Amendment I
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
In case anyone was asleep, the Supreme Court of the United States is adjudicating a case wherein the father of a fallen soldier is suing the Westboro Baptist Church for protesting at his son’s funeral. Without going into how vile and reprehensible it is to protest any funeral, much less the funeral of a soldier who fell defending our country, there are some things I need to prepare everyone for.
Once, I thought that the only conclusion to be reached in this case was for the church. They were exercising their right to freedom of speech, and the free exercise of their religion. But there’s another clause in the amendment that could cause the argument to go another direction.
Did they assemble peaceably? Or was their intent to provoke or incite to riot? In nearly every jurisdiction, the incitement to riot is not an excuse to actually riot, but that selfsame incitement is against the law. So, the question then becomes, what did they intend to do? What did this church hope to gain from this? Did they act peaceably? Did they act responsibly?
I could go into a huge discussion about how a church is “supposed” to act and what they’re “supposed” to believe and to preach. That just comes down to opinion and how I was raised versus how they were raised. It’s a no win discussion.
I’m going to follow this closely to see how it turns out.
UPDATE: HA! I posted this to the wrong blog! Sorry!
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Cider Braised Pork Chops
This recipe only works with very thick pork chops, or else with a LOT of thin pork chops, but I'd go with the thick ones. I learned of this recipe on the PBS show Test Kitchen and thought it sounded fantastic. Turned out, it was! When it was done, I served it with croissants and a sweet asian salad and the meal was amazing! This one takes a long time, so plan for that. Prep time is about 20-30 minutes, but cook time is about 90 minutes. I can see serving this with either rice or potatoes. I can also see adding fresh or frozen vegetables during the last half hour, but that's only if you want the apple flavor to be consistent through the entire meal. Your call. It may seem complicated at the start, but it's really very easy to do, and the results are fantastic. Whatever you decide to do, make sure you try this once as it's written so you know what you're dealing with, then start making modifications. Whenever I'm dealing with cider recipes, I do this. Enjoy!
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1-2 pounds pork chops (cut thick or thin)
1 medium onion roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons apple butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup apple cider
1 sprig thyme
1/2 tsp basil and 1/2 tsp sage
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
2 (more) tablespoons apple butter
Heat oven to 300 degrees. In a dutch oven, or a pan with a cover that is both oven safe and stove top safe, heat oil until almost smoking. Pat pork chops dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Fry chops in oil to brown depending on thickness of chops 2-4 minutes each side. Remove chops to a plate and continue until all chops are done. Remove all oil from pan except 1 tablespoon trying to retain all pork solids for flavor. Cook onions over medium heat until soft, then add garlic, flour, and first 2 tablespoons of apple butter. Cook until aromatic. Add one cup of cider and herbs (thyme or sage/basil mix) and stir until smooth, scraping pan to release "flavor bits" in the pan. Put chops back into pan with any juices that have accumulated on the plate, cover, and put in oven. Bake thoroughly. This can take 2-3 hours, but the meat must reach the "falling off the bone" stage. When the meat is done, remove it to a platter being very careful not to shred it. Strain the juices left in the pan and return to the heated pan. Add the last two tablespoons of apple butter, and 1 tsp of apple cider and stir until thouroughly blended and completely heated. Serve each chop on a plate with a couple of spoonfuls of sauce over the top. Like I said, AMAZING!
Enjoy!
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1-2 pounds pork chops (cut thick or thin)
1 medium onion roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons apple butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup apple cider
1 sprig thyme
1/2 tsp basil and 1/2 tsp sage
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
2 (more) tablespoons apple butter
Heat oven to 300 degrees. In a dutch oven, or a pan with a cover that is both oven safe and stove top safe, heat oil until almost smoking. Pat pork chops dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Fry chops in oil to brown depending on thickness of chops 2-4 minutes each side. Remove chops to a plate and continue until all chops are done. Remove all oil from pan except 1 tablespoon trying to retain all pork solids for flavor. Cook onions over medium heat until soft, then add garlic, flour, and first 2 tablespoons of apple butter. Cook until aromatic. Add one cup of cider and herbs (thyme or sage/basil mix) and stir until smooth, scraping pan to release "flavor bits" in the pan. Put chops back into pan with any juices that have accumulated on the plate, cover, and put in oven. Bake thoroughly. This can take 2-3 hours, but the meat must reach the "falling off the bone" stage. When the meat is done, remove it to a platter being very careful not to shred it. Strain the juices left in the pan and return to the heated pan. Add the last two tablespoons of apple butter, and 1 tsp of apple cider and stir until thouroughly blended and completely heated. Serve each chop on a plate with a couple of spoonfuls of sauce over the top. Like I said, AMAZING!
Enjoy!
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Tim’s on the Riverfront
What bad can be said about this place? Okay, the beef sucks. My partner ordered a steak sandwich and got something resembling steakums that had been cooked too long. But I ordered a piece of fried cod that was amazing, and our roommate got clams casino (terrific) and Caesar salad with crab that almost had too much crab. How often does that happen?
Tim’s on the Riverside is well hidden and I’d suggest that if you’d like to try it, go to the internet for directions, cuz it’s hard to find. It’s well worth the effort. It’s a drive up and boat up restaurant. You can either drive there in your car, or boat up to it in your, well, boat! They have about a dozen berths along their docks as well as a water taxi for those who want to anchor further out. It’s located where Neabsco Creek enters the Occoquan Bay. During the height of boating season, it’s the rockin’ happenin’ place. On the weekends, they have live music in the evenings, and things can get pretty rowdy. Why Guy Fierie (Diners, Drive Ins, And Dives (HGTV)) hasn't found this place is beyond me!
Tim’s is a good old-fashioned waterfront experience. Part of the restaurant seating is inside; part is on the pier; and part is on the “beach” front. They try to get as many people facing the water as they can.
It’s a seafood place. Don’t order the steak sandwich. I’ve had the fried shrimp, the fried fish, and the hamburger. All of them were excellent. My partner has had the fried shrimp, the hamburger, and the steak sandwich. All were good except the steak sandwich. Our roommate has had the crab cakes, and the Caesar salad with crab meat, and the clams casino and all were excellent. So my best advice is to stick with the seafood. It’s really good. And the hush puppies are amazing! Sweet, crunchy, the epitome of what a hush puppy is supposed to be.
During the summer, on the weekends, they have live music. The bands play on a raft out in the bay attached to a pier so they can’t float away, but it gives a sort of floating feel to the experience. The bands we’ve heard have been of the rockin’ sixties/seventies variety and have been very good. We recognized the songs and sang along. I haven't heard any bands that were obnoxious and there are many of those wandering around.
There is a bar inside and outside. The outside bar is a little louder and more “in your face” than the inside bar, but that’s to be expected.
The reason for going to Tim’s on the Riverside is to have a good time and to experience something you might not have had an opportunity to experience, namely the boating lifestyle. Soak up the amazing atmosphere; feed the stray cats wandering around; enjoy the conversations at nearby tables; and have a blazing amount of fun.
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
Tim’s on the Riverside is well hidden and I’d suggest that if you’d like to try it, go to the internet for directions, cuz it’s hard to find. It’s well worth the effort. It’s a drive up and boat up restaurant. You can either drive there in your car, or boat up to it in your, well, boat! They have about a dozen berths along their docks as well as a water taxi for those who want to anchor further out. It’s located where Neabsco Creek enters the Occoquan Bay. During the height of boating season, it’s the rockin’ happenin’ place. On the weekends, they have live music in the evenings, and things can get pretty rowdy. Why Guy Fierie (Diners, Drive Ins, And Dives (HGTV)) hasn't found this place is beyond me!
Tim’s is a good old-fashioned waterfront experience. Part of the restaurant seating is inside; part is on the pier; and part is on the “beach” front. They try to get as many people facing the water as they can.
It’s a seafood place. Don’t order the steak sandwich. I’ve had the fried shrimp, the fried fish, and the hamburger. All of them were excellent. My partner has had the fried shrimp, the hamburger, and the steak sandwich. All were good except the steak sandwich. Our roommate has had the crab cakes, and the Caesar salad with crab meat, and the clams casino and all were excellent. So my best advice is to stick with the seafood. It’s really good. And the hush puppies are amazing! Sweet, crunchy, the epitome of what a hush puppy is supposed to be.
During the summer, on the weekends, they have live music. The bands play on a raft out in the bay attached to a pier so they can’t float away, but it gives a sort of floating feel to the experience. The bands we’ve heard have been of the rockin’ sixties/seventies variety and have been very good. We recognized the songs and sang along. I haven't heard any bands that were obnoxious and there are many of those wandering around.
There is a bar inside and outside. The outside bar is a little louder and more “in your face” than the inside bar, but that’s to be expected.
The reason for going to Tim’s on the Riverside is to have a good time and to experience something you might not have had an opportunity to experience, namely the boating lifestyle. Soak up the amazing atmosphere; feed the stray cats wandering around; enjoy the conversations at nearby tables; and have a blazing amount of fun.
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Braised Cucumbers
Okay, so like nearly anyone else who's seen "Julie and Julia", all I can say about Braised Cucumbers is "Yumm!" Cooking this vegetable completely changes its personality. Cukes normally are eaten raw and cold, in a salad or with a dip. Cooked and hot, they are a great side dish for anything. You can taste the flavor of the melon, but it's so much richer and deeper than it was before. It doesn't take long to prep, and it doesn't take long to cook. I modified Julia's recipe a tiny bit. And again, all I can say is "Yumm!"
2 medium to large cucumbers
2 tablespoons butter
1 pinch sugar
1 pinch salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice (white vinegar if lemon juice is unavailable)
1 pinch dried mint leaves or 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh mint leaves
Peel cucumbers, then slice in half lengthways. Remove all seeds, then cut cucumber in half lengthways so there are four pieces for each cucumber. Cut into one inch sections.
On medium heat, melt butter in a heavy bottomed skillet until bubbles disappear, then sprinkle sugar into the butter. Add the cucumbers and stir to coat. Cover the skillet and cook for 5 minutes stirring twice during the cooking time. Add the salt, lemon (or vinegar), and mint and stir to mix thoroughly. Cover and cook for two more minutes, then remove from heat. Serves 4.
I added the sugar to the original recipe so it can safely be omitted, but it adds a nice brown crust or carmalization to we enjoyed. So to you, Enjoy!
2 medium to large cucumbers
2 tablespoons butter
1 pinch sugar
1 pinch salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice (white vinegar if lemon juice is unavailable)
1 pinch dried mint leaves or 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh mint leaves
Peel cucumbers, then slice in half lengthways. Remove all seeds, then cut cucumber in half lengthways so there are four pieces for each cucumber. Cut into one inch sections.
On medium heat, melt butter in a heavy bottomed skillet until bubbles disappear, then sprinkle sugar into the butter. Add the cucumbers and stir to coat. Cover the skillet and cook for 5 minutes stirring twice during the cooking time. Add the salt, lemon (or vinegar), and mint and stir to mix thoroughly. Cover and cook for two more minutes, then remove from heat. Serves 4.
I added the sugar to the original recipe so it can safely be omitted, but it adds a nice brown crust or carmalization to we enjoyed. So to you, Enjoy!
Sunday, August 29, 2010
My Favorite Wine
I like white wine. No arguements, no discussions. I like white wine. I do not like the flavor of reds, or the earthiness, or the "dirt like" quality that I taste in reds. Other people do. Not me. Now:
Having said that, I have several favorite white wines and nearly all of them are chardonnays. I'm not going to go into the whole discussion about the differences in the whites and what wine is good with what food (although I could) but I am going to offer a few selections of my favorites, and all of them are chardonnays. The chardonnay grape produces the mildest and most flavorful wine.
Several very good vineyards operate within an hour to an hour and a half drive from my house. (If you've never taken a winery tour I HIGHLY recommend it!) I recommend several of them without reservation. And if any of my local friends want to contact me for a "tour", just holler. For my local wines, my most favorite is Prince Michel. It's about an hour and half south of where I'm at but has the BEST chardonnay. They also have a viognier and a sparkling viognier (on occassion) that's beyond compare. They also run the gamut of reds, but I can't speak to them.
Much further south and east is the Williamsburg winery. I've been to several tastings there, and I've got to say that really and truly they have the best wines around. I even like their reds which I don't drink at all. But their reds, I would not say no to.
Now, for most people, the primary consideration in choosing wine is the cost. You CAN spend a significant amount of your take home pay on wine if you want to, but what for? Many of them will just go bad, and then what do you have? I've had the very expensive wines and haven't been all that impressed. Maybe it's my palate (the tasting part of your mouth), and maybe it's just that ingrained part of me that says WTF?!!
I really and truly like many of the cheaper and mind range wines. So I'll give you a run down of my favorite chardonnays. If you don't like the white wines, oh well. Go somewhere else. I'll start from the cheapest and go up.
My cheapest favorite wine is whatever is free. I have a dear friend who brings me Oak Grove every single time she comes over so for me it's free. However, for most people, it about $10-15 a bottle. It's also tough to find. I can't get it anywhere around me. So she brings it whenever she comes over. And I love her for it.
Okay, so for the real stuff. My best and cheapest wine is Woodbridge Chardonnay. It's really good and mild. I like to put it in the freezer for about two hours so when I pour the first glass it has ice crystals in it. That's wonderful for me. I drink wine VERY slowly. If you do too, you'll notice a change in flavor and texture as the wine warms to room temp. Every one of the changes can be cherished and appreciated. It's a true sybaritic experience. And if you're eating chocolate at the same time, WELL!!!
My next wine is Kendall Jackson Chardonnay. KJ (as I call it) is the wine that I order at restaurants if it's on the menu. The only other one that I'll order consistently is Copper Ridge. Both are wonderful, but both are completely different experiences. KJ is smooth and mellow and complements everything. It doesn't matter what you're eating, KJ will enhance it. Copper Ridge is a little more selective. It will enhance anything italian or fish based. Don't drink this one if you're eating a steak.
I'm not going to discuss the very expensive wines, but there's one that I do have to mention. My partner and I get this wine whenever we get brazilian barbeque (and if you've never done this, do it!!!!). It's Fess Parker Chardonnay. Yup, the Daniel Boone guy had a winery. And his whites are great. One bottle will run you about $30 on the open market, and higher in a restaurant, but it's totally worth it. It's a white that's so dry, you can almost taste the splinters from the oak barrel. Wonderful stuff.
Okay, so my two favorite whites are from other areas. They are mid-range price, and independent vineyards, and unbelievably good.
The first I was introduced to by my best friend. She and I get together about once every couple of months to get totally plastered on this wine to the point where we're setting trees on fire to enjoy the show. It's a really good wine and it's hard to find. It Oak Grove chardonnay and it's one of fruitiest and smoothest chardonnays I've ever had. When B brings it over, I drink about three bottles before it's even chilled. The other favorite I was introduced to by my sister a few years ago, and I would pour this over corn flakes for breakfast and go to work and have it for coffee break. I have done so many things with this wine that I can't even count them. Primarily, I drink it. Lots of it. All the time. It just doesn't get un-good. Nearly anyone who knows me, knows that if they show up at my house with a bottle of this stuff, they are going to be more than welcomed.
It's call Five Rivers. It's bottled out of Washington state in the Pacific Northwest and I have no idea how they keep the grapes from spoiling with all the rain, but it's the BEST!!! Everyone I've recommended this wine to has fallen in love with it. And a couple of restaurants in the area have added it to their menus based on my recommendation. AND their reds are just as smooth and flavorful as their whites. And I don't drink reds. But theirs are GOOOD.
I love wine. It's good stuff. Please feel free to comment with a question or comment. I'll share anything I know or experience about wines anytime.
Enjoy! (and drink up!)
Having said that, I have several favorite white wines and nearly all of them are chardonnays. I'm not going to go into the whole discussion about the differences in the whites and what wine is good with what food (although I could) but I am going to offer a few selections of my favorites, and all of them are chardonnays. The chardonnay grape produces the mildest and most flavorful wine.
Several very good vineyards operate within an hour to an hour and a half drive from my house. (If you've never taken a winery tour I HIGHLY recommend it!) I recommend several of them without reservation. And if any of my local friends want to contact me for a "tour", just holler. For my local wines, my most favorite is Prince Michel. It's about an hour and half south of where I'm at but has the BEST chardonnay. They also have a viognier and a sparkling viognier (on occassion) that's beyond compare. They also run the gamut of reds, but I can't speak to them.
Much further south and east is the Williamsburg winery. I've been to several tastings there, and I've got to say that really and truly they have the best wines around. I even like their reds which I don't drink at all. But their reds, I would not say no to.
Now, for most people, the primary consideration in choosing wine is the cost. You CAN spend a significant amount of your take home pay on wine if you want to, but what for? Many of them will just go bad, and then what do you have? I've had the very expensive wines and haven't been all that impressed. Maybe it's my palate (the tasting part of your mouth), and maybe it's just that ingrained part of me that says WTF?!!
I really and truly like many of the cheaper and mind range wines. So I'll give you a run down of my favorite chardonnays. If you don't like the white wines, oh well. Go somewhere else. I'll start from the cheapest and go up.
My cheapest favorite wine is whatever is free. I have a dear friend who brings me Oak Grove every single time she comes over so for me it's free. However, for most people, it about $10-15 a bottle. It's also tough to find. I can't get it anywhere around me. So she brings it whenever she comes over. And I love her for it.
Okay, so for the real stuff. My best and cheapest wine is Woodbridge Chardonnay. It's really good and mild. I like to put it in the freezer for about two hours so when I pour the first glass it has ice crystals in it. That's wonderful for me. I drink wine VERY slowly. If you do too, you'll notice a change in flavor and texture as the wine warms to room temp. Every one of the changes can be cherished and appreciated. It's a true sybaritic experience. And if you're eating chocolate at the same time, WELL!!!
My next wine is Kendall Jackson Chardonnay. KJ (as I call it) is the wine that I order at restaurants if it's on the menu. The only other one that I'll order consistently is Copper Ridge. Both are wonderful, but both are completely different experiences. KJ is smooth and mellow and complements everything. It doesn't matter what you're eating, KJ will enhance it. Copper Ridge is a little more selective. It will enhance anything italian or fish based. Don't drink this one if you're eating a steak.
I'm not going to discuss the very expensive wines, but there's one that I do have to mention. My partner and I get this wine whenever we get brazilian barbeque (and if you've never done this, do it!!!!). It's Fess Parker Chardonnay. Yup, the Daniel Boone guy had a winery. And his whites are great. One bottle will run you about $30 on the open market, and higher in a restaurant, but it's totally worth it. It's a white that's so dry, you can almost taste the splinters from the oak barrel. Wonderful stuff.
Okay, so my two favorite whites are from other areas. They are mid-range price, and independent vineyards, and unbelievably good.
The first I was introduced to by my best friend. She and I get together about once every couple of months to get totally plastered on this wine to the point where we're setting trees on fire to enjoy the show. It's a really good wine and it's hard to find. It Oak Grove chardonnay and it's one of fruitiest and smoothest chardonnays I've ever had. When B brings it over, I drink about three bottles before it's even chilled. The other favorite I was introduced to by my sister a few years ago, and I would pour this over corn flakes for breakfast and go to work and have it for coffee break. I have done so many things with this wine that I can't even count them. Primarily, I drink it. Lots of it. All the time. It just doesn't get un-good. Nearly anyone who knows me, knows that if they show up at my house with a bottle of this stuff, they are going to be more than welcomed.
It's call Five Rivers. It's bottled out of Washington state in the Pacific Northwest and I have no idea how they keep the grapes from spoiling with all the rain, but it's the BEST!!! Everyone I've recommended this wine to has fallen in love with it. And a couple of restaurants in the area have added it to their menus based on my recommendation. AND their reds are just as smooth and flavorful as their whites. And I don't drink reds. But theirs are GOOOD.
I love wine. It's good stuff. Please feel free to comment with a question or comment. I'll share anything I know or experience about wines anytime.
Enjoy! (and drink up!)
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Burger Boys
If you're ever on rt 234 and Hoadly Rd. look for the Bloom grocery store. Right next to it is Burger Boys. What a GREAT place! It's within "spitting" distance of where we live and we've never gone there till yesterday. It's a small, locally owned place and the atmosphere is great! Prices run about five bucks per whatever you order. They have burgers, and just about anything else you'd want. And an ice cream counter. The burgers are grilled to order, not made ahead. The buns are grilled/toasted and everything tastes GREAT! (to quote an infamous tiger) I had a bacon cheeseburger with mustard, mushrooms, pickles, and my choice of cheese (sharp cheddar, by the way.) I had the half pounder! I ate so much, I was sick! I couldn't stop. It was so good! One of the best things about the place was the atmosphere. The old guy who runs the place has more personality than should be legal. There's TV screens around, and a place for the kids to play. There's even an original Star Wars poster on the wall, safely behind glass, of course. Anyway, hope you all can make it there and enjoy it as much as we did!
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
One Skillet Chicken and Spaghetti
This is an easy, cheap, and filling meal that can be made in a short time with a minimum of fuss in one single pan.
Four chicken breasts (or any other piece of chicken you like)
1 can chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic minced
1 tsp italian seasonings
2 cups fresh spinach
1-2 cups frozen spinach
1 tablespoon oil
Half box cooked spaghetti
Heat oil in a skillet. Brown chicken on both sides. Remove to plate. In same pan, lightly saute garlic and onion until tender. Add canned tomatoes with the juice, one full cup of water, and seasoning. Place chicken back in pan and any juices that have accumulated. Simmer until reduced by half. Add spinach and cook thoroughly. While sauce is simmering, cook spaghetti or used already cooked spaghetti. When sauce is ready, remove chicken pieces, add spaghetti to the pan and mix thoroughly. Place chicken back in pan, reduce heat to very low, cover, and keep hot until serving. Serve hot with parmesan cheese if desired. A tossed green salad and/or garlic bread go very well with this.
Four chicken breasts (or any other piece of chicken you like)
1 can chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic minced
1 tsp italian seasonings
2 cups fresh spinach
1-2 cups frozen spinach
1 tablespoon oil
Half box cooked spaghetti
Heat oil in a skillet. Brown chicken on both sides. Remove to plate. In same pan, lightly saute garlic and onion until tender. Add canned tomatoes with the juice, one full cup of water, and seasoning. Place chicken back in pan and any juices that have accumulated. Simmer until reduced by half. Add spinach and cook thoroughly. While sauce is simmering, cook spaghetti or used already cooked spaghetti. When sauce is ready, remove chicken pieces, add spaghetti to the pan and mix thoroughly. Place chicken back in pan, reduce heat to very low, cover, and keep hot until serving. Serve hot with parmesan cheese if desired. A tossed green salad and/or garlic bread go very well with this.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Potaytoes Potahtoes
My mom was 100% Irish and knew potatoes inside out. She made potatoes at nearly every meal, and seldom made the same potato dish twice in a week. And I hated potatoes a lot! There were only two kinds of potatoes I'd eat: potato chips and french fries! Like every other little kid. When I started cooking for the family at age 15, I took us off a diet of potatoes and taught us about other starches. It went okay for a while, then I started missing potatoes. Weird, huh?
Potatoes are one of the most versatile foods, and certainly the one where it's easiest to impress people. From something as simply boiling them with a little salt, to mashing and adding eggs and cream and piping them onto a hot cooking sheet, potatoes can be as simple or as complex as you choose. I usually choose simple, but even that offers close to a thousand choices.
In this post, I'm going to offer two of my favorite recipes for cooking potatoes. Before I do that, I'm going to talk about a few varieties of potatoes. Nearly everyone is familiar with the russet. It's a huge brown potatoe, usually from Idaho although that's been changing. It's got a distinctive starchy potato flavor and is usually baked or french fried. It has a lot going for it due to its size. It make a heckuva lot of french fries and potato chips. Also, as a "loaded baked potato", it can hold a TON of toppings. Then there are the "new" potatoes, the small, barely formed babies. They tend to be very tender and tasty. Usually these come in a red or white skinned variety. A white skinned potato usually looks light brown. New potatoes have a very thin skin that is barely there, but the overall taste tends to be sweeter. The red skinned potatoe can be interchangeable with every other variety due to its medium texture and flavor. Redskins are used quite often in "dirty" mashed potatoes since the red skin can be very easily seen. One of my favorite potatoes is the Yukon Gold. It's a medium size and typicaly very round. It's name comes from the color of the inside of the potato which is a pale yellow or gold. It has a very sweet and very creamy texture to it. It can be mashed quite easily and needs very little extra moisture added. I usually just add butter. The final variety I've used is called the Peruvian Purple. It actually is purple, though sometimes looks black. The only way I've used these little guys is steamed, and they looked an awful lot like dog poop. They tasted okay, but I'm not certain what the average home cook would use them for except the shock factor.
Two things to note before going any further: Potatoes continue to grow even when they're above ground. Sunlight can turn the skin green, and can also start the "eyes" growing. Cut these parts out of the potato before cooking. They contain a chemical that some people are sensitive to and can make some people ill. When in doubt, cut it out!
My two favorite recipes for potatoes are oven fried and twice fried. Fried potatoes have a wonderful crispiness to their skins and softness to their inside. And they go great with ketchup!
Oven Fried -
Preheat the oven to 425. Take your favorite potatoe (I usually use red skinned) and cut them into chunks of the same size so they all cook consistently. Put them into a bowl and toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt, pepper, and various herbs if you want them. Spread the potatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 25-35 minutes stirring every 5 minutes. The potatoes should brown and crispy and have a wonderful flavor from the oil salt and herbs. Serve immediately.
Twice Fried -
Slice your favorite potatoes lengthwise into french fry size. Heat a pot of vegetable oil to about 350 or 375. I typically use canola oil since it heats better. Add the potatoes a few at a time and try not to overfill the pot. Fry the potatoes for about five minutes until the outside is starting to turn opaque and white. Remove from the oil onto a baking sheet that's been lined with paper towels. Let the potatoes cool down completely. Reheat the oil, and fry the potatoes again in small batches trying not to overcrowd the pot. Once the potatoes are browned and floating they are done. Remove to either a bowl or a baking sheet lined with paper towels. Season to taste and serve hot.
The first recipe uses significantly less oil than the second, but both are delicious.
On a completely different note:
I'm looking for a top-of-the-line professional grade cooking knife brand. Does anyone have any suggestions? I'd rather not have wooden handles; I want to be able to hone them by hand; and the only one that should be serrated should be the bread knife. Any and all suggestions will be welcome.
Enjoy!
Potatoes are one of the most versatile foods, and certainly the one where it's easiest to impress people. From something as simply boiling them with a little salt, to mashing and adding eggs and cream and piping them onto a hot cooking sheet, potatoes can be as simple or as complex as you choose. I usually choose simple, but even that offers close to a thousand choices.
In this post, I'm going to offer two of my favorite recipes for cooking potatoes. Before I do that, I'm going to talk about a few varieties of potatoes. Nearly everyone is familiar with the russet. It's a huge brown potatoe, usually from Idaho although that's been changing. It's got a distinctive starchy potato flavor and is usually baked or french fried. It has a lot going for it due to its size. It make a heckuva lot of french fries and potato chips. Also, as a "loaded baked potato", it can hold a TON of toppings. Then there are the "new" potatoes, the small, barely formed babies. They tend to be very tender and tasty. Usually these come in a red or white skinned variety. A white skinned potato usually looks light brown. New potatoes have a very thin skin that is barely there, but the overall taste tends to be sweeter. The red skinned potatoe can be interchangeable with every other variety due to its medium texture and flavor. Redskins are used quite often in "dirty" mashed potatoes since the red skin can be very easily seen. One of my favorite potatoes is the Yukon Gold. It's a medium size and typicaly very round. It's name comes from the color of the inside of the potato which is a pale yellow or gold. It has a very sweet and very creamy texture to it. It can be mashed quite easily and needs very little extra moisture added. I usually just add butter. The final variety I've used is called the Peruvian Purple. It actually is purple, though sometimes looks black. The only way I've used these little guys is steamed, and they looked an awful lot like dog poop. They tasted okay, but I'm not certain what the average home cook would use them for except the shock factor.
Two things to note before going any further: Potatoes continue to grow even when they're above ground. Sunlight can turn the skin green, and can also start the "eyes" growing. Cut these parts out of the potato before cooking. They contain a chemical that some people are sensitive to and can make some people ill. When in doubt, cut it out!
My two favorite recipes for potatoes are oven fried and twice fried. Fried potatoes have a wonderful crispiness to their skins and softness to their inside. And they go great with ketchup!
Oven Fried -
Preheat the oven to 425. Take your favorite potatoe (I usually use red skinned) and cut them into chunks of the same size so they all cook consistently. Put them into a bowl and toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt, pepper, and various herbs if you want them. Spread the potatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 25-35 minutes stirring every 5 minutes. The potatoes should brown and crispy and have a wonderful flavor from the oil salt and herbs. Serve immediately.
Twice Fried -
Slice your favorite potatoes lengthwise into french fry size. Heat a pot of vegetable oil to about 350 or 375. I typically use canola oil since it heats better. Add the potatoes a few at a time and try not to overfill the pot. Fry the potatoes for about five minutes until the outside is starting to turn opaque and white. Remove from the oil onto a baking sheet that's been lined with paper towels. Let the potatoes cool down completely. Reheat the oil, and fry the potatoes again in small batches trying not to overcrowd the pot. Once the potatoes are browned and floating they are done. Remove to either a bowl or a baking sheet lined with paper towels. Season to taste and serve hot.
The first recipe uses significantly less oil than the second, but both are delicious.
On a completely different note:
I'm looking for a top-of-the-line professional grade cooking knife brand. Does anyone have any suggestions? I'd rather not have wooden handles; I want to be able to hone them by hand; and the only one that should be serrated should be the bread knife. Any and all suggestions will be welcome.
Enjoy!
Friday, July 16, 2010
Bacon Wrapped Chicken Breast
This is an incredibly easy, but elegant and impressive chicken dish that will make you drool. I built the recipe for 4, but it's easy to adjust to any quantity.
4 chicken breasts
4 tablespoons chilled butter
2 tablespoons minced garlic
4-8 slices of bacon, uncooked
Preheat your oven to 425. Slice lengthwise along the breasts making a pocket. Be careful not to slice all the way through the chicken. Break up the butter into small chunks and place inside the chicken pocket, one tablespoon per chicken breast. Place half tablespoon of minced garlic inside each chicken pocket spreading it out evenly. Tightly wrap the chicken with the bacon, one to two slices each, so the pocket is closed. Place the chicken with sliced ends up on a baking pan with a raise edge. This is important as this recipe will create a lot of juices. Bake at 425 for 30-45 minutes until chicken is done through and bacon is crispy.
You can replace the garlic with other herbs, or add herbs to create a different tasting dish.
This is very good. I usually serve it with a garden salad.
Enjoy!
4 chicken breasts
4 tablespoons chilled butter
2 tablespoons minced garlic
4-8 slices of bacon, uncooked
Preheat your oven to 425. Slice lengthwise along the breasts making a pocket. Be careful not to slice all the way through the chicken. Break up the butter into small chunks and place inside the chicken pocket, one tablespoon per chicken breast. Place half tablespoon of minced garlic inside each chicken pocket spreading it out evenly. Tightly wrap the chicken with the bacon, one to two slices each, so the pocket is closed. Place the chicken with sliced ends up on a baking pan with a raise edge. This is important as this recipe will create a lot of juices. Bake at 425 for 30-45 minutes until chicken is done through and bacon is crispy.
You can replace the garlic with other herbs, or add herbs to create a different tasting dish.
This is very good. I usually serve it with a garden salad.
Enjoy!
Friday, July 9, 2010
Purcellville Encore
The last post about the Purcellville Family Restaurant dealt with our experience eating lunch there. Since then, we've had the distinct pleasure of eating breakfast twice. Both times the place was so full that getting a table was by sheer luck. Since the restaurant is only a block and a half away from the bike store that sits at the end of the W&OD trail, a lot of the clientele on the weekends were cyclists, and a bigger part were locals who were all called by name. By the third time we went in, the waitresses were smiling at us like we were locals.
Breakfast is their forte! They make a limited but delicious spread. The first breakfast, we had the same thing: scrambled eggs, sausage patties, bacon, home fries, and toast (although I had an english muffin.) The flavors of the bacon and sausage were amazing! We went back the following weekend with friends and the quality and flavors were just as we remembered! It was OMG good!
The staff were just as quirky and humorous and fun as always. The crowds were intense but fun to watch. One mid twenty something "gentleman" decided to be rude to a waitress and got a dressing down from the next table. But overall, a very positive experience, and a restaurant that has hit our favorites list and we'll be back to many times.
Breakfast is their forte! They make a limited but delicious spread. The first breakfast, we had the same thing: scrambled eggs, sausage patties, bacon, home fries, and toast (although I had an english muffin.) The flavors of the bacon and sausage were amazing! We went back the following weekend with friends and the quality and flavors were just as we remembered! It was OMG good!
The staff were just as quirky and humorous and fun as always. The crowds were intense but fun to watch. One mid twenty something "gentleman" decided to be rude to a waitress and got a dressing down from the next table. But overall, a very positive experience, and a restaurant that has hit our favorites list and we'll be back to many times.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Purcellville Family Restuarant
Okay, we were out at Purcellville yesterday to do some scouting for a volunteer event we're doing. We stumbled across this little restaurant and went in and were immediately taken under its spell. The address is 110 West Main Street. It harks back to a much simpler time when things were taken more slowly than now.
It's closed Sun-Mon-Tues, and the days it's open, they have two servings, breakfast/lunch, and dinner. They're closed between the two servings. They open for breakfast/lunch at 5:30am and close between 1-2pm depending on what day it is. They open for the dinner service at 5pm and close at 9:30pm every day. Parking in Purcellville can be challenging at any time but this place is worth the challenge.
When we walked in we were greeted in a friendly cheerful manner to sit wherever we wanted to. They have a lunch counter immediately as you enter, and table/booth seating to the right. There weren't too many people when we arrived but they maintained a slow but steady traffic rate the whole time we were there. They knew most of their customers by name and belted out a hearty HI whenever anyone came in.
The menu was fairly standard for a diner type of restaurant. No big surprises except the inclusion of fried zucchinis and fried okra as appetizers. The prices were low for a standard plate, and higher if you wanted your sandwich as a "platter" which included coleslaw and fries.
I got a steak and cheese platter and my partner got a patty melt plate with an extra side of fried zucchinis. Everything was served promptly, hot and fresh. The fries were made fresh and there was no scrimping on portions anywhere. They used a 12-inch sub roll for my steak and cheese, and Tim's patty melt overshot the crusts of his rye toast. The flavors were amazing. 100% comfort food at its best.
The cook or chef, however you want to name him, came out about five minutes after each plate was served to make certain that everything was okay. The waitress we had was a larger-than-life motherly person who checked on everyone in the restaurant without appearing to be busy, rushed, or distracted. Honestly, just a great experience.
I only wish that some of the places where I've dropped a hundred bucks or more were as pleasant to be as this place.
Enjoy!
It's closed Sun-Mon-Tues, and the days it's open, they have two servings, breakfast/lunch, and dinner. They're closed between the two servings. They open for breakfast/lunch at 5:30am and close between 1-2pm depending on what day it is. They open for the dinner service at 5pm and close at 9:30pm every day. Parking in Purcellville can be challenging at any time but this place is worth the challenge.
When we walked in we were greeted in a friendly cheerful manner to sit wherever we wanted to. They have a lunch counter immediately as you enter, and table/booth seating to the right. There weren't too many people when we arrived but they maintained a slow but steady traffic rate the whole time we were there. They knew most of their customers by name and belted out a hearty HI whenever anyone came in.
The menu was fairly standard for a diner type of restaurant. No big surprises except the inclusion of fried zucchinis and fried okra as appetizers. The prices were low for a standard plate, and higher if you wanted your sandwich as a "platter" which included coleslaw and fries.
I got a steak and cheese platter and my partner got a patty melt plate with an extra side of fried zucchinis. Everything was served promptly, hot and fresh. The fries were made fresh and there was no scrimping on portions anywhere. They used a 12-inch sub roll for my steak and cheese, and Tim's patty melt overshot the crusts of his rye toast. The flavors were amazing. 100% comfort food at its best.
The cook or chef, however you want to name him, came out about five minutes after each plate was served to make certain that everything was okay. The waitress we had was a larger-than-life motherly person who checked on everyone in the restaurant without appearing to be busy, rushed, or distracted. Honestly, just a great experience.
I only wish that some of the places where I've dropped a hundred bucks or more were as pleasant to be as this place.
Enjoy!
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Best Hors d'oeuvres Ever!
Okay, I don't know where this recipe came from and I'm not laying claim to it. I was in North Carolina recently visiting friends and this was served. I then served it to friends at home after making some minor modifications. It worked both times remarkably well. I'll give you both recipes and let you decide which is best. It's basically a Prosciutto Chicken Wrap.
Recipe #1 -
Prosciutto slices
Smoked Chicken breast sliced thin
Swiss Cheese slices to match chicken slices
Place one piece of smoked chicken breast on a slice of prosciutto. Place a slice of swiss cheese on top of the chicken. Roll the proscuitto around the chicken and cheese and continue rolling until the proscuitto is wrapped around the chicken and cheese several times. Heat in the microwave until the cheese is melted. Serve warm, but not so hot that the cheese burns people's mouths.
Recipe #2 -
Prosciutto slices
Grilled Chicken breast sliced thin
Swiss Cheese slices to match chicken slices
Grill chicken breast to completeness making certain to char it perfectly. Cool the chicken to insure the breast stays juicy. 20 minutes before serving, preheat oven to 400. While oven is preheating, slice cooled chicken diagonally across the chicken breast so slices match the width of prosciutto slices. Place one piece of chicken on prosciutto and place one piece of cheese on top of chicken. Roll prosciutto around chicken and cheese. Place wrap on a cookie sheet that has been sprayed with oil with seam side down. Bake in oven until cheese is melted and prosciutto ends are crispy, about 10 minutes. Serve warm and don't plan on leftovers.
The flavor combination is amazing and can be enhanced with herbs or mushrooms. Play with the basic recipe until you have it the way you like it. I prefer the oven method versus the microwave method since the ham is nicer when it's crispy.
Enjoy!!
Recipe #1 -
Prosciutto slices
Smoked Chicken breast sliced thin
Swiss Cheese slices to match chicken slices
Place one piece of smoked chicken breast on a slice of prosciutto. Place a slice of swiss cheese on top of the chicken. Roll the proscuitto around the chicken and cheese and continue rolling until the proscuitto is wrapped around the chicken and cheese several times. Heat in the microwave until the cheese is melted. Serve warm, but not so hot that the cheese burns people's mouths.
Recipe #2 -
Prosciutto slices
Grilled Chicken breast sliced thin
Swiss Cheese slices to match chicken slices
Grill chicken breast to completeness making certain to char it perfectly. Cool the chicken to insure the breast stays juicy. 20 minutes before serving, preheat oven to 400. While oven is preheating, slice cooled chicken diagonally across the chicken breast so slices match the width of prosciutto slices. Place one piece of chicken on prosciutto and place one piece of cheese on top of chicken. Roll prosciutto around chicken and cheese. Place wrap on a cookie sheet that has been sprayed with oil with seam side down. Bake in oven until cheese is melted and prosciutto ends are crispy, about 10 minutes. Serve warm and don't plan on leftovers.
The flavor combination is amazing and can be enhanced with herbs or mushrooms. Play with the basic recipe until you have it the way you like it. I prefer the oven method versus the microwave method since the ham is nicer when it's crispy.
Enjoy!!
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Fast Food Chicken - The Best!!
Okay, I don't ordinarily eat at too many fast food places. (Shut up, Tim.) But my favorites are usually chicken places. One of the best from my home town in Arizona was Church's Fried Chicken. Tasty stuff! My favorite now, if I've got a choice, is Popeye's because of the kick from the jalapenos. However, this weekend, my partner and I took a trip to North Carolina to visit friends. And I got introduced to Bojangles World Famous Chicken and Biscuits. OMG!!
This place was so good! They do chicken the way it's supposed to be done. The pieces that I had were so tasty and juicy that I couldn't tell if they had ever been frozen. And the pieces were HUGE! (are you listening KFC?) The breading was crunchy and had a kick from a tiny bit of tabasco sauce, I think. Not overwhelming, but enough to let you know it's there.
They also do breakfast biscuits in about a dozen or two different ways. They have the most amazing breakfast sausage. I love a good savory sausage and this was the best. There's even a pork chop biscuit. They have loads of sides, and all the other stuff. In our travels, I saw stand alone restuarants, restaurants as part of a convenience store, and express stores with no seating. It seems it's very popular further south of here. Overall, a very satisfying experience. Twice.
This place was so good! They do chicken the way it's supposed to be done. The pieces that I had were so tasty and juicy that I couldn't tell if they had ever been frozen. And the pieces were HUGE! (are you listening KFC?) The breading was crunchy and had a kick from a tiny bit of tabasco sauce, I think. Not overwhelming, but enough to let you know it's there.
They also do breakfast biscuits in about a dozen or two different ways. They have the most amazing breakfast sausage. I love a good savory sausage and this was the best. There's even a pork chop biscuit. They have loads of sides, and all the other stuff. In our travels, I saw stand alone restuarants, restaurants as part of a convenience store, and express stores with no seating. It seems it's very popular further south of here. Overall, a very satisfying experience. Twice.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
How NOT to do Spaghetti
Okay, tried an experiment tonight and failed miserably. I made spaghetti sauce from scratch, well, almost from scratch. Doctored up a jarred sauce so it no longer tasted like a jarred sauce. Just add your own fresh cooked peppers, garlic, onion, and meat to the jarred sauce. Add two cans of tomatoes and let it cook down. Sometimes I also add sauteed fresh mushrooms, but not often since my partner doesn't like them. Once it's reduced by half, you'd never ever know it started its life in a jar. Works every time.
Except tonight. I made it the way I usually do, then decided to do something different. I had a box of angel hair pasta and broke it in half and added it directly to the sauce.
BIG MISTAKE!!
The sauce turned pink and sludgy. There wasn't enough moisture to cook the pasta properly and all the starch from the dried pasta made the sauce icky. It looked like something from a baby's diaper, and was singularly unappetizing.
However, the pizza we ordered later was really good! Not from my favorite pizza place but good nonetheless. My favorite pizza place is the subject of my next post.
In review, my mistake was in not cooking the pasta before adding it to the sauce. Angel Hair pasta is probably not the best pasta for spaghetti sauce, too. So overall, a good learning experience, but a total disaster for dinner.
Take care!
Except tonight. I made it the way I usually do, then decided to do something different. I had a box of angel hair pasta and broke it in half and added it directly to the sauce.
BIG MISTAKE!!
The sauce turned pink and sludgy. There wasn't enough moisture to cook the pasta properly and all the starch from the dried pasta made the sauce icky. It looked like something from a baby's diaper, and was singularly unappetizing.
However, the pizza we ordered later was really good! Not from my favorite pizza place but good nonetheless. My favorite pizza place is the subject of my next post.
In review, my mistake was in not cooking the pasta before adding it to the sauce. Angel Hair pasta is probably not the best pasta for spaghetti sauce, too. So overall, a good learning experience, but a total disaster for dinner.
Take care!
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Thai Beef Jerky
I used to go to a Thai restaurant near where I lived that had an appetizer called Thai Beef Jerky. Basically, it was small beef chunks that had been cooked in some spices and lime and served warm. Very tasty, but not real beef jerky. I experimented and came up with this approximation that's easy and tasty.
Take some stew beef (or whatever beef you have on hand, but NOT ground beef)and cut into very small strips about two inches long and half an inch in depth and width. Sprinkle with a coarse salt. I use kosher salt. Put the beef in a bowl and pour two tablespoons of lime juice over it. Stir to thoroughly coat. Spread the beef in a shallow cookie pan and make sure that none of it is touching any other piece of beef. Place in 250 degree oven. Check in an hour and loosen any beef that is stuck to the pan. Sprinkle liberally with more lime juice. Check in an hour and shake the beef around the pan. Sprinkle more lime juice over. Check in half hour increments until the beef is at the stage you prefer. Some like if softer, and some like it more brittle. Try not to overcook. Add lime juice as personal taste dictates. Take out of oven and cool for ten minutes, then serve. Any leftovers can be put in a plastice bag and stored in the fridge.
Very good stuff and lasts a long time. Take care!
Take some stew beef (or whatever beef you have on hand, but NOT ground beef)and cut into very small strips about two inches long and half an inch in depth and width. Sprinkle with a coarse salt. I use kosher salt. Put the beef in a bowl and pour two tablespoons of lime juice over it. Stir to thoroughly coat. Spread the beef in a shallow cookie pan and make sure that none of it is touching any other piece of beef. Place in 250 degree oven. Check in an hour and loosen any beef that is stuck to the pan. Sprinkle liberally with more lime juice. Check in an hour and shake the beef around the pan. Sprinkle more lime juice over. Check in half hour increments until the beef is at the stage you prefer. Some like if softer, and some like it more brittle. Try not to overcook. Add lime juice as personal taste dictates. Take out of oven and cool for ten minutes, then serve. Any leftovers can be put in a plastice bag and stored in the fridge.
Very good stuff and lasts a long time. Take care!
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Tax Day Bean Soup
April 15, and everyone feels poor. In honor of that, I figured I'd share a recipe for one of the most inexpensive meals ever. There are as many versions of this soup as there are cooks making it. This is just the way it's evolved with me.
When we were growing up, my brother and I waited for the days when my mom would make this. She always served it with piping hot cornbread. Beans and Cornbread was our favorite! Over time, I've modified it so now it's uniquely mine and very versatile. You can use whatever beans you have, and add whatever you have on hand to the soup. Or just use beans, water, and salt. Anyway you make these will be good. You can cook them in a crock pot, or on the stove. I've even heard of one version where it's made in the oven, but I haven't tried that one yet.
Ingredients:
One pound of beans of any kind. I usually use white beans or else a 15 bean mix.
Salt to taste
8 cups of water
Optional:
One pound of salted pork (bacon, Virginia Ham, pork necks or shank)
Two large carrots grated or chopped fine
One large onion roughly copped into large pieces
Two garlic cloves roughly chopped
One celery heart roughly chopped
Four stalks of celery roughly chopped
One can unsalted and unseasoned chopped tomatoes
Soak the beans overnight if possible then discard the soaking water. Add 8 cups of water to a large pot and put the beans in. Bring to a slow boil, then turn the heat down to simmer. Try not to stir the beans too much, but don't let them burn. The beans will make their own stock as they cook. In two hours, take one bean out with a spoon and blow on it. If the skin breaks apart, the beans are close to done. Add salt to the soup until it tastes good to you. When the beans are done, take out half of the soup into a bowl and roughly mash the beans and stock together. Return to the soup pot, and stir to combine. Taste once more, then serve.
You can add any or all of the optional items at the beginning stage so the flavors blend well, but DO NOT add the tomatoes until just before serving. The acid in the tomatoes will keep the beans from getting tender. Do not add the salt until the beans are close to being done, particularly if you're adding salted pork. Taste often to keep from over seasoning the soup. Sometimes I add a bay leaf for about half the cooking time. I've heard some people add potato to the soup, but I've never tried that. I garnish the soup with grated cheese when serving. Other times I've put a big chunk of cheese in the bottom of the bowl and poured the soup over it. This will make enough soup to feed about 6-8 people, especially if you're serving corn bread or salad with it. Freeze the left over soup after it's cooled. Or serve it the next day by boiling up your favorite pasta and adding it to the soup.
Hope you enjoy. If you have any questions, let me know!
When we were growing up, my brother and I waited for the days when my mom would make this. She always served it with piping hot cornbread. Beans and Cornbread was our favorite! Over time, I've modified it so now it's uniquely mine and very versatile. You can use whatever beans you have, and add whatever you have on hand to the soup. Or just use beans, water, and salt. Anyway you make these will be good. You can cook them in a crock pot, or on the stove. I've even heard of one version where it's made in the oven, but I haven't tried that one yet.
Ingredients:
One pound of beans of any kind. I usually use white beans or else a 15 bean mix.
Salt to taste
8 cups of water
Optional:
One pound of salted pork (bacon, Virginia Ham, pork necks or shank)
Two large carrots grated or chopped fine
One large onion roughly copped into large pieces
Two garlic cloves roughly chopped
One celery heart roughly chopped
Four stalks of celery roughly chopped
One can unsalted and unseasoned chopped tomatoes
Soak the beans overnight if possible then discard the soaking water. Add 8 cups of water to a large pot and put the beans in. Bring to a slow boil, then turn the heat down to simmer. Try not to stir the beans too much, but don't let them burn. The beans will make their own stock as they cook. In two hours, take one bean out with a spoon and blow on it. If the skin breaks apart, the beans are close to done. Add salt to the soup until it tastes good to you. When the beans are done, take out half of the soup into a bowl and roughly mash the beans and stock together. Return to the soup pot, and stir to combine. Taste once more, then serve.
You can add any or all of the optional items at the beginning stage so the flavors blend well, but DO NOT add the tomatoes until just before serving. The acid in the tomatoes will keep the beans from getting tender. Do not add the salt until the beans are close to being done, particularly if you're adding salted pork. Taste often to keep from over seasoning the soup. Sometimes I add a bay leaf for about half the cooking time. I've heard some people add potato to the soup, but I've never tried that. I garnish the soup with grated cheese when serving. Other times I've put a big chunk of cheese in the bottom of the bowl and poured the soup over it. This will make enough soup to feed about 6-8 people, especially if you're serving corn bread or salad with it. Freeze the left over soup after it's cooled. Or serve it the next day by boiling up your favorite pasta and adding it to the soup.
Hope you enjoy. If you have any questions, let me know!
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Really Good Barbeque
Sorry, I'm not a dedicated blogger. My writing journal has gaps of months and years in it too.
Okay, I make the best barbeque around. I smoke the meat for a couple of hours, then slow roast it to falling apart doneness. Then I shred it and put it back into its juices, add the sauce (either home-made or jar), simmer, and serve.
Recently, Tim and I found a barbeque spot near Winchester, VA that was really good and very home-style. It's called Bob and Dave's Barbeque Pit. It's on Rt50 just East of Winchester. From where we are, we drove west on Rt 50 to the restaurant which is located near the US81 junction. It's a nice drive which takes you through horse country, mountains, over the Shenendoah river, and through many little villages.
The restaurant itself used to be Hoss's Ponderosa but that closed down several years ago. Bob and Dave's has a real family style to it. All the servers say Hi when you walk in. We were sat immediately since it was just before lunch time. Our waitress was fun and funny. She kept calling us Honey and Sweetheart. The menu was predominantly beef and pork, but they also had a fried catfish sandwich which surprised me. The sides were standard sides, but done really well. I had a brisket sandwich, and Tim had the brisket platter. The barbeque sauce was on the side which I appreciated. It allowed me to put as much or as little sacue on the meat as I wanted. I wimped out and ordered the crinkle cut fries as my side. They were the standard OreIda fries, but the best part was they weren't seasoned! I get so tired of places seasoning my fries for me. Tim got a corn cole slaw which had a mustard and vinegar sauce on it instead of the standard slaw dressing. He enjoyed it a lot. It was all standard fare, but the combination of good food that was served quickly and hot, with great servers raised the level to above average.
Take care and enjoy eating!
Okay, I make the best barbeque around. I smoke the meat for a couple of hours, then slow roast it to falling apart doneness. Then I shred it and put it back into its juices, add the sauce (either home-made or jar), simmer, and serve.
Recently, Tim and I found a barbeque spot near Winchester, VA that was really good and very home-style. It's called Bob and Dave's Barbeque Pit. It's on Rt50 just East of Winchester. From where we are, we drove west on Rt 50 to the restaurant which is located near the US81 junction. It's a nice drive which takes you through horse country, mountains, over the Shenendoah river, and through many little villages.
The restaurant itself used to be Hoss's Ponderosa but that closed down several years ago. Bob and Dave's has a real family style to it. All the servers say Hi when you walk in. We were sat immediately since it was just before lunch time. Our waitress was fun and funny. She kept calling us Honey and Sweetheart. The menu was predominantly beef and pork, but they also had a fried catfish sandwich which surprised me. The sides were standard sides, but done really well. I had a brisket sandwich, and Tim had the brisket platter. The barbeque sauce was on the side which I appreciated. It allowed me to put as much or as little sacue on the meat as I wanted. I wimped out and ordered the crinkle cut fries as my side. They were the standard OreIda fries, but the best part was they weren't seasoned! I get so tired of places seasoning my fries for me. Tim got a corn cole slaw which had a mustard and vinegar sauce on it instead of the standard slaw dressing. He enjoyed it a lot. It was all standard fare, but the combination of good food that was served quickly and hot, with great servers raised the level to above average.
Take care and enjoy eating!
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