Extra Schmaltz!

Tri-tip can be hard to find around these parts. I got mine from Coborn's in Ramsey, but I don't know of a source in the city. There are a few things you can substitute, and one of the best would be flank steak. I think boneless shell steak, hanger steak, or london broil might work too--ask a butcher. The trick is a short and flavorful marinade with some reserved for brushing on after the cooking. Cook the steak over high heat and then finish it over medium-low. I think that it tastes best cooked medium-well, which seems to be traditional in CA--it's really not a steak that's served rare. Also, the end pieces cook faster, which gives a fun variety of done-ness levels. Pat the steak dry and place in a large zip-loc. Combine the marinade ingredients, reserving 1/4 c. for later. 1/2 c. soy sauce 1/3 c. oil 1/4 c. Worcestershire sauce 4 cloves garlic, crushed 2 Tbsp. red pepper paste (or 1 Tbsp. sriracha) 1/4 c. brown sugar 1 Tbsp. ground black pepper 2 Tbsp. chopped chives ...

Pink Pickled Onions Pickled onions are great to have on hand, since they make everything more delicious and are also nice to munch on as an accompaniment. Apparently they are the hip new thing, but the recipe has been around basically as long as onions have, which is to say a long time. 1 large red onion or 2 mediums, sliced into rings 2-4 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed 1/4 to 1/2 c. water (depends on how zingy you want them) 1/4 c. white or red wine vinegar 1 tsp. salt optional seasonings: 2 tsp. cracked black peppercorns 1/2 tsp. whole allspice pinch oregano bay leaves sugar Place the onion slices in a large bowl and cover with boiling water. Let sit for 1 minute and then drain. Clean a jar or tupperware well and put the onions and garlic into it. In a small saucepan, simmer your vinegar, water, salt and seasonings for 1 minute. Pour the hot mixture over the onions, cover the storage container, and shake the onions around to combine. Allow to marinate for at least 4 hrs. Can be st...

Our Memorial Day Welcome Home picnic was a great success! I was so wonderful to see everyone and go into food comas as a family. I got many compliments, so I will post the recipes I used for posterity. This recipe takes long, slow cooking and and some planning in advance, but it's definitely worth it. 1 lb. dry navy beans, soaked overnight 5-7 strips bacon, sliced thin 1 ham hock 1 onion, diced 2 T. tomato or red pepper paste 3/4 c. regular molasses 1/5 c. dark brown sugar 2 T. dijon mustard 2 T. ketchup 1 tsp. garlic powder 1/2 tsp. thyme several grinds of black pepper salt (add after cooking) Preheat your oven to 300. In a heavy pot, cook the bacon pieces over medium-low until the fat renders and they just start to crisp. Add the onion and cook until it softens. Stir in the tomato or pepper paste until there are no lumps remaining. Add the beans and cover with 1" water. Stir in the molasses, sugar, and remaining seasonings. Add the ham hock and bring to a boil. Cover and pl...

When the weather warms and my clothing has become snug, my thoughts turn to lighter foods for supper. At work I usually take a filling lunch and then have a slice of Jeff's wholesome toast at about 4:00, so by evening I just need a little something to break up the work day and the best part of the day. My current favorite is rice noodles, in any form, floating in broth and whatever is handy. I start by boiling a big pot of water as soon as I walk in the door. (I have to do this immediately upon entering the kitchen, because if I stop and feed the dog first, autopilot will take over and I will completely forget about the noodle water. I think this is a by-product of aging memory and the fact that I am the only one waiting to eat). After I feed the dog, I get comfy and then begin preparation for my soup: chop up vegies, soak dried mushrooms, pick asparagus, onions or whatever is in season from the garden, and then cook the noodles. Sometimes I will drop crunchy vegetables into th...

When Alex comes home from afar, I always feel the need to make tapioca pudding. Go figure. Everyone in the family loves it but I don't usually think of making it. Last night, Alex and Lillian and I were sitting around catching up on news and making sandwiches, so I decided to start some. I was all out of Minute Tapioca, so I soaked the big tapioca balls. Oh, my. I had forgotten how delicious it is. I always follow the recipe in my mother's favorite cookbook, The Settlement Cookbook. It is barely held together by tape but I feel that the connection to my mom is what is actually holding it together. Plus all the schmutz that has been spilled on it over the years. And her funny notes to herself, written in her beautiful handwriting. Here is the recipe (I doubled it, of course): 1/2 cup quick-cooking tapioca* 2 cups milk 2 eggs, separated 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/3 cup sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla (or more) * when using large tapioca, measure it dry and soak it in some of the milk for an h...

Is it the artist or the tools that make greatness? In the case of this macaroni and cheese, I would humbly say it's the artist. However, tools help a hell of a lot...as you will see from these photos. Dan's dad is a photography enthusiastic and today I got to have fun with macro lenses. Nothing can make my lazy food photography look so good as schmancy camera equipment, so behold! Also, below is my definitive macaroni and cheese recipe. Masterful Mac 'n' Cheese Crusty, bubbling, cheezy goodness. 1 lb. macaroni noodles, cooked al dente (don't rinse!) 1 lb. cheese, grated (use more than one kind) 1 1/2 c. whole milk 1/2 c. sour cream 2 Tbsp. butter 3 Tbsp. flour 1 tsp. seasoned salt 1 tsp. dry mustard 1 tsp. dried onion flakes 1/2 tsp. half-sharp paprika 1/2 tsp. black pepper 1/4 tsp. white pepper Optional Topping: 2 Tbsp. butter 1/4 c. cracker crumbs 1/2 tsp. half-sharp paprika 1/2 tsp. seasoned salt Basically you start off with a simple bechamel sauce and add cheese...

You can use any hearty vegetable for this. It cooks pretty quickly, so start some rice first. I was going to take some cool pictures with one of the fancy cameras around here, but I couldn't figure out how to work the dang thing :P so you'll have to use your imagination. Basically it looked like this picture that I ganked from Epicurious , but with lots of tasty beef: You will need: 1-1.5 lbs beef: tri-tip, blade steak, or flank steak work best A lot of hearty greens, such as bok choy or broccoli 3-5 shallots or 1 red onion 2 cloves garlic fish sauce ground coriander white pepper brown sugar soy sauce rice vinegar sesame oil red pepper flakes chicken broth or water Slice the beef into thin, bite-sized strips and coat with with 1 tbsp fish sauce, 1 tsp brown sugar, 1/2 tsp white pepper, and 1/2 tsp ground coriander. Allow to sit for at least 15 minutes. If you're using bok choy, slice the larger specimens into quarters and the smaller ones in half, lengthwise. Clean as thoro...

Hello all! Soon the whole family will be back in town. I propose that we take a new blog photo, this time with Joe looking less cheeseball and Alex looking less like a befuddled terrorist. Let's try to remember it when we have our big BBQ. Also, you've probably noticed that I haven't been updating as much lately. I've been busy with school stuff, but also I'm reaching a point where I keep cooking recipes that are already on the blog. I guess that's inevitable. You guys should add more stuff, especially when J & A are back in the land of fast internet. Mom, you basically have no excuse :P See everyone soon!