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...and today's offering is a lovely Salmon. I seem to be quite fond of pronouncing the "L". Not sure why. It does drive Lovely Daughter nuts--and yes, that's a silent "g" in daughter. Anyway, now that I'm an athlete, I've been eating better. Of course I still do the Ribeye, but I try to temper that with more fruits, veggies and fish. We've been eating salmon about once a week. We just poach it with a little oil (as Rachel Ray says, EVOO) and water and sprinkle it with "Citrus Grill Creations". I'm not sure what's in that stuff, but we just love on fish. In fact that's all we use it on. I tried to use it on beef one time and L.W. said, "tastes like fish". So, the lovely, edible salmon. No prep. Fast cooking (10 mins or so). Good eating.
Lately, we've found a wonderful, quick and easy way to eat more onions. Of course you want to eat more onions. They microwave beautifully. Just skin the onions (I usually like around 2 or 3) and cut them in half. Put them in a covered microwave dish and cook for about six minutes. Then let them steep for a couple more minutes. Put a little butter, salt and pepper on them and mix around a bit to seperate them. Lovely!
Tonight I took a little time and made a serious dinner. Orange glazed pork roast and herb and garlic roasted potatoes. The potatoes were amazing. I used fresh garlic and a harmonious assortment of chopped fresh herbs: parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme. Simon and Garfunkel would be proud. For good measure, I threw in a couple of cut vidalia onions. Even L.D. liked them--without ketchup.
Now that I'm an athlete, I must eat like an athlete. That doesn't mean that I have to give up my fist love (Ribeyes). I just have to give up my second love (potatoes). So this lovely dinner is all meat and veggies. Ribeye smothered with mushrooms, sugar snap peas and cheesy cauliflower. Good enough to eat.
Today I decided to try my hand at Stuffed Jalapanos. I got the recipe at Daves Hacienda Weekend last year. I took extra care to insure that I had extracted all the seeds prior to stuffing them with Kielbasa and cream cheese and wrapping them with bacon. Half an hour on the grill and they were stupendous. Even L.W. liked them. Yeah, the Ribeyes weren't bad either.
When your kitchen smells like roast beef, you know you're doin' something right. Yesterday, Lovely Daughter was introduced to the joys of the Roasted Beast. No, not just the taste of the meat--although that's a large part of it. Also the aroma. The hearty bovine aroma of sizzling meat wafting through the house. But it's not just the taste and the smell. There's more, you see. (Men, you will appreciate this last part). It's sooo easy to make. Break out a broiler...slap that puppy on...sprinkle on some seasoner deal ...stick in a meat thermometer (that's the secret)...and let 'er rip. I usually go with a 500o oven until I can smell the sizzle, then turn it down to 350o. How long, you say? I dunno. I just cook it until the meat thermometer shows 140o. Once L.D. recognized the beauty of the Beast, she declared, "I'm gonna make this when I'm in college". Yes, it's that easy.
Last week we had a few friends over for some vittles and some games, so Lovely Wife conjured up a potpourri of palatable appetizers: Fruit salad, fruit tray, vegetables with dip, cream puffs, shrimp cocktail, BBQ sandwiches, chips and queso, sausage in a roll, and a meat and cheese tray. It was thoroughly good. Afterwards, we played Taboo and the Men beat both the Ladies and the Kids. Needless to say, a good time was had by all.
And Lovely Wife certainly has an eye for detail. We were making a simple meal of hamburgers with sauteed mushrooms, fries and sugar snap peas. I was proud of my hamburger patties and thought I'd make a nice arrangement and take a few pics--with thoughts of putting them on the website. Lovely Wife took her cue and decided to do the same. All she had to work with were a few sliced mushrooms, but the results were stunning. So stunning, in fact, that my poor patties paled by comparison.
The other day, a friend of mine remarked, "have a great day and I hope your dinner makes your website." What a lovely thing to say. Well, this day my dinner did indeed make the site. It's not haute cuisine--that's for metrosexuals. It's just your basic home cookin'. This is the kind of food I was raised on. Meat, potatoes, vegetables and fruit. In the olden days when we had food pyramids (before that crazy Chet Atkins diet) this meal was considered well-balanced. No low-carb nonsense. Most of the low-carb craze is really aimed at codgers. Kids don't eat that crap, they eat burgers and fries and pizza and taco bell. Since we've had family meals since the kids werre young, they will eat dinners such as this. They'll eat fruit and vegetables. And everyone enjoys a nice meatloaf. But I do like the idea of a pyramid made of food.
Sometimes--not often, but sometimes--I get in the mood for Italian food. So, tonight I cooked me up a little veal, some ravioli, veggies and a lovely Italian salad. I thought you'd want to know.
Today, I decided to get a little fancy. Not the same ol' Ribeye (yes, Ribeye should be capitalized--ed) on the grill. Today I grilled these miserable little boot steaks (as in made from, tough as). To spice things up a bit I grilled some cucumber and asparagas. Most people wouldn't think to cook cucumber like this, but when cooked it tastes quite a bit like squash. A little butter, then some garlic, salt, pepper and parmesan cheese and it was really pretty decent.
Today, we feature the outdoor kitchen. You must always remember that when cooking outdoors, care must be taken to reduce the risk of fire (and personal conflagration). Alas, the proper procedures were not followed this past weekend at Dave's Hacienda. Well, of course the salsa was a bit zesty. Yes, the chicken was a bit spicey. The Italian sausage and mudbugs could burn a hole in your stomach. However, the most dangerous food by far proved to be the stuffed (with cream cheese and deer meat and wrapped with bacon) jalapano peppers. Several individuals were forced to implement their personal fire control procedures. I witnessed a complete loss of composure on at least two (John and Sam, you know who you are) occasions. In retrospect, it would be prudent to remove a few more seeds than we did. Lesson learned.
Nope, nothin' fancy. Just spaghetti.
And what a lovely breakfast it was: Blueberry pancakes, regular pancakes, hash browns, sausage and cheese eggs.
This is a quality, first-rate, grade A breakfast--the likes of which you'll never see at Denny's, IHOP or any other commercial eatery. This was concocted with pure love. Oh, and cheese eggs, bacon, hash browns, waffles, fruit and some fruit danish. Yummy!
I was at Sam's Club just the other day and I heard this strange voice calling me. Initially, it was off in the distance and I could not discern it. As I made my was through the store, I finally made my way to the meat section. The voice gradually grew louder. Coooookkk meeeeeeee.....coooookk meeeeeeee. As I approached the ribeyes, I could actually see the very package from which the voice emanated. They were very nice 16 oz., inch thick, nicely marbeled hunks of meat. They were pleading with me, so I really had no choice. But the whole experience left me wondering...am I the only one who hears the voices of ribeyes?
Lovely daughter opted out of the ribeye rodeo and dined at Chez Erique.
Well, you knew it had to happen sooner or later. I've featured beef in various forms of dress. I've featured hearty sandwiches, cheese and crackers, tomatoes. I've even festooned this page with pictures of DragonBreath Salad. But, this is the first appearance of Chicken on this page. I haven't cooked very much lately, but last night I made a sumptuous meal for my family. Chicken--lots of it--roasted on the grill and smothered in BBQ sauce (KC Masterpiece, what else?). Sugar Peas with butter. Roasted potatoes with onions. Canned asparagus with Ranch dressing. For desert, I made a chocolate and peanut butter pie-like type of deal (hey, it came out of a box).
Lovely Wife has been doing her utmost to make my domestic working experience an enjoyable one. Mostly, she feeds me. One of the standout meals this week was the "Martin Luther Breakfast" on Monday. It was fit for a King. Orange slices, Cheese eggs, Ham and Biscuits 'n gravy. After a breakfast like that I'm fully fueled for a flurry of frenetic activity. Or, a nap. Around mid week, I was rewarded with a splendid salad for lunch. Not just any salad, this one featured a ring of lettuce, avacados, onions, cucumbers, and swiss cheese with a home-made honey mustard dressing. In the center was a mound of hand crafted chicken salad with celery, grapes and pecans. Very fru-fru.
There have been quite a few dinners on this page over the past two years. A few ribeyes. Lots of beef. Very little lunch. Lunch has never really been much of an issue for me--especially during the week. Sure, occasionally I'd make some mondo sub sandwiches on a Saturday, but during the week it's been just leftovers. Or The Machine at work which is aptly named The Wheel of Death. Some days I'd skip lunch altogether--no big deal. Those days are gone now. I'm working from home and have rediscovered the joy of lunch. I posted a picture last week of a wonderful lunch the L.W. prepared. She has outdone herself again this week with a lovely Mexican dish--the name of which escapes me. Viva la workingfromhome!
2005 starts out on a very good note with....beef! Yes, we have a lovely pot roast with carrots, potatoes, onions and gravy. No black-eyed peas, but who needs luck when you have faith. And cornbread. Hot, sweet cornbread. A little goes in the gravy and a little gets some butter and honey. To the side we have some pear halves with whipped cream and shredded cheese on a bed of lettuce. Alas, the youngsters are "out and about" so it's dinner for two. If you want to see the banana pudding we had for desert, go here
What to do, what to do.... Lovely Daughter and the BoyHead are out doing all their whatevertheydo's. L.W. is out creating more masterpieces. I've had a long day/week and I'm hungry. Hey Jethro, put on the feed bag! Time for vittles. But no possum and rabbit stew for this hombre. I prefer a slightly (just slightly) more sophisticated fare. Grilled T-bone steak (hey, the ribeye was $12.00/lb, so I has to settle) smothered in sauteed mushrooms, baked spud with fixins, asparagus with cheese sauce and dragon-breath salad.
I'm all geared up for the big game. St. Louis v.s. Green Bay on Monday Night Football. I have my Isaac Bruce Jersey on, my Rams hoodie and my snack. Go Rams....
....Later, what I don't understand is how the Rams can have over 450 yards of offense and only come away with 17 points. I suppose the answer is turn-overs, missed field goals, poor red-zone offense. You just know you're gonna lose when the Reverend Ike (Bruce) has two turn-overs and at least one dropped pass. The overall weakness of the NFC is in the fact that although the Rams have a 5-6 record, they could still end up winning the division. Go Rams!!!
A very simple thing, really. Yes, I buy the sauce out of a jar. But I augment it. Start out with ground beef and onions. Add Italian seasonings and some garlic. Add bell peppers, mushrooms--this time I also added zucchini. Add the jar of sauce and some stewed tomatoes. Simmer well--that's the key. I like my sauce thick, so if it gets runny, I add some flour or tomato paste. Oh, I almost forgot...I add a little sugar. Everything is better with a little sugar. Then the best part: feed it to your family. And hope they clean the kitchen afterwards.
Lovely Wife (The Artiste) has been quite busy this week creating another masterpiece. That means it's up to me to take up the slack. Good thing my momma wife taught me right, 'cause I be knowin' how to cook. Pictured to the right is a wonderful onion flavored meatloaf (actually made two and froze one--how positively domestic), smooth mashed potatoes, gently steamed broccoli with a creamy cheese sauce and carrots in a honey mustard bath. Flaky dinner rolls and honey-butter were also served.
You thought I had forgotten about the poor Kitchen page--didn't you. Well, it has been a while, but I was saving up for something breathtaking--literally. Pictured to your right is the DragonBreath Salad. A little something I picked up whilst cycling through the Dolomites. It features just a wee bit of lettuce, a generous helping of diced red onions (I'd say one medium onion), green olives, as many fresh homegrown tomatoes as will fit (cut in wedges, of course), red wine vinaigrette dressing and topped with shredded sharp (yes sharp) cheddar cheese. Eat to your heart's content, but don't go near the loved ones for 15 hours (and a good flossing).
The lovely children are a chip off the old block. May I now present the latest culinary endeavors of Lovely Daughter and BoyHead. BoyHead has mastered the age-old family recipe of "Donkey Fazoo". A rich, hearty ground donkey beef, tomato and onion mixture combined with kidney beans and elbows. Top with cheese and heat til ya just can't stand it no more. Yummers! Oh yes, and a very nice asparagus topped with ranch dressing dish. Now comes L.D. with the piece de resistance of this Epicurean trifecta.Lovely Daughter has created a splendidly moist and delicious yellow cake on which she has generously sculpted a smooth layer of creamy thick chocolate frosting. It ain't Ribeye, but it's good eatin'.
Lovely Wife has been very busy this week so it has been up to me to cook for the Lovely Children. No, I'm not a Dominoes Dad. No McDonalds or KFC for my brood. Only good, wholesome home cookin'. Check it out. Beef tips over rice, peas, rolls and, yes tomatoes. Hey, can we get a close-up on those tomatoes? Have I mentioned to you that tomatoes have lots of antioxidants--that's why I eat them. Go to the family page for details on my tomato farm.
I've been cooking and I've been eating. I know, you expect to always see tomatoes and ribeyes on this page. But I'm really much more multidimensional. And besides, have you seen the prices of ribeyes these days. I blame all those Adkins freaks. $8.99/lb!!! Heavens to Betsy. Won't go there. But I did find some nice strip steaks at nearly half the cost. Check out these beauties. The one on the right (yeah, that's mine) was a 20 ouncer. And of course we also had tomatoes.
Typically, in response to my query, "what do you want for dinner tonight", L.D. simply answers: Pizza! Last night, however, quite surprised me. She suggested that we have "make your own sub sandwich night". Bully, I say. Splendid idea. Off I go to buy french bread, sliced turkey, ham and roast beef, pickles (Clausen Kosher Dill Spears), cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and red onion. You may think, by golly that's nearly everything required to make sub sandwiches--didn't you have anything on hand. Well, we already had Miracle Whip, mustard and paper plates, so I was O.K. there. Anyway (and how dare you question the state of my pantry--ed) I also bought some cole slaw and potato salad to go with. It was great. All hail L.D.
This post is all about seasons. Seasons, seasonings, etc. After all, it's seasons that make the world go round--or perhaps vice versa. At any rate, in order to make the perfect ribeye, every seasoned professional knows that seasonings are most important. I generally go with Lea & Perrins Worchestershire and Lawry's Seasoned Salt. To my way of thinking it's the perfect flavor combination. Another important element: let the meat sit about for roughly 1/2 hour so that it approaches room temperature before throwing it on the grill. I've found that it cooks up much better this way. Now that you have the right seasonings, don't think that you have to wait for the right season. It's always the right season for cooking ribeyes out on the grill. Don't let a little cold and wind and sleet and snow dissuade you. However, with temperatures below 15F, I suggest that you cook with the grill lid closed. Enjoy!
Man cannot survive on snacks alone. Finally, some real food. I've been eating fewer ribeyes lately, mainly because of the cost. Seems like last spring and early summer, I could get that fetching cut of beef for like $5.00/lb. Lately, I've seen it at twice that. Thin, dieter's cuts for $9.99/lb. I blame those Atkins people. Millions of Atkins dieters driving up the cost of my dinner!
Well, I know it's been a while since I've fed you people--you must be getting hungry. I've been fairly busy maintaining other pages on the site and eating rather mundane food. Since several people were kind enough to give me gifts of food for Christmas, I will share some of it with you. Enjoy the summer sausage, smoked gouda, baby swiss, sharp cheddar, stoned wheat and other assorted crackers. Eat, eat! You're looking so thin.
Oh yes, on this day we have much to be thankful for. On this page, however, we are free to express our thankfulness for food. On the menu: Turkey, ham, dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy, sweet potatoes, creamed spinach, rolls, apples Waldorf, and jello salad. And for desert: Pecan pie, Pumpkin pie, and buttermilk pie. And yea, we are very thankful.
Kristie has been toiling away creating works of art like this, so I have been taking up ALL the slack. Well, that's not exactly true, but I have been making dinner. And no, we don't eat like kings every night--specially when I'm cooking. Not that I expect anyone cares, but I thought it would be great (no, that's way too strong) moderately interesting (you're still overselling it), OK it might not be horrible if I outlined the menu for the week (complete with pictures).
Well, I hope this little dinnertime extravaganza was everything you had hoped for. I, for one, am thrilled no end. At least I'll be able to look back and see how old my leftovers are.
In our family, we have a tradition that states (in the ancient scrolls): "Whosoevereth may haveth a day of birth shall also picketh thine dinner menu". In accordance with tradition, Lovely Daughter has picked the menu (from left to right): Biscuits, Mashed Potatoes, Creamed Spinach, Meat Loaf, Homegrown Tomatoes with some special funky sauce, Fruit Salad. For desert: Birthday Cake. And yes, LD got her wish.
Lovely Wife put together a wonderful snack--just perfect for a Friday afternoon. First there was a tray of cheese, crackers and grapes (not pictured--I ate it too fast), next was shrimp cocktail and carrots with ranch dip, there was also deviled eggs. For desert (no, I didn't actually get that far) there was banana creme pie. The perfectly cooked, juicy and delicious roast beef to the right is from dinner yesterday--I just liked the picture. I'm a lucky guy.
Remember way back when...oh, sometime in June. I was whining and complaining about the weather and the lack of good tomato weather. You know us farmers, we're always complaining about the weather. It had been cool and wet and they were running well behind schedule. Well, mama, the crop is in. I've been pulling about 5-7 per day off the vines. Since I'm only able to eat 2-3 per day, we're getting quite a backlog. I've moved beyond the simple "mater sammich" to the tomato salad. It's a lovely mouth-watering recipe. As many ripe, red tomatoes as you can stand (cut into wedges). Just a touch of lettuce (doesn't really matter what kind, it's simply a dressing delivery device), 23 degree (not 24, not 22--better use a compass) arcs of thinly sliced purple onions. To top it all off: a lovely red wine balsamic dressing. Truly one of the greatest joys of summer.
I know it's been a long time since I updated the food page. I've been enjoying many a Ribeye, but I know it gets redundant to show the perfectly grilled steak on the grill (not that I ever tire of eating a beautiful Ribeye). I've actually been imagining a magazine entitled "SteakBoy" featuring provacative poses of various cuts of meat. Again my Lovely Wife chastises me. Anyway, observe the picture of the perfectly prepared (by L.W.) pork roast. I only wish you could taste the the succulent sauce. Also admire my first harvested tomato. It's approximately one month late (due to the long cool, wet spring) not perfect, but L.W. puts it in the best possible light.
Enough of this snacktime business, it's time for some Real Food. Ingredients: Ribeyes, asparagus, tomatoes, potatoes. Simple. Directions: Cook 'em (except the tomatoes). Last and certainly not least: eat 'em.
Ok, ok. Another snacktime. Yes, again it's cheese and crackers. But, this time there are also pictures of Scotty and the Homeys. I think it's quite clear by now that I am a father who truly cares about the nutritional well-being of my brood. That is why I take the time and effort to make such delicious and nutritious snacks.
Ok, so it's not exactly dinner. But, I skipped dinner, since I had such an excellent snack. Took the day off and whaddyaknow, and it's cold and rainy all day--in the 50's. Come on now, it's June, consarnit!! Well, anyway, I decided to make a lovely snack: cheese, crackers, salami and grapes. Specifically: chicken-in-a-bisquit (yummy) and Ritz, sharp cheddar, gouda and swiss (cheeserific) Italian beef salami (burpilicious) and red seedless grapes (positively healthfulishness). And such a lovely presentation. Luckily, I had a great helper CatHead who constantly tried to trip me and tried to jump on the table several times--I think he likes chicken-in-a-bisquit meow!.
Lovely Wife, Lovely Daughter and BoyHead all went to Six Flags yesterday. So yes, I did get some exceptional hammock time in (beautiful weather with highs in the low 70's). But hey, this ain't the hammock page. Usually, when they go to Six Flags (they go often since they have season passes) it means that I am "on my own" for dinner. Since "Bambi" was not available, I decided to dine alone. Well, me and my 16 oz. T-Bone. Pictured left is the pristine lovely T-Bone. Of course, I decided to cook it on the grill. The grill was lit, heated, brushed, ready to go. I brought out the lovely T-Bone only to discover the grill had flamed out. Gosh, I wish those propane tanks had guages on them. I now am the proud owner of three yes three completely empty propane tanks. What a schmuck--Ed.. Thinking like a man, I immediately considered (1) loading the grill with firewood or (2) flaming the lovely T-Bone with the Butane Torch. I opted for the third option--broil that bad boy in the oven. No, it's not grilled. Yes, I do feel like a woman for broiling a lovely T-Bone. Yes, I am definitely a schmuck for having three yes three empty propane tanks. But I must say that it still turned out OK (See broiled Lovely T-Bone, upper right). Lovely T-Bone ended up medium, rather than my preferred rare to medium rare, but it was stil a successful meal. To the bottom right is pictured the final product, accompanied by a baked potatoe and some succulent homegrown no, not me--mine won't be ready til mid July tomatoes.
Delectable boneless pork ribs, marinated with a bit of Worchestershire Sauce and rubbed with some Lawrey's Seasoned Salt and roasted on the pit for about 10-15 minutes per side. The final touch is a thick layer of BBQ sauce--I heartily recommend KC Masterpiece. They are so moist and melt-in-your mouth, we call them "Pig Tenders". Enjoy!
Oooohh baby! That's one sexy hunk of meat. A 4 pound top round roast. Lovely Wife is catering a wedding for 200 people in a couple of weeks and they requested "Steamship Round of Beef". This is basically a scaled down version (1/4 rounds run about 22 lbs.) So the local carnivores get to be the Guinea Pigs oink, oink as Lovely Wife determines how much heat from the depths of Hades to apply to that bad boy... uhmm girl. The home team is hoping for much trial and error. But it appears that this beast has been cooked to perfection. Oh, did I say oink!!