StephanEAT

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.

I am a self proclaimed freak about certain foods, I don't like bananas or banana flavored things - except banana bread. I hate beans - except green ones. Craziest of all, I HATE GROUND MEAT. I am not sure where that came from, but I just can't get over the texture. I love steak, no go hamburger. This normally doesn't bother me, but this time of year, I love the smell and the idea of a really great burger. Here was my solution! I bought a giant portabella mushroom. I rubbed it with smoked paprika, rosemary, bacon salt (mentioned in early posts and DELICIOUS) and olive oil. I let it sit for a while in the rub and then put it on the grill. While that was marinating, I also prepared some giant asparagus with olive oil, salt and pepper and a heavy dose of balsamic vinegar. I also put them on the grill. Word of caution on grilling asparagus, use large stalks, cook them quickly and be careful, they easily slip between the grates. Once the mushroom was grilled well on both sides

Busy work and life has distracted me from writing here! I hope I am back in it now, just because I was away from the blog doesn't mean I have been away from cooking. Unfortunately all of the cooking for spring just hasn't happened for me yet because Mother Nature has not cooperated. I actually made not only a batch of delicious chili but biscuit bread pudding. I am hoping this is the last of that! I have made this version of chili a number of times, but I have to say this was my favorite one. As I might have mentioned before, I don't do ground meat. I also am not a fan of beans. However, I have always loved the idea of the flavors of chili. So I made beanless pot roast chili! I first seared the seasoned pot roast (salt and pepper and cumin) in a very hot dutch oven. After the pot roast has a good brown crust take it out and add in thinly sliced onions. As the onions cook they pull up the delicious brown goodness left in the bottom of the pan. Then I put it all in the slow

I had a friend over for dinner and promised that I would be experimenting on her. I am pretty sure she was a little scared. I had seen on a couple of Food Network shows, grilled romaine salad. I have always been a traditionalist when it comes to lettuce, it should be cold. UNTIL NOW! I purchased a bag of romaine hearts and sliced them in half (keeping the core at the bottom so they don't fall apart on the grill). I brushed them with olive oil and put them right on the grill. They cook very quickly, so move fast. They spent the most time on the cut side, but I moved them around. Then I took them off the grill and went inside. I made a lemon/dijon vinagrette with lemon (juice and zest), a hefty couple of tablespoons of dijon, chopped shallots, some salt and pepper and a little honey. Whisked it together with olive oil and ready... I crumbled some bacon and gorgonzola cheese over the top and yum. Along with the salad, I decided to try grilling pizza dough. I have seen it done a numb

This week in the box we got more lettuce, but there were 2 treats I really enjoyed. 1, strawberries. It is truly amazing how different strawberries straight from the farm taste vs. the grocery store. They were really tart and melt in your mouth. Number 2, fresh dill. It was possibly the best dill I have ever had. The first thing I did with it was add it to the lettuce to make a salad. I blanched asparagus, cut those up and added chopped green onion. I made a quick lemon vinagrette with simply, lemon zest and juice, salt and pepper, shallot chopped finely and olive oil. The second thing I did with the dill was roast small yukon gold potatoes with more dill, chopped shallot, olive oil, salt and pepper, and cayenne. Dill and potatoes make some magic connection, I couldn't stop eating them! (this goes back to my long enduring love of potatoes and the statement I have made "I have never met a potato I didn't like". ) I really do love salads in the summer. The abundance o