StephanEAT

I am not a football fan, what I miss out on, football food. As I have previously mentioned, I LOVE a slow cook. For my personal Super bowl, The Golden Globes, I decided to make BBQ Pork Sliders on pretzel buns. Before I jump in to the meat preparation, I first have to sing the praises of pretzel buns. Costco has a slider sized pretzel roll that is chewy, soft and flavorful. I don't know what magic is in there but I like it. For the pulled pork portion, I bought a decent sized pork roast. Pork has a good amount of fat around it that will melt and make a wonderfully tender meat. The first thing I did with it was take the roast out of the fridge and make a spice rub. I took smoked paprika, cumin, cayenne, salt and pepper. I rubbed the roast ad then let it sit out for about an hour, bringing it to room temperature and the seasoning soak in. Then I put it in a very hot pan, brown each side really well. The slow cooker, while fabulous, doesn't really brown meat. In to the slow cooker

I distinctly remember the first time I ate sushi. I was in San Francisco for the first time and up until then NEVER thought I would enjoy raw fish. After my first bite of raw tuna, I knew it was the beginning of a wonderful friendship. My favorite version of sushi is any variation of spicy tuna. What is it about the amazing spicy heat that warms from within mixed with the mix of soy and sesame flavor? Intoxicating, I have come to  understand the term "umami". OK, I know, I am being dramatic, but it is GOOD. Sushi remains to be an art that I would rather enjoy from the table instead of the kitchen. That being said, when I found out how easy it was to prepare the spicy tuna mayo mixture it was time to give it a whirl. What is very important when preparing this, get fresh tuna. I would say the previously frozen is fine, but prepare and eat the same day if possible. However, this mayo is also really good with shrimp. To make the spicy mayo, it is very simple. Mayo, Sriacha (but m

In our house as kids, my parents were big fans of the traditional "Tom & Jerry" drink mix. I remember them making an alcohol-free version for us that had a light sprinkle of cinnamon on top. It was the epitome of Christmas season for me until I had my first sip of buttered rum. It was like liquid brown sugar with a shot of buttery goodness. I thought though, I think I can do better. I took it on as a personal mission to perfect a recipe. The first time I made it, way too much butter. When I melted it in with hot water and took a sip, my lips were shiny with a buttery sheen and my lips felt like I had Vaseline on them. Then, I made one with too much brown sugar, taste was good and fine, but it didn't mix quite the way I wanted it to with a frothy creamy look. So I did some research online with ingredients. Some of them had vanilla ice cream in them. So I decided to give it a whirl. Take in mind, this is in no way a healthy drink. This holiday season, it was perfected.