Dressing:
½ cup light sour cream
3 tablespoons taco sauce or salsa
Juice of ½ lime
Salt and pepper

In a small bowl, whisk together 1 tablespoon of olive oil, mint, sugar, rum and juice of 1 lime. Pour over steak and marinate for 15-20 minutes.

Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Season both sides of the steak with salt and pepper, and sear until golden- brown or desired doneness, preferably medium-rare or medium.

Let steak rest and slightly cool.

In a large bowl, mix together lettuce, peppers, onions, corn and tomatoes. Thinly slice steak and toss with salad.

Mix all dressing ingredients together, and pour over salad. Serve immediately.

Recipe courtesy of Chef Jamika Pessoa 

(apparently - I have no idea where I originally found this

 recipe but the same one is attributed to her everywhere.) 

carrot joy

The first time we made this recipe we tried it with beets, zucchini and carrots. The beets were good, but messy and there are a thousand better ways to prepare zucchini. I expected that the carrots would be okay, but nothing special. I was wrong. Though carrots are, by far, not my favorite vegetable, this recipe made them delightful. I didn't even miss the potatoes I usually make these with. They still need sour cream though, no matter what veggie you use.

Or, as we discovered, you can stuff them with goat cheese. Lay down a thin amount of veggies, add a pat of goat cheese, cover with more veggies and cook as directed.

Vegetable Latkes

3 cups grated carrot, turnip, beets or zucchini
2 eggs, beaten
Pinch of salt and pepper
Oil for frying

Wrap a light weight dishtowel around 1 cup of grated vegetable at a time and squeeze as much water out as possible.

In a bowl, mix grated vegetable with egg, salt and pepper. Start with the two eggs per 3 cups of grated vegetables to bind the latkes. After frying a few, add more egg as binder only if necessary.

Heat 1/2 cup oil over medium to medium-high heat. Toss a pinch of grated vegetable in the pan – you’ll know the oil is hot enough if it starts sizzling immediately. Scoop 1/4 cup or less of grated vegetable into your hand and form into a very loose patty. Set the patty in the hot pan and press it down gently with a fork.

Cook at least 2-3 minutes on each side, until nicely browned.

You can keep the oven at 250 degrees and keep latkes warm inside the oven while you cook the whole batch.

If the oil becomes dark or begins to smoke, it is necessary to dump out the oil, wipe out the pan and start fresh before frying more latkes.

Recipe from Mark Sisson's Daily Apple

soup du jour

Nothing sounds better when snowed in than soup - so everything we saw on Mark Bittman's soup and sandwich episode looks amazing. We haven't tried any of these yet, but wanted to pull them all together so that their easy for us to find.

Wintertime Tomato Soup

1 28- or 35-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, optional
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 medium carrot, finely diced
1 small onion, halved and thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 quart (4 cups) stock or water
1/4 cup chopped parsley.

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Drain tomatoes and reserve liquid. Halve them and put in a roasting pan; sprinkle with 2 tablespoons oil and the thyme, if using. Roast, turning once or twice, until lightly browned, about 30 minutes. Use wooden spoon to scrape up browned bits from pan, adding a little liquid if necessary.

2. Put remaining olive oil in a deep skillet or medium saucepan over medium-high heat. When it’s hot, add garlic and cook just until it begins to color, a minute or so. Add carrot and onion and cook, sprinkling with salt and pepper and stirring, for about 5 minutes. Stir in stock or water, along with contents of roasting pan and reserved tomato juice.

3. Turn heat to high and bring soup to a boil, then lower heat so it bubbles gently. Cover and cook until vegetables are very tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Garnish with parsley and serve.

From The New York Times

Zucchini-Pear Soup

3 tablespoons butter or extra-virgin olive oil, or a combination of both
1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
1 medium onion, peeled and diced
1 medium potato, preferably high-starch ("russet" or "baking"), peeled and diced
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, or a pinch of dried thyme
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 medium zucchini, trimmed and diced
2 medium ripe (but still firm) pears, peeled, cored and diced
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock, or use water
Mint leaves for garnish, optional

Put butter, oil or combination in a large skillet over medium heat; when butter melts or oil is hot, cook carrot, onion, potato and thyme with a healthy sprinkling of salt and pepper. Stir occasionally, adjusting heat so vegetables do not brown. When onion is softened, about 5 minutes, add zucchini and continue to cook until everything is tender, 10 to 15 minutes.

Add pear and cook until it has softened, about 5 minutes more. Add liquid and bring to a boil; taste and adjust seasoning. Cool mixture, then puree. Serve cold or reheat and serve hot, garnished with mint, if desired.

From Cooking Channel

Escarole Soup with Rice

1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) extra-virgin olive oil
3 or 4 cloves garlic, finely minced, plus 4 or 5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/2 cup chopped onions
4 cups coarsely chopped escarole (about one head)
6 cups chicken or vegetable stock, or water
1/4 cup short-grain white rice, like arborio
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, optional
Parmesan rind, optional

Put 2 tablespoons oil in a large, deep saucepan over medium heat. When oil is hot, add minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add onions and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 5 more minutes. Add escarole and cook, tossing gently, until it begins to wilt, about another 3 minutes.

Add stock and rice to the pan, bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover and cook about 20 minutes or until rice is tender.

Meanwhile, put remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a small skillet. When oil is hot, add sliced garlic and cook over medium-low heat until it turns golden brown and begins to crisp. Remove garlic with a slotted spoon and set aside.

When rice is cooked through, season soup with salt and pepper, top with a grating of Parmesan and garnish with garlic slivers.

From Cooking Channel

And the sandwich to go with all those soups:

Pork-Fennel Burger

1 fennel bulb, trimmed and cut into large chunks
3 to 4 cloves garlic
2 1/2 pounds boneless pork shoulder, with some of the fat, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon caraway seeds, optional
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper, or more to taste
Peeled orange slices, chopped olives, chopped parsley, chopped roasted red pepper and fennel slices, to serve, optional

If grilling or broiling, heat should be medium-high and rack about 4 inches from fire. Put fennel and garlic into a food processor and pulse until just chopped; remove to a large bowl. Put pork fat in processor and grind until just chopped; add to bowl. Working in batches, process meat with fennel seeds, caraway, if using and 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, until meat is just chopped (be careful not to over-process). Add to bowl and mix well. Shape mixture into 8 patties.

To broil or grill, cook about 5 minutes on each side, turning once after 4 or 5 minutes and again as necessary, 8 to 10 minutes total. For stovetop, heat a large skillet over medium heat for 2 or 3 minutes, then add patties; cook undisturbed for about 3 minutes, then rotate them so they brown evenly. When browned, turn. Total cooking time is about 10 minutes. (They can remain ever-so-slightly pink in the center.)

Garnish with peeled orange slices, chopped olives, chopped parsley, chopped roasted red pepper and fennel slices, to taste.

From Cooking Channel

quick 4 ham gumbo

While trying to use up a bunch of stuff in our freezer I created a delicious gumbo out of all of the ham products we had.

Ingredients:
homemade ham broth
1 cup of chopped tasso ham
4 links andouille sausage, sliced
1 link linguica, sliced
1 onion, chopped
1 bag of frozen okra

Heat the ham broth in a separate pan until boiling. Put a tablespoon of butter and a tablespoon of oil in the stew-pot. Sweat the onions and then add the tasso to the pot. Cook until the bottom of the pot begins to brown. (If possible turn off the pan and let the bottom get really brown without burning.) Add the andouille and linguica and cook for 5 minutes. Add the boiling broth. Cook for 5 minutes. Add the okra and heat until cooked through or until it just begins to boil.

Eat deliciousness.