Arañitas

Ingredients

2-3 green plantain bananas
Garlic salt
Plenty of vegetable oil

Directions
Cut off each end of the plantain, run the knife along the entire outside curve making sure you cut into the thickness of the peel.

Peel the plantain and cut in half.

Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan on medium high.

Shred the bananas, place them in a bowl of garlic salted water and let them soak in the flavor of the garlic.

Drain the shredded bananas through a pasta colander and then place on a paper towel to drain the excess water.

Fry the shredded bananas in 1 tbsp. clumps for 4-5 minutes or until it turns bright yellow. Turn with tongs (not thongs sweetie). DO NOT OVER FRY or they will burn.

Drain on paper towels and add salt or more garlic salt to taste.

Tips
Serve as appetizers or as a side dish.

Dip in my mojito sauce, yum, yum!!

Buffalo Wing Dip

This spicy baked dip tastes just like hot chicken wings, but without the mess. It is very addicting, and is perfect for football and tailgating season. Serve with tortilla chips. I take this whenever I have to bring a dish and am always asked for the recipe.

INGREDIENTS
2 - 12 oz cream cheese
1 1/2 cups Hidden Valley Ranch
Red Hot Buffalo Sauce 3/4ths bottle
2 cups mild cheddar
Canned chicken
Bake in 9 x 13 pan for 40 mins at 350
Transfer to crock pot for serving

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a medium bowl, stir together the cream cheese and hot pepper sauce until well blended. Mix in the Ranch dressing, chicken and Cheddar cheese. Spread into a 9x13 inch baking dish.

Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven. If oil collects on the top, dab it off using a paper towel. Serve with tortilla chips.

Homemade Pimento Cheese

2 c. (8 oz.) grated sharp Cheddar cheese, softened
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/4 to 1/2 c. mayonnaise
Garlic powder to taste
Pinch of sugar
Pinch of salt
Pinch of black pepper
4 oz. jar diced pimento, drained

Combine cheese in large mixing bowl, beat at medium speed of electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add mayonnaise and garlic powder, sugar, salt, and pepper and mix well. Stir in pimento and mix well. Makes about 3 cups.

Jamaican Jerk Paste

Ingredients

24 -40 habaneros, chopped fine or 24 -40 hot chili, pepppers
4 onions, chopped fine
12 -16 scallions, chopped fine
4 garlic cloves, crushed
4 tablespoons fresh thyme
8 teaspoons salt
4 teaspoons black pepper
4 teaspoons sugar
4 teaspoons allspice
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg

Directions

Blend ingredients in a food processor or grind into a paste. Refrigerate unused portions.

Montreal Steak Seasoning

2 tsp garlic powder (not garlic salt)
1 TBS plus 1 tsp coarsely ground coriander seeds
2 TBS coarse (kosher or sea) salt
1 TBS plus 1 tsp dill weed
1 TBS plus 1 tsp paprika
1 TBS plus 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (or cayenne pepper)
1 TBS plus 1 tsp freshly ground (coarse) black pepper

Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning Recipe

Tony Chachere's Creole RubI found this recipe on the internet, but originally this seasing was introduced to be by a good friend of mine. I find it to be a little bit spicey for most of my needs, but blended in with other rubs, it is really good. I can't always find it in stores, so that led me for a copycat recipe.

26 ounces salt
1 1/2 ounces black pepper -- ground
2 ounces red pepper -- ground
1 ounce garlic powder -- pure
1 ounce chili powder
1 ounce Monosodium glutamate -- (Accent)

Blueberry-Bourbon Barbecue Sauce

Bluberry-Bourbon BBQ SauceMakes 2 cups

Ingredients

1 tablespoon canola oil
1 small red onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1-2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped
½ cup bourbon
2 cups fresh or frozen (not thawed) blueberries
½ cup ketchup
½ cup cider vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon molasses
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice

Instructions

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and just starting to brown, 2 to 4 minutes. Add garlic and jalapeno and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add bourbon, increase heat to high and bring to a boil; cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Stir in blueberries, ketchup, vinegar, brown sugar, molasses and allspice; return to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 20 minutes.

Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks or freeze for up to 3 months.

Isaly's BBQ Sauce - Clone Recipe

So I was offered a sandwich the other day at a very good friend's house, and what he produced was and Isaly's BBQ Ham sandwich on gold ol' white bread. Man alive, that brought back some great childhood memories. I then realized that I don't make this nearly enough for my boys. I can actually still get Isaly's BBQ Sauce in a jar, but only at one grocery store in the next town over from us. Well, I can't see making a special trip just for one item, especially when I can make my own from ingredients I already have. So here goes. A quick recipe I found online and will try today. I'll make sure to report how close it is to the original.

Ingredients:
14 oz. ketchup, Heinz of course
1 T vinegar
1 T worcestershire
1 T water
2 T yellow mustard, Heinz of course
2 T brown sugar

Directions:
Mix ingredients, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Peach BBQ Sauce

INGREDIENTS

2 cups ketchup
1 1/2 cup peach preserves
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup cider vinegar
2 T clover honey
2 T Worcestershire sauce
2 T dijon mustard
1 T Peachtree Schnapps (optional)
1 T granulated onion
2 t black pepper
1 t granulated garlic
1 t ground ginger
1/4-t ground clove
1/4 t ground mace
1/2 stick butter, cubed and well chilled

DIRECTIONS

In a medium saucepan, combine all the ingredients except the butter. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. (You may want to have a lid handy to protect yourself and your kitchen from any sputtering.) Reduce the heat and simmer for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. With a whisk, blend in the butter cubes, a couple at a time, until incorporated.

Makes about a quart.

--- developed by Paul Kirk for chicken

Pineapple Willy's Jack Daniel's Barbecue Sauce

16 servings 4 cups
40 min 10 min prep

Ingredients

1/2 large onion, minced
4 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 cup Jack Daniels Whiskey
2 cups catsup
1/3 cup vinegar
1/4 cup worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
3/4 cup molasses
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 tablespoon salt
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 tablespoons liquid smoke
1/3 teaspoon Tabasco sauce

Directions

Combine onion, garlic, and Jack Daniel's Whiskey in a 3-quart saucepan.
Saute' until onion and garlic are translucent, approximately 10 minutes. Remove from heat and light mixture; flame for 20 seconds.
Add all remaining ingredients.
Bring to a boil, then turn down to a medium simmer.
Simmer 20 minutes, stirring constantly.
Run sauce through a medium strainer to remove onion and garlic bits if you prefer a smoother sauce.
Cool and enjoy.

Sazon Preparado (Prepared Seasoning)

Sazón, a seasoned salt fragrant with cumin, garlic, and oregano, is the ubiquitous seasoning of Puerto Rico.

Sazon is a type of seasoned salt found in Spanish and Mexican markets. The seasoning is used on meats, fish, poultry and even to flavor soups and stews. One popular brand is by Goya Foods. Typical ingredients include, cilantro, achiote, garlic, salt. Some brands contain MSG so check labels carefully if you wish to avoid the additive.

Yield: 6 cups

3 md Onions; chopped
1 ea Pepper, bell, green; seeded,
-chopped
1 ea Pepper, bell, red; seeded,
-chopped
4 lg Garlic cloves; peeled,
-chopped
1 tb Oregano
1 c Scallions; chopped, both
-green and white
1/2 c Parsley; coarsely chopped
1/2 c Coriander; chopped
1 ts Tabasco sauce
1 tb Paprika, sweet
1 c Tomato paste
1 c Oil, olive
1/2 c Vinegar, white
Salt; to taste

Combine all ingredients and blend, bit by bit, to a puree in blender.
Pour into saucepan and simmer, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes. Cool and bottle.

Used to flavor stews, beans, rice and vegetables. Easy to make and useful to have on hand.

Sweet Hot Mustard

Making your own mustard is easy and allows you to customize the flavor. This version is a honey and beer mustard that’s sweet but has a big kick of heat. Try it with our Soft Pretzel Rolls or atop your next grilled cheese.

What to buy: We used Colman’s mustard powder for this recipe. It can be found at most grocery stores.

Game plan: This mustard is usable after 24 hours, but it mellows the longer it sits. We like it best after 5 to 7 days. It will last up to a month in the refrigerator.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup mustard powder
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon light beer or water
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 medium garlic clove, minced (about 1/2 teaspoon)
2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons honey
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Whisk together mustard powder and 1/4 cup of the beer or water in a small heatproof bowl and let sit at room temperature for at least 10 minutes. Meanwhile, bring 1 inch of water to a simmer in a small pot.

2. Add vinegar, garlic, brown sugar, honey, and salt to mustard mixture and whisk to combine. Place the bowl over the simmering water (the bowl shouldn’t touch the water) and cook, stirring frequently, until the mustard is slightly thickened and yellow-brown and the taste has mellowed a little, about 7 to 10 minutes.

3. Whisk in remaining beer or water to thin out the mustard, cover, and immediately refrigerate. Keep refrigerated at least 24 hours before using.

Tonkatsu / Katsu Sauce

Ingredients

1 cup ketchup
4 teaspoons dry mustard powder
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Directions

In a small bowl, stir together the ketchup, mustard powder, garlic powder, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to blend the flavors before serving.

Italian Meatballs

Ingredients

1 lb ground beef
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon oregano
1 tablespoon fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl by hand.
Use your bare hands for best results.
Roll meatballs to about the size of a golf ball.
Drop raw meatballs into large (I use a stock pot) pot of sauce.
Simmer for about 3 hours.

London Broil

Ingredients

3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 (2 pound) flank steak or round steak

Directions

In a small bowl, mix together garlic, soy sauce, oil, ketchup, oregano, and black pepper. Pierce meat with a fork on both sides. Place meat and marinade in a large resealable plastic bag. Refrigerate 8 hours, or overnight.

Preheat grill for medium-high heat.

Lightly oil the grill grate. Place steak on the grill, and discard marinade. Cook for 5 to 8 minutes per side, depending on thickness. Do not overcook, as it is better on the rare side.

Artisinal Bread - Master Dough Recipe

I've been on a bread kick lately. I can remember being a little boy and visiting my Grandma and she would seemingly whip up a couple of her famous white bread loaves to accompany her country style Sunday dinners, complete with home-canned catsup and jams. My first real job in a restaurant was doing dishes and scrubbing pots at a small family owned place in the town where I grew up. The head cook would prepare almost everything from scratch, including the rolls for the sandwiches as well as the dough for pizza and calzones. Well, my Grandma left this earth late last year and that little restaurant grew and they've lost their cook and their old methods. In fact, I can't really even stand to eat there anymore. It's a shame really.

I worked for a brief time at Great Harvest Bread, while I was in culinary school. I would wake at 3 am, and be in the kitchen making muffins and cookies by 3:45. They milled their own wheat flour and had local honey brought in by the 55 gallon drum. The breads I had and made there were amazing.

Anyway, I decided that I needed to tackle my kitchen weakness which is bread making. I wanted to be able to make the things I remembered from my past, in my own home kitchen for my family and friends. I've been to the local library and surfed countless websites looking for recipes and tips.

My loving wife bought me Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Discovery That Revolutionizes Home Baking for Christmas this year and after poking around in it, I found I would need a couple of things before I could begin working through the recipes. The book is based on the idea that one can make a large batch of high-moisture dough, letting it rise for a couple of hours and then refrigerating it for use as you need it. The author recommends putting the mixed up dough (no kneading is necessary) in a 6-8 qt container and letting it double in size. I didn't really have a suitable vessel for this, but after Googling a few sites, I found this item. I ordered it up, with a few other things I needed/wanted and after a day, yes a day, I got my package from FedEx.

Last night I mixed up the recipe below, and it was ready today. I portioned out a few "mini-boules" to be used as rolls for our grilled chicken sandwiches and they're simply amazing.

I can't say enough about this book and this first recipe. I'm equally excited about the rest of the recipes and can't wait to work my way through this book.

I only wished I wasn't such a sissy and I'd fired up my Big Green Egg for the baking. Ahhh, there is always room for improvement.

Ingredients

3 cups lukewarm water
1 1/2 tablespoons granulated yeast
1 1/2 tablespoons kosher or other coarse salt
6 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
Cornmeal for the pizza peel

And then, you know the drill. Mix with a spoon in a food-safe bucket, let it rise at room temperature for 2 to 5 hours, then into the fridge for up to two weeks. Tear off chunks, shape, rest, and bake as needed. And you all know you can decrease the yeast and the salt if you like it. Details in the book.

Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Discovery That Revolutionizes Home Baking

Baking with Steam - Oven Spring

Steam bakingA really great loaf of rustic bread isn't complete without a really crispy dark crust. This provides loads of flavor and also a great texture difference between the inner moist crumb. I've read lots of cookbooks and stories by professional bakers about using steam in the baking process. I tried to replicate that by spritzing water in the oven and on the loaf prior to baking. Although it may have worked some, there is a new method that works MUCH better in my oven at home.

Dough slashed and ready to bakeI take 4 or 5 kitchen towels and soak them in hot water, roll them up and put them in a glass baking dish. Put about a 1/4" of hot water in the dish and microwave for about 8-10 minutes until the water is boiling. I do this at the end of the oven's 20 minute preheat to 450 degrees. Carefully slide the dish on the bottom rack of the oven for the last five minutes or so before I put the dough in the oven to bake.

Crusty loafThe steam output is far greater and lasts much longer than any other method I've tried, and the crust is very crisp and nicely browned. This is a simple step that will add a whole new element to your home baking!

Banana Banana Bread

Looked in the fruit bowl this morning and saw a few nanners that were past their prime, so I decided to throw together some banana bread. Paired with some fresh strawberries that are also in the fridge and some Greek yogurt, should make a nice summer dessert for tonight. Actually, I think I'll grill the banana bread so it's warm and serve with the berry compote. Yeah, that's the ticket.

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
2 1/3 cups mashed overripe bananas
handful of walnuts (ok, big handful)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar. Stir in eggs and mashed bananas until well blended. Stir banana mixture into flour mixture; stir just to moisten. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.

Bake in preheated oven for 60 to 65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.

Bob Evans Cherry Bread - Copycat

Ingredients:

1 cup Sugar
2 Eggs, beaten
2 cups Sifted all-purpose flour
1 cup Milk
1 cup Sifted all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons Baking powder
1 teaspoon Salt
8 ounces Maraschino Cherries -- Drained, Chopped
2 tablespoons Butter -- Melted

Directions:

Add the sugar to eggs in mixing bowl; beat well. Mix in 2 c flour, adding alternately with the milk. Combine 1 c flour, baking powder, and salt; stir into batter. Add cherries and butter, mix well. Pour into a greased and floured loaf pan. Bake in a 350 oven for 1 hour.

Bread Machine Recipes

Recipes adapted for my bread machine.

Brioche

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups (350 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more if needed
2 1/4 cups (340 grams) bread flour
1 1/2 packages (3 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast or 1-ounce (28 grams) fresh cake yeast
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon (82 grams) sugar
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1/2 cup cold water
6 eggs
1 3/8 cups (2 3/4 sticks; 310 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into 10 to 12 pieces

Directions:
Using a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the all-purpose flour, bread flour, yeast, sugar, salt, water, and 5 of the eggs. Beat on low speed for 3 to 4 minutes, or until all the ingredients are combined. Stop the mixer, as needed, to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure all the flour is incorporated into the wet ingredients. Once the dough has come together, beat on low speed for another 3 to 4 minutes. The dough will be very stiff and seem quite dry.

With the mixer on low speed, add the butter, 1 piece at a time, mixing after each addition until it disappears into the dough. Continue mixing on low speed for about 10 minutes, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. It is important for all the butter to be thoroughly mixed into the dough. If necessary, stop the mixer occasionally and break up the dough with your hands to help mix in the butter.

Once the butter is completely incorporated, turn up the speed to medium and beat until the dough becomes sticky, soft, and somewhat shiny, another 15 minutes. It will take some time to come together. It will look shaggy and questionable at the start and then eventually it will turn smooth and silky. Turn the speed to medium-high and beat for about 1 minute. You should hear the dough make a slap-slap-slap sound as it hits the sides of the bowl. Test the dough by pulling at it; it should stretch a bit and have a little give. If it seems wet and loose and more like a batter than a dough, add a few tablespoons of flour and mix until it comes together. If it breaks off into pieces when you pull at it, continue to mix on medium speed for another 2 to 3 minutes, or until it develops more strength and stretches when you grab it. It is ready when you can gather it all together and pick it up in 1 piece.

Put the dough in a large bowl or plastic container and cover it with plastic wrap, pressing the wrap directly onto the surface of the dough. Let the dough proof (that is, grow and develop flavor) in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours or up to overnight At this point you can freeze the dough in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Ciabatta

Overnight starter

1 1/2 cups Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1 cup cool water
1/16 teaspoon instant yeast

Dough

all of the starter (from above)
1 teaspoon instant yeast
1 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon nonfat dry milk
1/4 cup lukewarm water
2 tablespoons olive oil

1) To make the starter: Mix the starter ingredients in a small bowl until well combined. Cover the starter and let it rest at room temperature overnight, or for up to 15 hours. It will become bubbly.

2) Place all of the dough ingredients, including the starter, into the bowl of your mixer, and beat at medium speed, using the flat beater, for 7 minutes. The dough will be very smooth, soft, shiny, and elastic. Alternatively, knead the dough ingredients in your bread machine using the dough cycle.

3) Transfer the dough to a greased bowl or other rising container, cover it, and let it rise for 2 hours, deflating it midway through. If you're using a bread machine, allow it to rise for an additional hour after the dough cycle has ended.

4) Lightly grease your work surface, and a half-sheet baking pan (18" x 13") or similar large baking sheet. Grease your hands, as well.

5) Very gently turn the dough out of the bowl onto your work surface; you don't want to deflate it. It'll lose a bit of volume, but don't actively punch it down.

6) Using a bowl scraper, bench knife, or your fingers, divide the dough in half. You should have two fat logs, each about 10" long x 4" wide.

7) Handling the dough gently, transfer each piece to the baking sheet, laying them down crosswise on the sheet. Position them about 2 1/2" from the edge of the pan, leaving about 4" between them.

8) Lightly cover the dough with heavily oiled plastic wrap or a proof cover, and allow it to rise for 60 to 90 minutes. Midway through, gently but firmly dimple the dough with your fingers, making fairly deep pockets. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 425°F.

9) Spritz the risen loaves with lukewarm water. You'll see that the dimples have filled in somewhat, but haven't entirely disappeared.

10) Bake the loaves till they're golden brown, about 18 to 20 minutes. Remove them from the oven, and cool on a rack.

Deli-style Rye

This recipe is super simple, and turned out just right. Make sure you let the initial mix of dough rise on the counter until it starts to fall, or your crumb will be a little too tight and the yeast will be retarded in the refridgerator before they can finish their job. The addition of the cornstarch wash adds a nice chewy, brown finish to the loaf.

Ingredients
3 c. (709 grams) water
1 1/2 T. (14.4 grams) instant yeast
1 1/2 T. (25 grams) salt
1 1/2 T. (15 grams) caraway seeds
1 cup (130 grams) rye flour
5 1/2 cups (771 grams) all-purpose flour.

1. Mix the yeast, salt, and caraway seeds with the water in a large mixing bowl.

2. Mix in the remaining dry ingredients with a spoon or a stand mixer, using the dough hook.

3. Cover (not airtight), and allow to rest about two hours, or until the dough rises and starts to fall.

4. Refrigerate in a container (not airtight) and use within 14 days.

5. When ready to bake, cut off the amount you want to use (one pound will make a smallish loaf. Shape into whatever shape you want, and allow to rest and rise, 40 minutes to an hour, on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper.

6. Preheat oven to 450, with baking stone placed on middle rack.

7. Paint the top crust with cornstarch (mix 1/4 teaspoon cornstarch with a small amount of water to make a paste; add 1/2 cup water, stir, and bring to boil). Make cuts into top of loaf with slashing knife, razor blade, or serrated bread knife.

8. Place baking pan on hot stone. For a better crust, either pour 1 cup boiling water into another baking sheet on another rack, or put about 1/2 cup ice cubes on preheated baking sheet or skillet on rack below the bread.

9. Bake about 35 minutes for one-pound loaf, longer for a larger loaf, and less for rolls.

10. Let cool on cooling rack before cutting.

-- adapted from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Discovery That Revolutionizes Home Baking

English Muffins

I loved these muffins! They were easy to make, had a light texture. Here's my combination of tips: I added a pinch of sugar to feed the yeast. I used 3 cups whole wheat and 2 cups unbleached white flour. After the first rising, I formed the dough into a log and cut 18 slices, dredged them in corn meal then placed on a sprayed cookie sheet. I pre-heated my oven to 100 degrees, turned it off and set the trays in there for 30 minutes. They rose beautifully! And here's the best time saving tip of all: I removed the trays, heated the oven to 375 degrees and baked the muffins on the same trays for 5 minutes on one side, then flipped and baked them another 5 minutes. They turned out perfect! Watch out though, the 18 slices made pretty big muffins. Mine were about 4.5 inches across, compared to 3 inches for store bought ones. If you want them small, make your log longer and cut into 24 pieces. I might do that next time. Remember to split your muffins open with a large fork! And here's a MUST DO: have one hot out of the oven with butter and a little cheese. Heaven!!

Ingredients

1 cup milk
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1/4 cup melted shortening
6 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Warm the milk in a small saucepan until it bubbles, then remove from heat. Mix in the sugar, stirring until dissolved. Let cool until lukewarm. In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.

2. In a large bowl, combine the milk, yeast mixture, shortening and 3 cups flour. Beat until smooth. Add salt and rest of flour, or enough to make a soft dough. Knead. Place in greased bowl, cover, and let rise.

3. Punch down. Roll out to about 1/2 inch thick. Cut rounds with biscuit cutter, drinking glass, or empty tuna can. Sprinkle waxed paper with cornmeal and set the rounds on this to rise. Dust tops of muffins with cornmeal also. Cover and let rise 1/2 hour.

4. Heat greased griddle. Cook muffins on griddle about 10 minutes on each side on medium heat. Keep baked muffins in a warm oven until all have been cooked. Allow to cool and place in plastic bags for storage. To use, split and toast. Great with orange butter, or cream cheese and jam.

Foccacia

Foccacia2 cups lukewarm water (85 to 95 degrees)
2 tsp active dry yeast
4 cups unbleached bread flour
2 to 3 tsp salt
2 to 3 tsp olive oil
2 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
1 tsp kosher or sea salt

Measure water into a large bowl. Sprinkle the yeast in the water and stir to dissolve. Stir in 2 cups of water and the salt and stir briskly until smooth, about 2 minutes. Stir in the remaining 2 cups of flour and mix just until the dough pulls away from the bowl. It will be pretty tacky and sticky at this point.

Same day method:
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for 30-40 minutes. Proceed with shaping directions.

Overnight method:
Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. The dough will rise in the refrigerator and acquire flavor from the slower yeast action. Remove the dough 2 hours before shaping and let stand, covered in a warm place. The dough will rise for a second time. Proceed to the shaping instructions.

Preheat oven to 500 degrees, oil a loaf pan, or spread dough onto baking sheet. Reduce oven to 400 degrees and bake for 15 to 20 minutes.

This recipe came out of the book No Need to Knead : Handmade Italian Breads in 90 Minutes and so far it's been my favorite book on breadmaking. It's made me a far better baker, that's for sure.

Grandmother's Buttermilk Cornbread

Grandmother's Buttermilk CornbreadIngredients

1/2 cup butter
2/3 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease an 8 inch square pan.

2. Melt butter in large skillet. Remove from heat and stir in sugar. Quickly add eggs and beat until well blended. Combine buttermilk with baking soda and stir into mixture in pan. Stir in cornmeal, flour, and salt until well blended and few lumps remain. Pour batter into the prepared pan.

3. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Hamburger Buns

This recipe makes 12 slightly larger than normal size hamburger buns. Divide batch into 8 or 10 if you're looking for really man-size sandwiches. Dough was perfect consistency, not too wet, or too stiff. Painting with water and egg yolk makes for a nice golden brown finish.

Ingredients

1 cup milk
1 cup water
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 (.25 ounce) envelope active dry yeast
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon water

Directions

1. Combine the milk, 1 cup of water, butter, sugar and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil then remove from the heat and let stand until lukewarm. If the mixture is too hot, it will kill the yeast.

2. In a large bowl, stir together the flour and yeast. Pour in wet ingredients and stir until the dough starts to pull together. If you have a stand mixer, use the dough hook to mix for about 8 minutes. If not, knead the dough on a floured surface for about 10 minutes. Place the dough in a greased bowl, turning to coat. Cover and let stand until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

3. Punch down the dough and divide into 12 portions They should be a little larger than a golf ball. Make tight balls out of the dough by pulling the dough tightly around and pinching it at the bottom. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil. After the rolls sit for a minute and relax, flatten each ball with the palm of your hand until it is 3 to 4 inches wide. You may want to oil your hand first. Set rolls aside until they double in size, about 20 minutes.

4. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Mix together the egg yolk and 1 tablespoon of water in a cup or small bowl. Brush onto the tops of the rolls. Position 2 oven racks so they are not too close to the top or bottom of the oven.

5. Bake for 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove the rolls from the oven and return them to different shelves so each one spends a little time on the top. Continue to bake for another 5 to 10 minutes, or until nicely browned on the top and bottom.

Italian Feather Bread

[makes 2 loaves]

2 packages active dry yeast
1 T granulated sugar
1 c warm water [100° to 115° F, approximately]
1/3 c olive oil
3/4 c hot water
2 t salt
5 1/2 to 6 c AP flour

cornmeal or semolina flour

Stir the yeast, sugar and warm water together in the bowl of a stand mixer; let sit until yeast dissolves and starts to proof.

In the meantime, add the olive oil to the hot water and let cool to lukewarm. Add the salt, and combine with the yeast mixture. Stirring vigorously with the dough hook attachment, add the flour 1 c at a time, until the dough almost comes away from the sides of the bowl. [The dough will seem rather soft and sticky at this point.] Continue kneading the dough with the dough hook, adding a couple tablespoons of flour as you go along. Alternatively, you could turn out the dough onto a lightly floured board and knead with your hands. Continue kneading until the dough has absorbed enough flour that it is easy to handle, about 2 to 4 minutes.

When the dough is soft and smooth, let rest for 5 or 6 minutes and then divide into two. Roll each half into a rectangle about 12? x 8?. Starting from the wide end, roll the rectangle up quite tightly, pinching the seams as you roll. Let the rolled loaves rise on a piece of parchment paper in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in bulk, about 50 to 60 minutes. Place a baking stone* on the middle rack of the oven and preheat to 425° F while the bread proofs.

After the dough has doubled in bulk, sprinkle the baking stone with cornmeal or semolina flour [careful not to burn yourself!], place the loaves on top. Bake 40 minutes, or until the loaves are a rich, golden color and make a hollow sound when you tap the crust with your knuckles, top and bottom. Cool on a rack and slice when fresh.

*If you have no baking stone, butter one or two baking sheets well and sprinkle with cornmeal. Place the just-rolled loaves on the sheets, and then let them rise until doubled in bulk. Bake the loaves on the sheet[s] on the middle rack, the same as you would with the stone.

This recipe is from the book: Beard On Bread

Italian Semolina Bread

Jeff Hertzberg and Zoë François from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Discovery That Revolutionizes Home Baking say "White, free-form loaves flavoured with semolina and sesame seeds are the fragrant products of southern Italy. Semolina is a high-protein wheat flour that gives loaves a sweetness, and an almost winey aroma. The flavour of the sesame seeds is inextricably linked to the semolina flavour (like caraway and rye). Be sure to use semolina flour that’s labelled ‘durum,’ other semolina flours won’t do as well this method."

Here's my adaptation of this recipe.

Ingredients:

3 cups lukewarm water
2 tablespoons granulated yeast
1 ½ tablespoons salt
3 cups durum flour
3 ¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
Sesame seeds for top crust, approximately 1 to 2 teaspoons
Cornmeal for the pizza peel
Cornstarch wash (see below).

Cornstarch Wash

1. Using a fork, blend ½ teaspoon cornstarch with a small amount o water to form a paste.

2. Add ½ cup water and whisk with the fork. Microwave or boil until mixture appears glassy, about 30 to 60 seconds on high. It will keep in the refrigerator for two weeks; discard if it has an off smell.

Mixing and Storing the dough:

1. Mix the yeast and salt with the lukewarm water in a 5-quart bowl, or a lidded (not airtight) food container.

2. Mix in the flours without kneading, using a spoon, a 14-cup capacity food processor (with dough attachment), or a heavy-duty stand mixer (with dough hook). If you’re not using a machine, you man need to use wet hands to incorporate the last bit of flour.

3. Cover (not airtight), and allow to rest at room temperature until the dough rises and collapses (or flattens on top), approximately 2 hours.

4. The dough can be used immediately after the initial rise, though it is easier to handle when cold. Refrigerate in a lidded (not airtight) container and use over the next 14 days.

On Baking Day

1. Dust the surface of the refrigerated dough with flour and cut off a 1-pound (grapefruit-size) piece.

2. Dust the piece with more flour and quickly shape it into a ball by stretching the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides, rotating the ball a quarter-turn as you go.

3. Elongate the ball to form an oval-shaped free-form loaf. Allow to rest and rise on a cornmeal-covered pizza peel for 40 minutes.

Twenty minutes before baking time

1. Preheat the oven to 450° F with a baking stone placed on the middle rack. Place an empty broiler tray on any other shelf that won’t interfere with the rising bread.

2. Just before baking, paint the surface with cornstarch wash, sprinkle with sesame seeds, and slash the surface diagonally, using a serrated bread knife.

3. Slide the loaf directly onto the hot stone. Pour 1 cup of hot tap water into the broiler tray, and quickly close the oven door. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until deeply browned and firm. Smaller or larger loaves will require adjustment in baking time.

Allow to cool before slicing or eating.

New York Style Pizza Dough

A basic "Big Apple" pizza dough recipe. This pizza dough is built for that signature thin-crust, "fold-able" slice New York is famous for.

Yields: 1 large or 2 small pizzas
Prep Time: 2 hours
Cook Time:
Total Time: 2 hours

Ingredients:

2 1/4 teaspoon (1 package) instant dry active yeast
1 cup warm water (not hot!)
1/2 tablespoon sugar
3 cups bread flour, or as needed
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoon salt

Preparation:

Add the water, yeast, sugar, and a 1/2 cup of the flour into a mixing bowl. Stir well and let sit for 20 minutes. It will get bubbly.

Add olive oil, salt, and 2 cups of the flour, and mix with a wooden spoon until it's together enough to turn out on to a lightly floured work surface to knead.

Knead for about 10 minutes, while adding more flour a little at a time, to produce a soft, elastic and slightly sticky dough. Do not add too much flour, just enough to keep it from sticking to the work surface as you knead.

Form the dough into a ball and place in a large oiled bowl. Drizzle a few drops of oil and coat the top of dough to prevent the surface from becoming dry.

Cover with a kitchen towel and place in a warm spot for 2 hours, or until the dough doubles in size.

Punch down the dough and divide into 2 balls and place in large zip lock plastic bags and refrigerate overnight.

When ready to use, remove from fridge, and let the dough come up to room temperature before using.

Pita Bread

Ingredients

1 1/8 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

Directions

1. Place all ingredients in bowl of dough mixer and mix for 5 minutes. I turn oven on to 350 for one minute and put dough in bowl, in oven to rise for 1 hour.

2. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Gently roll and stretch dough into a 12 inch rope. With a sharp knife, divide dough into 8 pieces. Roll each into a smooth ball. With a rolling pin, roll each ball into a 6 to 7 inch circle. Set aside on a lightly floured countertop. cover with a towel. Let pitas rise about 30 minutes until slightly puffy.

3. Preheat oven to 500 degrees F (260 degrees C). Place 2 or 3 pitas on a wire cake rack. Place cake rack directly on oven rack. Bake pitas 4 to 5 minutes until puffed and tops begin to brown. Remove from oven and immediately place pitas in a sealed brown paper bag or cover them with a damp kitchen towel until soft. Once pitas a softened, either cut in half or split top edge for half or whole pitas. They can be stored in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for several days or in the freezer for 1 or 2 months.

Simple One Hour Homemade Bread

One hour bread: My youngest approves.Makes 2 loaves

5 1/4 cups white bread flour
2 – 4 Tbsp. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 Tbsp. (rounded) saf-instant yeast
1 1/2 Tbsp. oil
2 cups hot water

1. Mix dry ingredients. Add oil and water. Mix for 1 minute and then check the consistency of the dough. The dough should be very sticky. If it is too dry, add more water.

2. Mix for 5 minutes. (Do not add any more flour after the dough has finished mixing.)

3. Spray kneading surface with cooking spray and turn dough out onto surface. Knead dough briefly until it has a smooth even consistency (this will only take several turns of the dough to accomplish).

4. Divide dough into 2 pieces (or more if you wish to have smaller loaves) and shape loaves into desired shapes and place on greased baking sheets. Cover with a large dish towel and let rise for 25 minutes.

5. While loaves are rising, preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. When loaves are ready to go into the oven, use a sharp knife (you can lightly spray your knife with cooking spray to prevent dragging) to make several slashes in the top. Make each cut about 1/4-inch deep at a 30 degree angle. Bake loaves for 25 minutes, or until they are golden brown.

Soft Pretzel Roll

Soft pretzel rolls that you get at the ballpark or from a street vendor are easy to re-create at home. This recipe uses a basic dough that’s good to try your hand at if you’re a bread-making novice. And the trick to the malty flavor so key to a good pretzel? The dough takes a dip in a baking soda solution before going into the oven. Try these rolls on their own, dipped in our Sweet Hot Mustard, or toasted in a grilled cheese.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup warm water (105°F to 115°F)
1 (1/4-ounce) envelope active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
2 3/4 cups bread flour
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for sprinkling
Vegetable oil
6 cups water
1/4 cup baking soda

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Place warm water in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle yeast on top. Set aside to rest until mixture bubbles, about 5 minutes. (If the mixture does not bubble, either the liquid was not at the correct temperature or the yeast is old.)

2. Place flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl and whisk briefly to break up any lumps and combine. Once yeast is ready, fit the bowl on the mixer, attach a dough hook, and dump in flour mixture. Mix on the lowest setting until dough comes together, then increase to medium speed and mix until dough is elastic and smooth, about 8 minutes.

3. Form dough into a ball, place in a large oiled mixing bowl, and turn dough to coat in oil. Cover with a clean, damp dishtowel, and let rest in a warm place until dough doubles in size, about 30 to 35 minutes. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, coat paper with vegetable oil, and set aside.

4. Once dough has risen, punch it down and knead it on a floured, dry surface just until it becomes smooth and springs back when poked, about 1 minute. Divide dough into 8 pieces and form into oblong rolls. Place rolls on the baking sheet and cut 4 (2-inch) diagonal slashes across the top of each. Cover with a damp towel and let dough rise in a warm place until almost doubled in volume, about 15 to 20 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 425°F and bring water to a boil in a large saucepan over high heat.

5. Once rolls have risen, stir baking soda into boiling water (water will foam up slightly). Boil two or three rolls for 2 minutes per side. Using a slotted spoon, remove rolls, drain, and place on the baking sheet, cut side up. Sprinkle well with salt, and repeat with remaining rolls.

6. Once all rolls are ready, place in the oven and bake until golden brown, about 10 to 12 minutes. Serve hot.

Sourdough Bread - Panera

Dough

3/4 cup (6 ounces) warm water (95-105° F)
3/4 teaspoon (0.1 ounce) fresh yeast
1 1/2 cups (10.5 ounces) Sourdough Starter
1 1/2 cups (7.3 ounces) all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups (6 ounces) whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon (0.5 ounce) salt

Sourdough Starter, Stage 1

1 cup (8.375 ounces) warm water (95-105° F)
1/2 teaspoon (0.07 ounce) fresh yeast
1 cup (8 ounces) buttermilk
1 1/2 cups (12.33 ounces) plain yogurt
2 cups (9.75 ounces) all-purpose flour
1/3 cup (2 ounces) semolina flour
1 cup (2.5 ounces) unwashed medium red grapes

Sourdough Starter, Stage 2

all Stage 1 starter
2 cups (9.75 ounces) all-purpose flour
1 cup (4.875 ounces) semolina flour
1/2 teaspoon (0.07 ounce) fresh yeast
2 cups (16 ounces) warm water (95-105° F)

For the Sourdough Bread, combine the warm water and fresh yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer. Stir to dissolve the yeast fully. Add the Sourdough Starter, flours and salt. (NOTE: If refrigerated, bring Sourdough Starter to room temperature before using.) Mix on low speed until the dough is fully developed. Remove the dough from the mixing bowl. Roll the dough into a smooth ball and place in a medium mixing bowl lightly brushed with olive oil. Cover and refrigerate for 16 hours. Remove the bowl from the refrigerator and ferment at room temperature for 6 hours.

Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces and form into loaves. Places the loaves on the counter or in a proofing basket and cover with a warm, damp cloth. Proof the loaves at room temperature for 2 hours. Preheat the oven to 400° F. Continue proofing the loaves at room temperature for 1 hour.

Score the loaves with a sharp knife, spray with water and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the crusts are a deep golden brown and the middle of the loaves is 190-200°.

Remove the bread from the oven and place on a cooling rack for 30 minutes. If the bread was baked in loaf pans, remove the bread from the pans before cooling.

Note: For more intense sour flavor, extend the refrigeration time of the dough an additional 6 to 8 hours.

For the Sourdough Starter, Stage 1: Combine the warm water and fresh yeast in a medium mixing bowl. Stir to dissolve the yeast fully. Add the buttermilk, plain yogurt, all-purpose flour and semolina flour to the bowl and stir until the ingredients are fully incorporated. Wrap the unwashed red grapes securely in a clean cheesecloth or small kitchen cloth and submerge the cloth in the mixture. Ferment at room temperature for 12 hours.

Stage 2: Carefully remove the cloth with the grapes from the mixture, using a spatula to scrape any remaining starter off the cloth and back into the bowl. Squeeze the cloth containing the grapes over the bowl, capturing the juice in the bowl. Discard the cloth and the grapes, and stir the starter until the grape juice is fully incorporated. Add the all-purpose flour and semolina flour to the starter. In a separate bowl, add the yeast to the warm water, stirring until the yeast is fully dissolved, then add this mixture to the starter. Mix the starter until all ingredients are fully incorporated. Ferment at room temperature for 4 hours before using, or cover and place in the refrigerator for future use.

makes 2 loaves

Three Cheese Bread

Starter

1 cup (8.375 ounces) warm water (95-105° F)
2 teaspoons (0.25 ounces) fresh yeast
1 cup (4.875 ounces) all-purpose flour

Dough
3/4 cup (5.75 ounces) warm water (95-105° F)
3 tablespoons (2 ounces) honey
4 teaspoons (0.5 ounces) fresh yeast
1/4 cup plus one teaspoon (2 ounces) vegetable shortening
4 3/4 cups (23 ounces) all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon (0.5 ounces) salt
1/2 cup (2 ounces) 1/2-inch cubes Romano cheese
1/2 cup (2 ounces) 1/2-inch cubes Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup (2 ounces) 1/2-inch cubes Asiago cheese starter (recipe follows)

To create the starter, combine the water and yeast in a medium mixing bowl. Stir to dissolve the yeast fully. Add the flour to the bowl and stir until the ingredients are fully incorporated. Cover with a cloth and ferment the starter at room temperature for 30 minutes.

For the dough, combine the water, honey and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer. Stir to dissolve the yeast fully. Add the shortening, flour, salt, cheeses and fermented starter. Mix on low speed until the dough is fully developed. Remove the dough from the mixing bowl.

Divide the dough into 2 pieces weighing about 22 ounces each. Set aside any remaining dough and freeze for future use. Roll each piece of dough into a smooth ball. Place the dough on the counter or in a proofing basket and cover with a warm, damp cloth to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400° F.

Form the dough into loaves, cover with a warm, damp cloth and proof at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Score the loaves with a sharp knife, spray with water and bake for 30 minutes, or until the crusts are a deep golden brown and the middle of the loaves is 190-200° F.

Remove the bread from the oven and place on a cooling rack for 30 minutes. If the bread was baked in loaf pans, remove the bread from the pans before cooling.

makes 2 loaves

Belgian Waffles

Now some people make Belgian Waffles with yeast, but this recipe used eggs and baking powder for the leavening agents. I think this recipe is really great just the way it is, and I use a Krups waffle maker which is the best waffle maker I've been able to find (unless you shell out the big bucks for commercial style equipment).

Ingredients

2 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs, separated
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 cups milk
non-stick cooking spray

Directions

Preheat the waffle iron according to the manufacturer's instructions. In 1 medium bowl sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In a second bowl use the wooden spoon to beat together the egg yolks and sugar until sugar is completely dissolved and eggs have turned a pale yellow. Add the vanilla extract, melted butter, and milk to the eggs and whisk to combine. Combine the egg-milk mixture with the flour mixture and whisk just until blended. Do not over mix. In third bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until soft peaks form, about 1 minute. Using the rubber spatula, gently fold the egg whites into the waffle batter. Do not overmix! Coat the waffle iron with non-stick cooking spray and pour enough batter in iron to just cover waffle grid. Close and cook as per manufacturer's instructions until golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Serve immediately.

Items that make this recipe easier:

Krups FDD912 Expert Waffle Maker with Rotary System

Competition Beef Brisket Recipe

Competition Beef BrisketSmoker Temp: 225 degrees

Cook until 165+ internal
Double wrap in foil, cook to 205 degrees

One recipe called for the temp of cooker to be raised to 300 when you wrap in foil.

Slice thick enough so it doesn't fall apart, sauce and turn in!

Mixon Method Brisket (4.5 hours)

8lb brisket, trimmed up a little bit with my Rub on (using the Dr. BBQ idea of making a paste of the rub...awesome)

After letting it sit out for around an hour or so, it went straight into my smoker at 350

After two hours at 350, wrapped it up and poured a Dr. Pepper in there to keep it happy.

Another two hours wrapped at 350 it was reading 200 at the point. Left it on for another 30 minutes or so.

Total time on smoker: 4 hours 30 minutes. I let it rest out of the foil for about 30 minutes, then cut it up.

Bottom line is that it was great! I read a lot about this method before I tried it. Some posters say you wont get a smoke ring or smoke flavor...I had both. Consider another converted to the great mixon Method for Brisket.

Oklahoma Joe's Smoked Brisket Flat Recipe

Brisket: Nice smoke ring, and plenty juicy.Oklahoma Joe's Smoked Brisket Flat Recipe
courtesy Jeff Stehney, Oklahoma Joe's BBQ

1/4 cup kosher salt
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons onion powder
2 tablespoons Spanish paprika
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon celery salt
1 tablespoon lemon pepper
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 (5 to 8 pound) beef brisket (flat cut)
4 cups oak or hickory wood chips, soaked in water for 30 minutes, drained
1 cup apple juice
1 1/2 cups your favorite BBQ sauce, for serving

Special equipment: spray bottle for apple juice
Combine all the spices in a bowl, mix well. Pat the spice rub onto the meat, making sure to heavily season the entire surface area of the brisket. Cover or wrap the brisket and let it sit at room temperature while getting the smoker or charcoal grill fired up. Do not leave at room temperature for longer than 1 hour.

The grill is ready when the charcoal has burned to a white ash. If using a grill instead of a smoker, arrange the coals on 1 side of the grill, leaving an area large enough for the brisket to cook indirectly with no coals directly underneath the meat.

When the grill has reached 200 to 225 degrees F, scatter 1/4 of the wood chips over the coals, close the grate, put the brisket on the grill and close the lid.

Maintain a 200 to 225 degree F cooking temperature inside the grill, adding coals every 2 hours or as necessary. Add wood chips and spray the brisket with apple juice every time you add new coals. Try not to lift the lid of the grill at any other time.

When the brisket reaches an internal temperature of 165 to 170 degrees F on an instant read meat thermometer (after about 4 to 5 hours), remove it from the grill and double wrap in aluminum foil to keep the juices from leaking out. Return the brisket to the grill (or smoker) The brisket is finished cooking when it is very tender and reaches an internal temperature of 190 degrees F, about another 1 to 2 hours. Let rest for 45 minutes, then unwrap and slice. Serve with BBQ sauce on the side.

This recipe was provided by professional chefs and has been scaled down from a bulk recipe provided by a restaurant. The Food Network Kitchens chefs have not tested this recipe, in the proportions indicated, and therefore, we cannot make any representation as to the results.

Canning tomatoes

Traditionally, canning tomatoes has usually been done by using the hot water bath canner method. Recently, however, more people are finding that canning tomatoes in a pressure canner will result in higher quality and give you a more nutritious product.

Pressure canning is also required for many canned tomato combination products because the pH value is above 4.6 which is a low acidic food. Tomatoes themselves fall close to the low acid level, just slightly above 4.6 and when mixed with meat for sauces or with vegetables like peppers or zucchini, which are a low acidic food it raises the pH value above 4.6 and must be processed by pressure canning to insure food safety. Foods that have a pH value of 4.6, or lower, may be processed in a boiling water bath canner.

When canning tomatoes by themselves, it is recommended that acid should be added to lower the pH level. This can be done by adding 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or 1/4 teaspoon citric acid per pint of product. For quarts, add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice or 1/2 teaspoon citric acid. This may be done by adding directly to jars before filling.

How to test the seal when canning

After jars have cooled, test for seal. To do this press down on the center of the lid. The lid should be con-caved and not move when pressed. Another method is to tap the lid with the bottom of a teaspoon. If the jar is sealed correctly, it will make a high-pitched sound. If it makes a dull sound it means the lid is not sealed or possibly that food is in contact with the underside of the lid.

When completely cool, the screw bands may be removed if desired but not necessary. Be sure to label canned jars with content and processing date. Store jars in a cool dark, dry place. If there is a possibility of freezing temperatures during storage, cover with a blanket or heavy cloth. Jars may also be placed in a box and stuffed with newspaper.

Matwich's Strawberry Jam - using local produce produces sweet results!

Strawberry JamThe strawberries are on! You'd better hurry if you want to put up some fresh local strawberries this year! Stacey took the boys out two weekends ago and the farmers told her they'd have berries for another couple of weeks until the heat of summer takes them away. She picked about 25 pounds of strawberries and so far I've made jam, strawberry sauce, shortcake and Ben even made a cobbler or two. At $1.49/lb that beats Aldi's price of $1.99 and you're supporting a local farmer. To me, that's a win-win.

Here's the recipe I used for the first batch of jam. I'm hoping we can get out next weekend and get some more.

Ingredients

6 cups mashed strawberries
4 cups sugar
1 package low-sugar pectin

Directions

Wash berries, take off the leaves and quarter them.
Mix dry pectin with 1/4 cup of the sugar and keep separate.
Add pectin to mashed berries in a large pot and bring to a rolling boil. Once it's at a boil add the rest of the sugar and bring back to a full boil for one minute.

Process in canning jars per directions. (The recommendations change as time passes, but when I did it, it was 5 minutes in a water bath canner)

Preserving Fresh Basil - Chopping and freezing in oil

My basil is doing really well this year, actually it does well every year I've planted it. I have one container that started to bolt and at first I let it go, just to enjoy the blooms and watching that plant do it's thang. But then I noticed that the stems were really stretching out and less and less leaves were being produced. This seems to make sense as the plant is putting forth all its energy into producing flowers and seeds for next year.

Well, I decided to give my basil plant a haircut and see if I can make it bush out a little more and get more leaves....which is really what I want.

I trimmed two big handfuls of flowers off and stripped all the leaves from the trimmings. I had quite a bit, too much to use before it went bad so I was on a search for preserving it.

This is the first method I will experiment with, simply wash and dry the leaves, throw them in your food processor or chop them up by hand. Drizzle a little oil on to make a paste. Spoon into sandwich bags and seal them up so they lay nice and flat. Label and freeze. When you want to use some, just unzip the bag and break off as much as you need.

I'll try and post comments to this article when I've tried it out.

Happy gardening!

CURED BACON – DEAN TORGES, THEINGREDIENTSTORE

I like brines for what you are doing. Try this one next time for your "bacon." Quicker and less mess. I've been messing with this recipe for a few years and haven't made a change in it the last 8 times I've done it. Here's my recipe from my logs…

2 Avg Belly slabs (@ 15 LB) - each slab squared up and cut in half crossways
1/2 Gal Cider
1 Gal Water
1 C Dark brown sugar
1 1/2 C Salt
1 1/2 TB Cloves - ground
4 LG Bay leaves - ground
1 1/2 TB Black pepper
9 TB ~or~ 4 OZ Sodium nitrite

Boil all ingredients in water, cool, add cider and then chill brine.

Soak slabs at approx 38*F, turning occasionally.

After five days, remove sides, pat dry and hang in smokehouse overnight, vents open, at 100* to form a pellicle. Begin smudge at 125* Slowly raising smokehouse while you correspondingly close down vent, keeping a good smudge going all the while. About the last four hours, keep at 150* with vents 1/3rd or 1/4th open, maintaining this condition until internal temp reaches about 128-130*F. Takes about 8 hours in the smokehouse.

Canadian Bacon

Ingredients:
Boneless pork loin (size will depend on how much bacon you want to make.)
1 Tbl. Morton Tender Quick (or Basic Dry Cure) per pound
1 tsp. dark brown sugar per pound
1 tsp. garlic powder per pound
1 tsp. onion powder per pound

Directions:
Trim fat and silver skin from pork loin.
Cut into 3 to 4 pound sections.
Weight each section.
Make a note of the weight of each piece before measuring the dry ingredients.
Measure all dry ingredients for each section of meat based on the weight of each section, and thoroughly mix.
Example if you have two sections; one weighting 4 pounds and one weighting 3 pounds, measure all the dry ingredients for the 4 pound piece and place that in one bowl; and measure all the ingredients you will use on the 3 pound piece and put that in a separate bowl.
Rub the entire mixture on to the loin.
Make sure to cover all surfaces, and work the dry cure into any crevices in the meat.
Place loins into separate one gallon sealable plastic bags, and remove as much air as possible.
Cure meat in the refrigerator at 36- 40 F
My refrigerator was at 38 F.
Due to the thickness of the loin you will need to cure them for 6 days.
Once a day turn meat over.
You do not have to open the bags, if some liquid has formed give the bag a few shakes to redistribute the liquid.
When the loins are fully cured, remove loins from plastic bags and thoroughly rinse off.
Soak loin pieces in about three gallons of cool water for 30 minutes; remove from soak and pat dry.
Refrigerate uncovered overnight, or long enough to allow to dry and to form pellicle on the surface.
You may also see an iridescent sheen on the surface. *
Place loins into a 225 F preheated Bradley.
Apply maple smoke for 1:40 to 2:00 hours.
Continue to cook until an internal temperature of 140 F - 150 F is reached. The higher you take the internal temperature, the less moisture will remain in the meat.
It is important to take the internal temperature of each piece of loin. **

I now only take may Canadian Bacon to 140 F. The texture and moistness is much better. If you decide to use the 140 F temperature, make sure that your probe is in the thickest part of the meat. After it the meat reaches 140 F, slowly move the probe in and out. If there is a drop in temperature, leave the probe at that spot and continue to cook until the 140 F internal temperature is reached. If you have a good instant read thermometer, also use that to get your final reading.
Remove loins from smoker, and tent foil until loins are cool enough to be handled by hand.
Wrap each piece tightly in plastic wrap.
Refrigerate for at least two days.
Cut into 1/8 inch thick slices and serve
(if serving with crackers you may have to quarter each slice.)
Additional information:
This recipe is a modification of Morton Tender Quick recipe and curing methods; and Mallard Wacker?s cooking guidelines for Buck Board Bacon.

You can add or subtract as many spices and flavoring you want to this recipe, as long as you maintain the correct amount of Tender Quick.

The dark brown sugar gives it a nice distinctive flavor, but you can replacement it with light brown sugar, or regular sugar or use maple granules.

You can increase the amount of applied smoke, but I like my Canadian bacon and pastrami lightly smoked. Keep in mind, that smoking a 225 F, your loins are going to reach 145 F -150 F in about 3 to 4 hours.

*OPTIONAL: At this point I used butcher's twine and tied the loin every 2-3 inches. This helps the bacon maintain a more rounded shape, and the even shape helps all parts cook more uniformly.

** I had two pieces in the smoker, and the tapered piece took 45 minutes longer to reach 150 F.

Home-cured Ham

Home-cured HamSo the end of August brings a lot of things to my family. Our little garden is in full harvest mode, tomatoes have the vines hanging down with weight, we canned quarts and quarts of pickles and picked I don't know how many pounds of green beans. But this year I was able to take advantage of another bounty, local farm-raised pork. A good friend of mine had raised 2 hogs and offered one to me.

Now I have the butchering skills to break down the carcass, but unfortunately I don't have all the tools. My little summer kitchen is lacking a bandsaw for the chops, but my grinder, slicer, stuffer and smoker will do a nice job with everything else.

I asked the kill house to simply portion the hog into roasts, chops and ribs. Everything else I would take fresh, which included 2 hams (halved into 4), 2 pork bellies and about 20 pounds of trimmings which I would grind into sausage.

This is the recipe I found online, courtesy of some BBQ buddies I've competed against and also die-hard Big Green Egg fans! I made a couple changes from their recipe due to things I had on hand and I'm very, very happy with the results!

Home-cured Ham

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons Pickling Spice
3 cups Tender Quick
3 cups Brown Sugar
3 tablespoons CockeyeBBQ Rub
4 cloves Garlic (center)
2 fresh pork hams (halved)

Bring 2 gallons of cold, filtered water to a boil along with above ingredients until Tender Quick and sugar is dissolved and flavor from other ingredients infuses the liquid, about 10-12 minutes.

Remove from the stove and cool until liquid is 38°F, which is ideal temp for brining and curing.

Inject the ham at that cup:4-5 lb meat ratio, making sure that you inject the curing brine to and around the big bone running through the leg. This is a very important step in creating a successful end product.

Now cover the leg roasts with the remaining cold brine. I used a plastic bus bin which held the 4 hams nicely and I used a stainless baking tray to weight down the hams so they didn't float in the bring.

The leg will sit in the curing brine for 8-10 days depending on its size and your personal schedule. Ensure that it is refrigerated in conditions that keep the temperature of the brine as close to that ideal 38°F temp as possible!

After the 8-10 day curing period, congratulations are in order; you've just turned a pork leg into a full-fledged cured ham!! The meat will have that distinct smell of and pink flesh tone of the ham you are used to.

The next step is to draw some of the salt off/out of the ham. How much depends on your particular tastes. What Bryan and I did was give the roast a quick rinse to get the surface salt off and to also remove some of the residual seeds and peppercorns stuck to the ham from the pickling spice, and then we soaked it for 2 hours in cold water. A change of water and then 2 more hours in a second coldwater bath and we were ready to get smokin'!

For smoking the ham, I used my FEC-100 and stuffed the hams into a ham net. Now this isn't at all necessary. You can simply lay the hams on the racks, but I wanted my hams to have the appearance of a professional store bought ham and those little cross-hatched marks on the fat that the netting will make. I tied the open ends of the netting and hung them in the smoker with stainless hog rings.

When the smoker stabilized around 200°F, and the hopper filled up with hickory, I added the hams to the cooking chamber. I would love to try other woods as well. Apple sounds like a good choice, but I just happened to have a full bag of hickory on hand.

I smoked the hams at 200 until the internal temperature read about 130, then I turned the smoker up to 250 and brought the hams to 140-150.

I chose not to glaze the hams, partly because the nets would get all sticky and I figured most of the glaze would be ripped off when I removed the net, but also because I wanted to glaze the hams when I reheated them for dinner.

Here is the glaze recipe (I haven't tested this one yet, but based on the excellence of the brine I wouldn't hesitate to mix this one up).

Based on a slight modification of the recipe provided to us by Reg Pelletier, I would suggest this Dizzyfied starter glaze:

- 1/4 cup mustard
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/8 cup orange juice
- 1 tablespoon Dizzy Pig Cow Lick rub (I would also suggest trying Dizzy Pig's Raging River, Tsunami Spin, Swamp Venom or Jamaican Firewalk, depending on your preferences.)

Heat on stove, stir/whisk to incorporate ingredients. Apply every 20 minutes or so, until you reach your target temperature.

After a total of about 8 hours on the smoker, the hams came off and were quick cooled in the fridge so they could be vacuum sealed and frozen. I removed the netting first, trimmed any ugly fat or anything that looked funky and sealed and froze them.

My local hog cost me about $1.50/lb and with a little time and effort and now I have 4 hams for my family ready to go for holiday meals, sandwiches, soups and countless other meals.

A 9 lb ham at Sam's Club (I'm sure not as good as these) cost around $3.50-4/lb.

I'm really very very pleased with the results and wanted to share the recipe and story.

Homemade Pancetta

WHAT TO BUY:
Pork belly is the same as fresh bacon. You can order it from a good butcher or buy it online from Niman Ranch. A whole fresh pork belly with the skin on weighs around 11 pounds, of which you’ll need half (a 5-1/2-pound slab) to make 1 pancetta. If you like, you can ask your butcher to remove the skin for you, making the total prep time minimal.
Curing salt, also known as pink salt or saltpeter, contains 6.25 percent sodium nitrite. It is colored pink so as not to be confused with regular salt. Curing salt should be available at your local butcher.

I like to use kosher salt in our recipes. It’s especially important to use kosher salt here to ensure that your quantity is correct. I prefer Diamond Crystal brand, available in most grocery stores.
Special equipment: In addition to your chef’s knife, you’ll also need a boning knife to remove the skin. Be sure to have a spool of cotton butcher’s twine for tying and hanging your pancetta.

I found that giant storage bags, like the jumbo 2-gallon bags by Ziploc, were perfect for holding the pancetta during the curing process.

Find a cool place to hang your pancetta, away from windows and direct sunlight. And of course make sure you allow enough time for the curing and hanging processes.
1 (5-1/2-pound) piece of fresh, skin-on pork belly (1/2 of a whole belly slab), or 1 (11-pound) whole belly

FOR THE CURE:
2 tablespoons whole black peppercorns, plus 1 tablespoon for after curing
2 tablespoons whole juniper berries
1/3 cup kosher salt
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons curing salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 fresh or 5 dry bay leaves, torn into small pieces
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves

How to make it

If you’re starting with a full (11-pound) piece of fresh pork belly, slice it in half crosswise to make two (5-1/2-pound) pieces. You only need one half for this project, so seal up the other well with plastic wrap and freeze it for up to 6 months.

Place the pork belly meat side up. Using a sharp boning knife, make the piece more level by trimming off any extra bits of muscle or fat. Square off the edges with a chef’s knife.

Rinse the pork belly and pat it dry. Place it on a cutting board, skin side up. To remove the skin, use a sharp boning knife. Starting at the bottom left corner, slice in horizontally just under the skin but above the fat layer. Pull the flap of skin toward your body, holding it taut as you loosen it from the fat with a series of small horizontal cuts. Be careful not to remove too much fat or cut too deeply. (Pulling the skin toward you as you cut helps prevent this.)

Keep cutting until the skin is completely removed, then use your knife to even out the fat layer a little.

Place the 2 tablespoons of peppercorns and the juniper berries on a rimmed baking sheet. Use a heavy pot to crush them. Combine them in a mixing bowl with the rest of the cure ingredients. Mix the cure very well to evenly distribute the ingredients.

Place the pork belly on a rimmed baking sheet and rub the cure all over its surfaces, making sure to coat both the fat and lean sides, and all the edges and corners. Carefully place the belly in a large (2- to 2-1/2-gallon) sealable bag. Once it’s inside, rub the belly to redistribute the ingredients that may have fallen off while you moved it. Fold over the excess plastic and press down to remove as much air as possible. Seal the bag. (Alternatively, you may place the cure-coated belly in a glass baking dish and cover tightly with plastic wrap.)

Place the bagged pork belly on a baking sheet and place it in the refrigerator. Weight it by placing a pot or dish that is roughly the same size as the pork right on top of the bag, and place a 3-pound weight in the dish. (A box of salt or a few cans of tomatoes work great.)

Refrigerate the weighted belly for 7 days, flipping it over every day. After 7 days, remove the belly from the refrigerator and press down on it to check the firmness. It should feel uniformly firm throughout, as if you’re pressing down on a soccer ball. If the belly is still squishy like raw meat, return it to the refrigerator for up to 3 more days.

Remove the pork belly from the refrigerator and rinse off the curing mixture under cool running water. (It’s OK if there are still a few bits of pepper or spices on the belly.)

Move the pork to a clean cutting board and pat it very dry with paper towels. Place it meat side up. Crush the remaining tablespoon of black peppercorns with a heavy pot and rub the crushed pepper over all the meat sides to create an even coating.

Roll the pork belly very, very tightly into a cylindrical shape, starting at whichever end makes the roll most uniform. Make sure there are no air pockets inside the pancetta. Tie it very tightly with butcher’s twine at 1- to 1-1/2-inch intervals. Be sure to leave enough extra twine to hang the pancetta with.

Hang the pancetta in a slightly cool, dark, moderately humid place where air can circulate freely around it. (Ideal conditions are around 60°F and around 60 percent humidity.) Keep it out of direct sunlight and away from air vents. A basement is ideal, as is a bathroom that isn’t used often (a shower curtain rod works great for hanging, but not if you’re showering in there!). I hung mine both next to the kitchen sink and in the bathroom, and I never had one pancetta go bad.

Let the pancetta hang for 2 weeks. It will emit a subtle smell, sort of savory and sweet like the cure. If it smells rancid or rotten, take it down and trash it. When the pancetta is completely firm but pliable like leather, it’s ready.

Cut down the pancetta and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. Store it in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 weeks, or in the freezer for up to 4 months.

Note: Pancetta is not meant to be eaten uncooked. Be sure to cook it, just as you would bacon, before eating.

AB's Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 sticks unsalted butter
2 1/4 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Hardware:
Ice cream scooper (#20 disher, to be exact)
Parchment paper
Baking sheets
Mixer

Heat oven to 375 degrees F.

Melt the butter in a heavy-bottom medium saucepan over low heat. Sift together the flour, salt, and baking soda and set aside.
Pour the melted butter in the mixer's work bowl. Add the sugar and brown sugar. Cream the butter and sugars on medium speed. Add the egg, yolk, 2 tablespoons milk and vanilla extract and mix until well combined. Slowly incorporate the flour mixture until thoroughly combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Chill the dough, then scoop onto parchment-lined baking sheets, 6 cookies per sheet. Bake for 14 minutes or until golden brown, checking the cookies after 5 minutes. Rotate the baking sheet for even browning. Cool completely and store in an airtight container.

APPLE CIDER POUND CAKE

1 cup butter or margerine, softened
1/2 cup shortening
3 cups sugar
6 eggs
3 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves
1 cup apple cider ( may use apple juice)
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup chopped pecans

Combine butter and shortening
Mix well
Gradually add sugar, beating well
Add eggs 1 at a time, beating each one

Combine dry ingredients, except pecans
Add to creamed mixture, alternating with apple cider
Beginning and ending with flour mixture
Mix well
Add vanilla

Grease bundt pan

Sprinkle pecans in pan
Pour batter over pecans
Bake at 325 for 1 hour and 50 min
Cool in pan for 10- 15 min
Remove from pan and let cool completely.

Banana-Peanut Butter Pizza

Banana PizzaThis recipe was created one night at our house. After doing a whole bunch of make your own pizzas, we wanted something for dessert and just grabbed what we had in the pantry. Some peanut butter, bananas and some dark chocolate chunks that we bought for our dessert practice for Oinktoberfest. WARNING! This peanut butter is nuclear hot when it comes out of the egg.....you were warned. :)

Frozen Bread Dough
Peanut Butter
Fresh Bananas
Chocolate

Banana PizzaThaw dough, spread out on pizza peel.
Spread with peanut butter
Slice bananas and put on
Sprinkle chocolate

Preheat Big Green Egg to 500 degrees. Use plate setter and pizza stone.

Bake at 500 for 9-12 minutes.

Blueberry Scones

One of Stacey's favorites, scones. She requested that I make either blueberry or cinnamon scones, and since she spends an extra car payment a month with Panera, I figure I better develop a good scone recipe. Next time I make this one, I'll keep the finished dough whole and shape it into a round and cut into 6 wedges. That would be more like the super-size scones served at Panera.

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter, chilled
1 cup fresh blueberries
3/4 cup half-and-half cream
1 egg

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

2. Cut butter into mixture of flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add blueberries and toss to mix.

3. In separate bowl beat together cream and egg, and slowly pour into dry ingredients, stirring with rubber scraper until dough forms. Knead just until it comes together, 3 or 4 times. Don't overhandle.

4. Divide dough in half. On lightly floured board, shape each half into a 6-inch round. Cut into 6 wedges.

5. Bake on ungreased sheet about 20 minutes at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Serve warm!!

Flourless chocolate cake with toasted hazelnuts and brandied cherries

Flourless Chocolate CakeThis over-the-top cake has impressive looks and moistness. Start the cherries ahead: They soak in brandy for a week and then in syrup for at least two days.

Servings: Makes 12 servings.

Ingredients

Brandied cherries
1 750-ml bottle brandy
1 1/2 cups dried tart cherries

1 cup water
1 cup sugar

Cake
10 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 1/4 cups (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, diced

10 large egg yolks
1/2 cup plus 6 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
9 large egg whites

Ganache
8 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 1/2 cups hazelnuts, toasted, coarsely chopped

Whipped cream

Preparation

For brandied cherries:
Combine brandy and dried cherries in 4-cup glass container with lid. Cover and let soak at room temperature 1 week.

Bring 1 cup water and sugar to boil in medium saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and cool syrup. Drain brandy from cherries (reserve brandy for another use). Add sugar syrup to cherries and stir to blend. Let soak at room temperature at least 2 days. DO AHEAD Can be made 2 weeks ahead. Store covered at room temperature.

For cake:
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Butter 10-inch-diameter springform pan with 23/4-inch-high sides. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper round. Place chocolate and 1 1/4 cups butter in medium metal bowl. Set bowl over saucepan of simmering water; stir until mixture is melted and smooth. Remove bowl from over water; cool to lukewarm, about 10 minutes.

Using electric mixer, beat egg yolks and 1/2 cup sugar in large bowl until very thick and pale yellow in color, about 5 minutes. Beat in vanilla and salt. Gently fold chocolate mixture into yolk mixture. Using clean dry beaters, beat egg whites and remaining 6 tablespoons sugar in another large bowl until peaks form. Fold 1/3 of beaten whites into chocolate mixture. Fold in remaining whites in 2 additions. Transfer batter to prepared pan.

Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out with moist crumbs attached, about 45 minutes (cake will be puffed and soufflé-like while baking). Cool cake in pan on rack 15 minutes (cake will fall in center). Run knife around cake sides to loosen; press edge of cake down to make level with center. Remove pan sides and cool cake completely. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and store at room temperature.

For ganache:
Combine chocolate and cream in medium metal bowl. Set bowl over saucepan of simmering water and stir until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Remove bowl from over water; let stand until ganache cools slightly but is still pourable, about 5 minutes.

Place cooled cake on rack set over rimmed baking sheet. Pour 1/2 cup ganache over top of cake. Using offset spatula, quickly spread ganache over top and sides of cake. Freeze cake 3 minutes. Pour remaining ganache over top of cake. Working quickly but gently and grasping pan bottom and rack together, slightly tilt rack with cake from side to side, allowing ganache to flow evenly over top and down sides of cake; smooth sides with offset spatula. Press hazelnuts onto sides of cake to adhere. Chill cake until ganache is set, about 1 hour. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome and keep refrigerated. Let stand at room temperature 45 minutes before serving.

Cut cake into wedges. Garnish with whipped cream and spoon brandied cherries alongside.

French Quarter Beignets

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 envelope active dry yeast
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 cup evaporated milk
7 cups bread flour
1/4 cup shortening
Nonstick spray
Oil, for deep-frying
3 cups confectioners' sugar
Directions
Mix water, sugar, and yeast in a large bowl and let sit for 10 minutes.

In another bowl, beat the eggs, salt and evaporated milk together. Mix egg mixture to the yeast mixture. In a separate bowl, measure out the bread flour. Add 3 cups of the flour to the yeast mixture and stir to combine. Add the shortening and continue to stir while adding the remaining flour. Remove dough from the bowl, place onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Spray a large bowl with nonstick spray. Put dough into the bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a towel. Let rise in a warm place for at least 2 hours.

Preheat oil in a deep-fryer to 350 degrees F.

Add the confectioners' sugar to a paper or plastic bag and set aside.

Roll the dough out to about 1/4-inch thickness and cut into 1-inch squares. Deep-fry, flipping constantly, until they become a golden color. After beignets are fried, drain them for a few seconds on paper towels, and then toss them into the bag of confectioners' sugar. Hold bag closed and shake to coat evenly.

Yields about 3 dozen

Beignets about to be consumed by my family

Giant Ding Dong Cake

If you are a true lover of the small snack cakes, you will LOVE this version! Recipe was very easy to make, and worth the extra effort. Remember to save a little bit of the filling and use it to pipe the signature curlie-q's on top of the finished cake.

Ingredients

1 (18.25 ounce) package devil's food cake mix
1 (3.9 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding mix
4 eggs
1 1/4 cups water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup butter
1 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips
1/4 cup shortening
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
2 1/4 tablespoons water

Giant Ding Dong CakeDirections

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 10 inch springform pan.

2. In a large bowl, stir together the cake mix and instant pudding. Make a well in the center and pour in the eggs, oil and water. Mix until well blended. Spread evenly into the prepared pan.

3. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool cake completely on a wire rack before removing from pan.

4. Slice a 1 inch thick slice off of the top of the cake and set aside. Scoop out the cake for the center of the bottom part to within 1 inch of the sides. Discard or save for another use. To make the filling, whisk together the flour and milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until thickened. Set aside to cool completely.

5. Once the flour and milk mixture has cooled, beat the 1/2 cup shortening, butter, sugar and vanilla on high speed until light and fluffy. Add the milk mixture and continue to beat for 4 more minutes. Spoon into the center of the cake and replace the layer sliced from the top.

6. Combine the chocolate chips, 1/4 cup shortening, corn syrup and water in the top of a double boiler. Heat, stirring frequently until melted and smooth. Pour warm glaze over the top of the cake and smooth over the sides. Refrigerate until serving.

Marshmallow Brownies

This is a super easy brownie recipe. I'm a huge butterscotch fan and these really taste good. I didn't have mini-marshmallows the first time I made this recipe so I used regular stale ones I found in the pantry. Nice way to use up an opened package of marshmallows from "S'more Season"

Ingredients

1 cup butterscotch chips
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 cups miniature marshmallows
2 cups milk chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.

2. Melt butterscotch morsels and margarine in a large bowl in microwave. Stir the mixture well and let it cool to lukewarm.

3. While the liquid mixture is cooling, mix flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, vanilla, and eggs into the butterscotch mixture; mix well. Fold in marshmallows and chocolate morsels.

4. Spread batter into a lightly greased 9x13 inch pan.

5. Bake 25 minutes. Be careful not to overcook.

Rice Pudding

Ingredients:
3/4 cup uncooked white rice
2 cups milk, divided
1/3 cup white sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
2/3 cup golden raisins
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
1. In a medium saucepan, bring 1 1/2 cups water to a boil. Add rice and stir. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

2. In another saucepan, combine 1 1/2 cups cooked rice, 1 1/2 cups milk, sugar and salt. Cook over medium heat until thick and creamy, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in remaining 1/2 cup milk, beaten egg and raisins. Cook 2 minutes more, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, and stir in butter and vanilla. Serve warm.

Royal Icing

Ingredients

3 ounces pasteurized egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups confectioners' sugar

Directions

In large bowl of stand mixer combine the egg whites and vanilla and beat until frothy. Add confectioners' sugar gradually and mix on low speed until sugar is incorporated and mixture is shiny. Turn speed up to high and beat until mixture forms stiff, glossy peaks. This should take approximately 5 to 7 minutes. Add food coloring, if desired. For immediate use, transfer icing to pastry bag or heavy duty storage bag and pipe as desired. If using storage bag, clip corner. Store in airtight container in refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Sticky Buns

Sticky BunsIngredients

Goo:
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks; 170 grams, 6 ounces) unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups (345 grams) firmly packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup (110 grams) honey
1/3 cup (80 grams) heavy cream
1/3 cup (80 grams) water
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Basic Brioche Dough
1/4 cup (55 grams) light brown sugar
1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup (100 grams) pecan halves, toasted and chopped

Directions:

First, make the goo. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the brown sugar and cook, stirring, to combine (it may look separated, that's ok). Remove from the heat and whisk in the honey, cream, water, and salt. Strain to remove any undissolved lumps of brown sugar. Let cool for about 30 minutes, or until cooled to room temperature. You should have about 3 cups. (The mixture can be made up to 2 weeks in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.)

Divide the dough in half. Use half for this recipe and reserve the other half for another use.

On a floured work surface, roll out the brioche into rectangle about 12 by 16 inches and 1/4-inch thick. It will have the consistency of cold, damp Play-Doh and should be fairly easy to roll. Position the rectangle so a short side is facing you.

In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and half of the pecans. Sprinkle this mixture evenly over the entire surface of the dough. Starting from the short side farthest from you and working your way down, roll up the rectangle like a jelly roll. Try to roll tightly, so you have a nice round spiral. Trim off about 1/4- inch from each end of the roll to make them even.

Use a bench scraper or a chef's knife to cut the roll into 8 equal pieces, each about 1 1/2-inches wide. (At this point, the unbaked buns can be tightly wrapped in plastic wrap and frozen for up to 1 week. When ready to bake, thaw them, still wrapped, in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours, then proceed as directed.)

Pour the goo into a 9 by 13-inch baking dish, covering the bottom evenly. Sprinkle the remaining pecans evenly over the surface. Arrange the buns, evenly spaced, in the baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap and put in a warm spot to proof until the dough is puffy, pillowy, and soft and the buns are touching-almost tripled in size, about 2 hours.

Position a rack in the center of the oven, and heat to 350 degrees F.

Bake until golden brown, about 35 to 45 minutes. Let cool in the dish on a wire rack for 20 to 30 minutes. One at a time, invert the buns onto a serving platter, and spoon any extra goo and pecans from the bottom of the dish over the top.

The buns are best served warm or within 4 hours of baking. They can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day, and then warmed in a 325 degree F oven for 10 to 12 minutes before serving.

Sugar Cookies

Sugar cookiesIngredients

3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon milk
Powdered sugar, for rolling out dough

Directions

Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. Place butter and sugar in large bowl of electric stand mixer and beat until light in color. Add egg and milk and beat to combine. Put mixer on low speed, gradually add flour, and beat until mixture pulls away from the side of the bowl. Divide the dough in half, wrap in waxed paper, and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Sprinkle surface where you will roll out dough with powdered sugar. Remove 1 wrapped pack of dough from refrigerator at a time, sprinkle rolling pin with powdered sugar, and roll out dough to 1/4-inch thick. Move the dough around and check underneath frequently to make sure it is not sticking. If dough has warmed during rolling, place cold cookie sheet on top for 10 minutes to chill. Cut into desired shape, place at least 1-inch apart on greased baking sheet, parchment, or silicone baking mat, and bake for 7 to 9 minutes or until cookies are just beginning to turn brown around the edges, rotating cookie sheet halfway through baking time. Let sit on baking sheet for 2 minutes after removal from oven and then move to complete cooling on wire rack. Serve as is or ice as desired. Store in airtight container for up to 1 week.

Click here for Royal Icing Recipe

The Manor Born Banana Cake with Coffee Buttercream

Banana Cake: My version of this recipeFOR THE CAKE:
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
2 1/4 cups cake flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/3 cups sugar
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (from about 2 medium bananas)
2 eggs
Scant 1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cup coarsely chopped shelled unsalted pecans

FOR THE FROSTING:
1 cup sugar
2 tbsp. instant espresso powder
6 egg yolks
1 lb. unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and softened

1. For the cake: Preheat oven to 375°. Use 1 tbsp. of the butter to grease three 8" round cake pans, line each pan with parchment paper, and set aside. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together into a medium bowl and set aside. Beat remaining 7 tbsp. butter and sugar together in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until fluffy, 3–4 minutes. Add bananas and beat on medium speed until well combined. Add eggs and buttermilk and beat until fully incorporated. Add flour mixture, stirring with a wooden spoon until just incorporated, then fold in pecans. Divide batter equally between prepared pans, smoothing tops with the spatula. Bake until cakes are golden brown and spring back when touched, 10–15 minutes. Cool cakes in their pans for 5 minutes on a wire rack, then remove them from pans, peel off parchment, and allow cakes to cool completely on the rack.

2. For the frosting: Combine sugar and 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan and boil over medium heat until sugar dissolves and syrup reaches 238° on a candy thermometer, 15–20 minutes. Meanwhile, dissolve espresso powder with 1 tsp. boiling water in a small bowl and set aside. Beat egg yolks in a medium mixing bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until pale yellow, 4–5 minutes. Gradually add hot sugar syrup to yolks in a slow steady steam down the side of the bowl, beating constantly on medium speed, and continue beating until mixture cools to room temperature, about 5 minutes. Add butter, one piece at a time, beating thoroughly on medium speed after each addition, and continue beating frosting until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in espresso and set aside.

3. To assemble the cake, stack cake layers on top of each other on a cake plate, spreading about 1 cup of the frosting between each layer, then ice side and top of assembled cake with remaining frosting. Decorate cake by piping some of the frosting on top and garnishing with coffee beans, if you like. Refrigerate cake until frostingis set. Bring cake to room temperature before serving.

This fantastic recipe came from the book:
Sweet Serendipity: Delightful Desserts and Devilish Dish

Tres Leche Cake

Tres Leche CakeFor the cake:
Vegetable oil
6 3/4 ounces cake flour, plus extra for pan
-- My Note: This works out to about 1 3/4 cup by volume
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
4 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature
8 ounces sugar
5 whole eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
For the glaze:
1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup half-and-half

For the topping:
2 cups heavy cream
8 ounces sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the cake:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil and flour a 13 by 9-inch metal pan and set aside.
Whisk together the cake flour, baking powder and salt in a medium mixing bowl and set aside.

Cake BatterPlace the butter into the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the paddle attachment, beat on medium speed until fluffy, approximately 1 minute. Decrease the speed to low and with the mixer still running, gradually add the sugar over 1 minute. Stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl, if necessary. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and mix to thoroughly combine. Add the vanilla extract and mix to combine. Add the flour mixture to the batter in 3 batches and mix just until combined. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and spread evenly. This will appear to be a very small amount of batter. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until the cake is lightly golden and reaches an internal temperature of 200 degrees F.

Cake before toppingRemove the cake pan to a cooling rack and allow to cool for 30 minutes. Poke the top of the cake all over with a skewer or fork. Allow the cake to cool completely and then prepare the glaze.

For the glaze:
Whisk together the evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk and the half-and-half in a 1-quart measuring cup. Once combined, pour the glaze over the cake. Refrigerate the cake overnight.

Topping:
Place the heavy cream, sugar and vanilla into the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the whisk attachment, whisk together on low until stiff peaks are formed. Change to medium speed and whisk until thick. Spread the topping over the cake and allow to chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Very Chocolate Ice Cream

Ingredients

3/4 cup sugar
1 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
3 egg yolk, lightly beaten
2 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
2 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Combine sugar, milk, salt, and cocoa powder in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly. Bring to a simmer. Place the egg yolks into a small bowl. Gradually stir in about 1/2 cup of the hot liquid. and return to the saucepan. Heat until thickened, but do not boil. Remove from the heat, and stir in the chopped chocolate until chocolate is melted. Pour into a chilled bowl, and refrigerate for about two hours until cold, stirring occasionally.

When chocolate mixture has completely cooled, stir in the cream, and vanilla. Pour into an ice cream maker, and freeze according to manufacturer's directions.

White Chocolate Bread Pudding

The best bread pudding I'd ever eaten came from one the first restaurants where I worked. The Palmetto Cafe in Charleston Place Hotel, well then I think it was called the Omni. It was truly very, very good. It was a decadent dessert made with stale croissants. I've never been able to duplicate it, well who has stale croissants in their pantry? But I think I've managed to come pretty close by using leftover beignets from our Mardi Gras themed dinner. Warm out of the oven with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and some whipped cream? Hell yeah....it is good.

Ingredients

1 (10.75 ounce) loaf day-old bread, torn into small pieces
(I used leftover beignets, some coated with powdered sugar and some covered with cinnamon and sugar)
4 cups milk
2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
3 eggs, beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 12 oz. package white chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish.

2. In a large bowl, combine bread, milk, sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla and white chocolate chips; mixture should be the consistency of oatmeal. Pour into prepared pan.

3. Bake in preheated oven 1 hour, until nearly set. (It should have a "thigh wiggle" or wiggle as much as a well endowed thigh.) Serve warm or cold.

White Chocolate and Coconut Chewy Cookies

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups flaked coconut
1 cup white chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C.) Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, cream the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg and vanilla until light and fluffy. Gradually blend in the flour mixture, then mix in the coconut and chocolate chips. I used a yellow disher (2 oz) like this one: Stainless Steel Ice Cream Scooper / Disher, Plastic Handle, 2 oz , but I think in the future I'll use the black one (1 1/4 oz.).

3. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until lightly toasted. Baking times will vary based on the size of the cookie. Cool on wire racks.

Dutch Oven Dinner Recipes

Chris Lilly's Pork Injection

Pork injection
3/4 cup apple juice
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup salt
2 tablespoons Worcestershire

Competition Chicken Brine

Brining ChickenChicken is not a tough piece of meat and cooks in a fairly short period of time, so you don't have to worry so much about temperature spikes (for fear of burning the outside, and undercooking the inside) as one would with a brisket or pork butt. Chicken is fairly forgiving meat to barbecue. They are cheap and plentiful so don’t be afraid to experiment with new methods. There is no doubt that brining before cooking any kind of poultry has very distinct advantages.

Selection

It is preferable to cook chickens in halves, rather than whole. They take on a little more smoke and flavor and brown on both sides, which looks nicer. In you can apply a finishing sauce to both the outside and inside if you like. If you chose to present pieces of the chicken rather than the whole, carving these pieces will be easier if the chicken is already cut in half to start.

Some things to consider when selecting a good BBQ chicken:

Do not select the largest chicken you can find. These chickens are often very fatty and do not yield a lot of flavor in the meat.
Look for a chicken that has a skin, which is free of nicks, cuts and blemishes. This will help to ensure that your final product looks as attractive as possible.
If possible select a chicken which has not been previously frozen.
Although free-range chickens are more expensive, they are also more flavorful.

Trimming

Take the whole chicken and remove the giblets and neck from the body cavity. If you plan to serve the breast meat in competition it is preferable to try and keep the skin between the two breasts intact to retain moisture during cooking. To accomplish this, place the chicken with the breast facing up. Insert a knife into the cavity and cut through the rib bones as close to one side of the backbone as you can. Repeat this on the other side of the backbone, and discard the backbone. Turn the chicken over and press down on the breasts flattening the chicken out in the process (It might help to make a small cut on the inside of the breastbone. If you want two halves, just cut the chicken in half through the breastbone and backbone. Wash the chicken off in cold water and pat dry with paper towels.

Brining

Chickens nowdays are raised very quickly to a market weight using carefully formulated feed. These chickens do not have the flavor of those old-time barnyard hunt-and-peckers. There is no doubt that brining poultry leads to a more flavorful and juicy end product.

The brining process forces water into the muscle tissues of the meat by a process known as diffusion and osmosis. This additional moisture causes the muscle tissues to swell and hold more water. The resulting water in the muscle tissues will make the meat more moist and tender. Any spices herbs or other flavorings you add to the brine solution will get taken deep into the meat with the water.

The following is a tried and tested chicken brine recipe.

1 gallon water
3/4 cup kosher salt
2/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup soy sauce
1 teaspoon each of dried tarragon, thyme, black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil

Start by boiling the water and then adding the salt and sugar, so that it will dissolve easier. Then add the spices to the hot liquid so that the flavors are extracted. Cool the brine solution.

Place the brine solution into a non-reactive container and immerse the chicken in the brine, weighting it down if necessary. (Use a heavy plate or a brick inside a ziploc bag as a weight). Place the container into the refrigerator and leave for 10 hours. You can also brine the chicken in an ice chest, by pouring the brine solution into the ice chest, immersing the chicken and weighting down. (Use ziploc bags filled with ice cubes, or "blue ice" to keep the brining solution cool during the brining process.

Upon completion of the brining time remove the chicken from the brine and wash twice for at least 30 seconds in fresh water. Dry the chicken with paper towels.

A few things that you need to be remember when brining:

Make sure your brine does not contain too much salt. The salty flavor of a brine is typically offset by using some kind of sweetening agent such as sugar, honey, maple syrup etc.
Do not leave the chicken in the brine for too long or you will end up with a very mushy and salty end product.
Make sure you wash the chicken in fresh water for 30 seconds, at least twice after you remove it from the brine.
Be careful about using acidic products in your brines as these will begin to ‘cook’ the meat and result in a mushy end product.
Brining must take place at temperatures of 40 degrees or below. Only place your chicken into the brining solution once it is cold. You can cool the brining solution in the refrigerator or by using ziploc bags filled with ice cubes.
Ensure that the brine solution completely covers the chicken during the brining process.
Some guidelines if you are not brining chicken halves are as follows:

Chicken Parts 1 ½ hours
Chicken Breasts 1 hour
Cornish Game Hens 2 hours

Seasoning

It is not necessary to season the chicken with salt prior to cooking, as it has already been salted throughout as a result of the brining process.

Take some Italian salad dressing or olive oil, and rub it all over and under the skin. Get you hands real far up there, all the way to the leg bone. Then, rub down with your favorite rub all under the skin also.

At this point you can also chose to inject your chicken with a marinade.

If you plan to let the chicken stand for any period of time, remember that you should put it back into the refrigerator to avoid bacteria forming.

Cooking

Effect of Smoke

It is recommended that you use lighter flavored woods when smoking chicken such as cherry and apple.

Do not place too much emphasis on producing chicken with a deep ‘smoke ring’. The ring of color grading from dark on the outside to a pale pink deeper into the meat is not really a smoke ring at all. It is a chemical reaction of meat's constituents. The depth of color depends more upon the moisture of the meat than upon the density of smoke. It has no bearing on flavor and is not used as a judging criterion in competition.

Temperatures and Times

Chicken is not a tough meat and thus is not adversely affected by spikes in temperature. However the ideal temperature to cook chicken is approximately 250 to 300 degrees F. Cooking times may vary, but usually chicken halves will take 3 ½ hours. Place the chicken skin side up on the cooker and cook until it reaches an internal temperature of 170 degrees F. Remember also that brined chicken cooks faster than unbrined chicken. If you are using a cooker that has multiple racks, place the chicken on the top rack so that when you mop any other items in the cooker, the mop does not drip onto the chicken and spoil the appearance of the skin.

Mopping

After an hour of smoking, brush the skin with Italian salad dressing or olive oil, and again after about 2 hours. This will help the skin from drying out.

Wrapping

It should not be necessary for you to wrap chicken.

Holding

Holding the cooked chicken in foil once it is cooked can help make the meat even more tender and juicy. However you do not want to leave the chicken wrapped for too long, as it will lose moisture in the process. If this does happen make sure that you reserve these juices and use them to baste over the chicken before you present it. If you do decide to wrap the chicken in foil do not put it back on the cooker, as it will steam in the foil and you run the risk of the chicken becoming mushy and falling apart. Place it rather in an ice chest and insulate with blankets or towels.

Presentation

There are a number of ways to present chicken. You can chose to separate individual pieces, such as the leg, thigh, wing or breast. Then you can present 6 of the same cut or mix and match your cuts so that the judges have the opportunity to chose what they personally like to eat. Whatever you decide to submit, remember to cut it up in such a way that the nicely browned skin covers the white chicken meat for a neat presentation.

If you want to just serve breast meat, which will be the easiest for a judge to eat, and if cooked properly will be moist and flavorful. Carefully cut the breast meat and skin away from the bone and cartilage of the carcass, then slice diagonally at an angle, into 6 slices. Gather the slices back together, and reassemble the breast meat as neatly as possible.

If you have overcooked the chicken, the breast meat will likely be dry and you might consider entering thigh meat, which will be moister.

Once you have cut the chicken into the pieces you want to present, baste with any chicken juices that have accumulated through the holding process or while you were cutting the meat for presentation. Spray with apple juice just prior to submitting, which will moisten the meat and give it a nice shine.

Drunken Apple Marinade

1 whole apple (Granny Smith)
1/4 cup of cider vinegar
1/3 cup of brown sugar
1/2 cup of apple juice
2 tbl of Worchestershire
2 shots of Maker's Mark
1 clove of garlic
2 tbl of your favorite rub
1 tbl of lemon juice
2 tbl of salt

Depending on mood I have added fresh cilantro and bay leaf to give it some herb flavoring as well. Hell it is BBQ do what you like.

There it is, I let it simmer on the oven for a good hour or two. Usually drink a couple of whiskey and cokes as I go. Then strain, let cool and marinade over night. I reserve the juice that is left in the marinating bag, boil it and use it as a MOP.

Fast Eddy Pork Injection

2 quarts water
1 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup sugar

Quick and Easy Sweet and Sour Sauce

A quick and easy recipe that can be poured over a dish or used as a dipping sauce. A recipe for sweet and sour sauce using black rice vinegar can be found here.

Yields about 1/2 cup
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

1/3 cup white or rice vinegar (Note: rice vinegar gives better results)
4 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 teaspoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons cornstarch mixed with 4 teaspoons water

Preparation:
Mix the vinegar, brown sugar, ketchup, and soy sauce together and bring to a boil in a small pot. Mix together the cornstarch and water, add to the other ingredients and stir to thicken.

Rick's Sinful Marinade

It's just a basic beer mop that I took from Smoke and Spice and changed a bit. BBQBob named it Rick's Sinful Marinade. Here it is;

Rick's Sinful Marinade

12 oz. can of beer
½ cup cider vinegar
½ cup of water
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons barbeque sauce
1 tablespoon seasoned salt or rub.
1 tablespoon celery seed
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Mix the ingredients and baste as necessary, or add when wrapping at about 165*.

Rick

Wozniak Chicken Brine

1 (14-ounce) can chicken broth
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon Kosher salt or 3/4 tablespoon table salt

from a recipe for 6 to 8 thighs

Baked Chicken w/ Broccoli in Curry Sauce

6 cooked, boneless chicken breasts
2 lbs Broccoli
1 Can of Cream of Chicken Soup
1 C Mayonnaise
Mozzarella Cheese and or combo of mild cheddar
Curry Powder

Preheat oven to 350.

Gently boil the chicken breasts and let cool. Cut into large bite size chunks.

Cut up broccoli into individual florettes, steam or microwave to partial doneness. If you like crunchy broc at the end of the dish, omit prior cooking.

In a large bowl, mix soup & mayo mixture, add a bit of milk if you wish it to blend easier.

Add the chicken and broccoli into the soup mixture in the large bowl, mix and coat ingredients well.

Then pour into casserole baking dish. Top with cheese and then sprinkle with curry powder (heavy or lightly depending on your taste for curry). Cover with foil. Bake for 1 hour at 350. Uncover foil last 10 minutes of cooking. Kids will eat this dish.

Barberton Chicken Recipe

Barberton ChickenBarberton Chicken Recipe

2 frying chickens cut up
Flour
Salt, pepper
2 eggs, beaten
Unseasoned, dry bread crumbs
Lard (about 4 lbs.)

Directions

Cut Chicken breasts in half lengthwise:separate thighs from legs. The chicken pieces should be all about the same size, for even cooking.

Combine flour, salt and pepper. Roll chicken pieces in flour and shake off excess. Dip in beaten eggs. Roll in bread crumbs, pressing crumbs into chicken; gently shake off excess.

Melt lard in a chicken fryer or heavy, deep kettle. Heat to 250 degrees. Fry chicken pieces a few at a time for 20 minutes. Keep fried chicken warm while frying remaining batches.

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Barberton Hot Sauce Recipe

2 onions, chopped
1 fresh hot pepper, sliced
2 tbsp. butter
paprika (to taste...?)
2 one-pound cans stewed tomatoes
1/2 cup uncooked, long-grain rice
salt & pepper

Directions

Brown onions and pepper in butter. Add paprika to taste. Process tomatoes briefly in a blender. Add tomatoes, rice, salt and pepper to onion mixture. Cover and cook until rice is tender, about 45 minutes, adding additional water if necessary. Remove pepper slices before serving.

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Barberton Cole Slaw Recipe

1 small head cabbage, about 1 1/4 lbs.
3/4 cup vinegar
1/2 cup oil
1/3 cup plus 1 tbsp. sugar
salt to taste

Directions

Shred cabbage. You should have about eight cups. Combine vinegar, oil and sugar and whisk until sugar has dissolved. Pour dressing over cabbage and season with salt. Toss well. Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours, stirring occasionally.

Má Yi Shàng Shù - Ants In A Tree

Ingredients

4 1/2 ounces mung bean noodles
2 ounces soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine
1 tablespoon sambal chili paste
1 teaspoon cornstarch
10 ounces ground pork
1 tablespoon canola oil
4 green onions, chopped, divided
1/2 cup chicken broth

Directions

Soak the noodles in enough hot water to cover by 1 inch for 20 minutes. Use kitchen shears to cut the noodles into 3 to 4-inch pieces and drain thoroughly in a colander for 10 minutes.

Combine the soy sauce, rice wine, and chili paste in a medium bowl and whisk until smooth. Add the cornstarch and whisk until combined. Add the pork and mix until thoroughly integrated. Set aside for 30 minutes.

Place a 12-inch saute pan over high heat for 1 minute. Add the oil and swirl to coat the bottom and sides of the pan. Once the oil shimmers, add the meat mixture. Stir constantly for 2 minutes, breaking the meat up into very small pieces. Add 2/3 of the green onions and continue cooking and stirring until the meat is well browned and in very small pieces, approximately 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-high and add the broth. Cook until reduced, approximately 3 minutes.

Slowly add handfuls of the noodles to the pan, tossing with the meat mixture until combined and the pieces of meat cling to the noodles and no liquid remains. Serve immediately with the remaining green onions.

Pork Medallions with Brandy Cream Sauce

24 oz linguine
2 lbs pork tenderloin
½ cup flour
¼ cup olive oil
½ stick butter, divided
8 oz sliced baby portabellos
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups heavy whipping cream
½ cup brandy
2 TBSP dried thyme
2 TBSP Dijon mustard
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
½ tsp cayenne
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Cook linguine per package directions. Cut pork into 1 inch slices, pound to ¼ inch thickness, then cut into quarters. Place flour in gallon Ziploc and add pork a few at a time and shake to coat. Add oil and half the butter to a Dutch oven. Cook the pork over medium high heat until juices run clear. Remove and keep warm. Add remaining butter to Dutch oven. Sauté the mushrooms and onions until tender. Add garlic and cook one minute longer. Add cream, brandy, mustard, and seasonings. Bring to a boil, cook until liquid is reduced by half. Stir in tomatoes, add back the pork, and heat through. Serve with linguine, sprinkle with cheese.

Stuffed Peppers

I usually use any kind of tomato sauce thing I have instead of soup. I like to bake the peppers in sauce and use the extra sauce for pasta or potatoes or whatever starch I'm serving.

Ingredients

2/3 cup water
1/3 cup uncooked white rice
4 green peppers
1 pound lean ground beef
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed tomato soup

Directions

In a medium saucepan, bring water to a boil. Add rice and stir. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, 1 cup cooked rice, onion, egg, salt and pepper, along with 2 tablespoons of tomato soup. Mix thoroughly.

Divide the beef mixture evenly among the peppers.

In a large casserole, place the stuffed peppers and pour the remaining tomato soup over the top. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 40 minutes, stirring and basting with the liquid often.

Chipolte Pulled Pork - Scored and Chunked

Rehydrating seasoningI got my hands on some "Chipolte Seasoning" from Sam's Club and I've been using it off and on in a bunch of recipes. I had the thought that I wanted to rehydrate it and make a "schmear" that I would use as a marinade and rub.

I used about a cup of the seasoning, with about a cup of water. Brought it to a boil and let it sit until cool. This rehydrated all the minced onion, garlic and peppers in the rub.

Scoring pork buttsI intended to pull this pork apart for sandwiches and chimichangas, and I really wanted a nice bark with big chunks for the sandwiches, so I scored the fat cap nice and deep and rubbed the butts down thoroughly.

Bring Big Green Egg to tempNext I prepared my Big Green Egg like normal for doing a low and slow. Started a fire, and when it was burning nicely, added a couple chunks of hickory and some cherry I had from the farm. When it reaches 225 degrees, you're ready to add the pork.

Smoke at 225, until internal temp reaches 165-170 degrees, double wrap in foil and put back on Big Green Egg. Smoke until 195-200, or until bone pulls from meat.

Unwrap from foil, crank Big Green Egg and form a nice crust. Let it rest for 10-15 minutes and pull it apart with bear paws, forks or fingers.

Breaded Slow-Grilled Almost-Fried Chicken Wings

Makes 12-15 wings

Breading:
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup corn meal
2 tbsp BBQ rub
2 tsp salt

Egg Wash:
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
(you might need 2 eggs and 1 cup milk for a large batch)

Directions:

Mix the egg and milk in one bowl. In another, the flour, corn meal, BBQ Rub, and salt, and mix well.

Cover the wing in the eggwash, and shake off excess.

Roll the wing in the flour mixture, and try and cover fully and evenly. Shake off excess, as you just need a thin even coating.

Refrigerate breaded wings for an hour or more to set coating.

Spray (or wipe) cooking grid with oil, and place wings on oiled grate of a 250 degree established fire, approximately 12-15 inches above the coals. Close cooker, and wait 30 minutes before flipping (assuming fire is low). Oftentimes I will rotate the grate 180 degrees after the first 15 minutes, just to compensate for any hot spots in the fire.

Once coating has started to set up on side one, they are ready to flip. CAREFUL!!! This is the trickiest part. If you simply pick up the wings to flip, you could lose some of the coating, so I came up with a little trick that works well for me. Gently slide the wings back and forth parallel to the grate bars without lifting. Just enough to break lose any areas that might be sticking. Once they are free, then gently flip to the other side.

Another half hour (rotating grid halfway if you want) and they are ready to flip again.....CAREFULLY! You can see they are starting to brown nicely...and evenly.

After the first hour, I start flipping every 20 minutes, and moving the pieces around to finish all pieces evenly.

Cooking times will vary depending on the conditions in your cooker, but when they look like they are almost done, I sometimes sauce with a real thin coating. 20-30 more minutes and the sauce caramelizes into the crunchy breaded coating. Great without sauce too, so I change it up to keep things interesting!

Diva Q Bacon Wrapped Boneless Chicken Thighs

After watching both my boys eat burned up campfire food this past weekend at camp, I've decided that it's time to initiate Dutch Oven Wednesdays. Where they cook our dinner, using a recipe and the same methods they would use at Scout camp. They're _not_ happy with me. This is the first recipe in our series. It's probably a little tougher than one they would choose to cook for their patrol, but is worth the effort. Besides now they have the concept of how to stuff chicken. Max even said...."Hey, I could probably just put a slice of cheese and some ham in here" BINGO.....they'll get it.

Ingredients:
10 Chicken Thighs (boneless & skinless)
30 slices double smoked Bacon(thinly cut)

Filling:
1/2 package cream cheese
1 small jar pimentos (approx 3 tablespoons)
1/2 small red onions finely minced
2 tablespoons dried chives
1 tsp granulated garlic
1 tsp bbq rub

Mix all filling ingredients together and chill for 1/2 hour.

Instructions:
1. Lay a chicken thigh out flat and place a tsp of the filling on each interior of the thigh. Roll up the chicken thigh and repeat.

2. Then wrap each thigh with 3 slices of the thinly cut bacon. First Slice goes the length of the thigh

3. The second and third slices are placed around the width of the thigh

4. Repeat until all thighs are wrapped.

5. Fry in dutch oven at 250F for 1/2 hour until the bacon has released some of the fats. Drain off excess grease and reserve for egg noodles! :) Put on lid and bake at 350F until internal temp reaches 160. The baste with BBQ sauce.

6. Finish baking to the internal temperature of 180F. Remove, let them rest for 10 minutes, then serve.

This recipe has been modified slightly for dutch oven use and comes from my Canadian BBQ buddy Danielle Dimovski. Danielle, aka DivaQ, is a top flight cook based out of Canada . She runs a super website, http://divaq.ca/, and competes regularly here in the US in the KCBS series. She makes many personal appearances doing grilling, cooking and smoking demonstrations on both sides of the border.

Honey-brined Smoked Turkey

Honey Smoked Turkey1 gallon hot water
1 pound kosher salt
2 quarts vegetable broth
1 pound honey
1 (7-pound) bag of ice
1 (15 to 20-pound) turkey, with giblets removed
Vegetable oil, for rubbing turkey

Combine the hot water and the salt in a 54-quart cooler. Stir until the salt dissolves. Stir in the vegetable broth and the honey. Add the ice and stir. Place the turkey in the brine, breast side up, and cover with cooler lid.. Brine overnight, up to 12 hours.
Remove the turkey from the brine and dry thoroughly. Rub the bird thoroughly with the vegetable oil.

Heat the grill to 400 degrees F.

Using a double thickness of heavy-duty aluminum foil, build a smoke bomb. Place a cup of hickory wood chips in the center of the foil and gather up the edges, making a small pouch. Leave the pouch open at the top. Set this directly on the charcoal or on the metal bar over the gas flame. Set the turkey over indirect heat, insert a probe thermometer into the thickest part of the breast meat, and set the alarm for 160 degrees F. Close the lid and cook for 1 hour.

After 1 hour check the bird; if the skin is golden brown, cover with aluminum foil and continue cooking. Also, after 1 hour, replace wood chips with second cup.

Once the bird reaches 160 degrees F, remove from grill, cover with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 1 hour. Carve and serve.

Shoyu Chicken

Shoyu Chicken is a popular Hawaiian dish. It is often served with rice. The word shoyu is Japanese for soy sauce. Let the chicken soak in the marinade for at least an hour, the longer the better.

Ingredients

1 cup soy sauce
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup water
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger root
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper (optional)
1 teaspoon ground paprika (optional)
5 pounds skinless chicken thighs

Directions

Whisk together the soy sauce, brown sugar, water, garlic, onion, ginger, black pepper, oregano, red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, and paprika in a large glass or ceramic bowl. Add the chicken thighs, and toss to evenly coat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and marinate the chicken in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat, and lightly oil the grate.

Remove the chicken thighs from the marinade. Discard the remaining marinade. Grill the chicken thighs on the preheated grill until cooked through, about 15 minutes per side.

Trash Can Chicken

Trash Can ChickenTrash can chicken, or garbage can chicken is a really simple way of using common household items to cook up some tasty yardbird. I made this recipe years ago as a demo at a Cub Scout campout and the results were pretty good. One of my Scouts remembers it to this day, so it must have been good.

I used a 10 or 11 gallon galvanized trash can that I got at Tractor Supply and a charcoal chimney full of coals.

Get your coals started in the chimney and while they're getting hot prepare the chicken.

I rub the bird down with plain old yellow mustard and then coat pretty liberally with your favorite BBQ rub.

By now the coals should be burning nice and hot. Place a couple sheets of aluminum foil down on the ground, or in your fire ring. Place the chicken on top of a vertical roaster or beer can, soda can or whatever you have that will keep the bird off the ground. You could even use a green apple branch or something that you've removed the bark.

Put the trash can upside down over the chicken and put the hot coals around the base of the can and don't forget to put some coals on top of the can.

I put about a 4 inch layer of coals on the bottom and about 2 layers on top of my can. (Yours may vary depending on the size of your can).

Bake/BBQ the chicken for about 90 minutes. Use welding gloves or something to protect your hands and remove the can to check the internal temperature of the chicken. Make sure it's at about 170 (it will carry-over cook) to 180. OR simply watch for the thighs to get to the point where they're almost falling from the rest of the carcass.

The chicken is very moist and delicious, although doesn't really pick up much flavor from the coals or wood because of the trash can.

Trash Can Chicken

Turkey Veggie Meatloaf Cups

Found this recipe, and I had zucchini and red bell peppers leftover from my last picking of the garden so I thought I would give it a try. It was quick and tasty. I'd make this one again, but would add a 1/2 tsp of salt and pepper to the mix.

Ingredients

2 cups coarsely chopped zucchini
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped onions
1 red bell pepper, coarsely chopped
1 pound extra lean ground turkey
1/2 cup uncooked couscous
1 egg
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 cup barbecue sauce, or as needed

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Spray 20 muffin cups with cooking spray.

Place zucchini, onions, and red bell pepper into a food processor, and pulse several times until finely chopped but not liquefied. Place the vegetables into a bowl, and mix in ground turkey, couscous, egg, Worcestershire sauce, and Dijon mustard until thoroughly combined. Fill each prepared muffin cup about 3/4 full. Top each cup with about 1 teaspoon of barbecue sauce.

Bake in the preheated oven until juices run clear, about 25 minutes. Internal temperature of a muffin measured by an instant-read meat thermometer should be at least 160 degrees F (70 degrees C). Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Chris Lilly's Competition Ribs

4 slabs pork loin back ribs
First Stage Dry Rub:
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup paprika
1/3 cup garlic salt
2 tablespoons onion salt
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons white pepper
1 teaspoon cumin

Second Stage:
1/2 cup apple juice per slab
1/2 cup grape juice per slab

Third Stage:
3/4 cup First Stage rub
1/4 cup brown sugar

Finishing Glaze:
1 1/2 cup Big Bob Gibson Championship Red Sauce or your favorite red sauce
1/2 cup honey

Raw Preparation: Place slab of ribs bone side down on table. Slide knife under the membrane and against the end bone to separate the 2. With a dry paper towel, grasp the edge of the thin membrane and pull. The entire membrane should separate from the rib.
Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Combine First Stage rub and mix well. Generously apply rub onto the front and back sides of ribs. Gently pat to ensure that rub will adhere. Place ribs meat-side up on a broiler pan and bake for 2 1/4 hours.

Remove ribs from oven. Place each rib meat-side down on its own doubled aluminum foil square. Foil should be large enough to completely wrap rib. Mix the Second Stage juices. Pour 1 cup of liquid over each rib. At the same time wrap and seal each rib tight. Return to the oven for 1 hour.

Remove wrapped ribs from oven. Remove from foil and apply a medium coat of the Third Stage rub to the meat-side of the ribs. Place uncovered in the oven meat-side up for 30 minutes.

Remove ribs from oven and increase oven temperature to 350 degrees. Brush finishing glaze on both sides of ribs. Place ribs in oven for 10 minutes, or until sauce caramelizes.

Andouille

Home made spicy Andouille sausages. Adjust the seasonings to suit your preferences. Pack any unused sausage casings in a jar with salt.

Ingredients

1 1/2 yards of large sausage casing, about 2 to 3 inches wide
4 pounds lean pork meat
2 pounds pork fat
1/4 cup minced garlic
2 tablespoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon ground paprika
1/4 teaspoon crushed bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon dried sage
5 teaspoons hickory-flavored liquid smoke

Directions

1. Soak the casing in cold water for about an hour to soften it and loosen the salt in which it is packed. Place the wide end of the sausage stuffer up against the sink faucet and run cold water through the inside of the casing to remove excess salt.

2. Cut the meat and fat into 1/2-inch wide chunks. Pass them once through the coarse blade of a meat grinder. In a large bowl, mix together the ground pork and fat with the garlic, salt, pepper, cayenne, thyme, paprika, bay leaf, sage, and hickory smoke. A wooden spoon works well.

3. Cut the casing into 26 inch lengths and tie a small knot in one end of each. Fit the open end over the tip of the sausage stuffer and slide it on until the tip of the stuffer touches the knot. The casing will look like accordion folds. This keeps excess air from getting into the casings. Fit the stuffer onto the meat grinder or according the directions that come with the stuffer, or hold the wide end of the stuffer against or over the opening by hand.

4. Fill the hopper with the sausage mixture. Turn the machine on if it is electric and feed the stuffing gradually into the hopper; for a manual machine, push the stuffing through with a wooden pestle. The sausage casing will fill and inflate gradually. Stop filling about 1 1/4 inches from the funnel end and slip the casing off the funnel, smoothing out any bumps carefully with your fingers and being careful not to push the stuffing out of the casing. Tie off the open end of the sausage tightly with a piece of string or make a knot in the casing itself.

5. To cook, slice the sausage into half-inch rounds and grill in a hot skillet with no water for about 12 minutes on each side, or until brown and crisp at the edges.

Boudin Blanc

In Louisiana, boudin blanc (or "white boudin") is a wonderful Cajun sausage stuffed with pork and rice. It's one of those food products that originated in frugality; the rice was meant to stretch the meat. Now, it's a unique and delicious treat all itsw own. (There's another style of boudin called "boudin blanc" in France, but it's very different. This is Cajun boudin.)

Ingredients

2 1/2 pounds pork butt, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 pound pork liver, rinsed in cool water
2 quarts water
1 cup chopped onions
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 cup chopped green bell peppers
1/2 cup chopped celery
4 1/4 teaspoons salt
2 1/2 teaspoons cayenne
1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1 cup finely chopped parsley
1 cup chopped green onions tops, (green part only)
6 cups cooked medium-grain rice
1 1/2-inch diameter, casings, about 4 feet in length

Directions

In a large sauce pan, combine the pork butt, pork liver, water, onions, garlic, bell peppers, celery, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Bring the liquid up to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 1 1/12 hours, or until the pork and liver are tender. Remove from the heat and drain, reserving 1 1/2 cups of the broth. Using a meat grinder with a 1/4-inch die, grind the pork mixture. 1/2 cup of the parsley, and 1/2 cup of the green onions, together. Turn the mixture into a mixing bowl. Stir in the rice, remaining salt, cayenne, black pepper, parsley, and green onions. Add the broth, 1/2 cup at a time, and mix thoroughly. Either using a feeding tube or a funnel, stuff the sausage into the casings and make 3-inch links. Bring 1 gallon of salted water up to a boil. Poach the sausage for about 5 minutes, or until the sausage is firm to the touch and plump. Remove from the water and allow to cool

Crabmeat Stuffing

I like to use claw meat in this recipe, it is sweeter that lump white meat and about one half the price.
This is a crab meat stuffing recipe not a bread crumb recipe, too many stuffings are all bread and little crab.

Yield - about 6 Cups

Ingredients
1/2 CUP EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL
1 LARGE YELLOW ONION (Chopped)
3 STALKS CELERY (Chopped)
1 TBSP FRESH GARLIC (Minced)
1/2 CUP DRY WHITE WINE
1/2 TSP WHITE PEPPER
1/2 TSP GROUND CAYENNE PEPPER
1 TSP LEMON PEPPER SEASONING
1 TSP WHOLE THYME LEAVES
1 TSP WHOLE OREGANO LEAVES
1 LB CRAB CLAW MEAT
1 LB LUMP CRAB MEAT
2 CUPS SEASONED BREAD CRUMBS
1 TBSP LEMON JUICE
3 LARGE EGGS (Beaten)
1/4 BUNCH FRESH PARSLEY (Chopped)
3/4 CUP GRATED ROMANO CHEESE

Method
In a large skillet and over medium heat add olive oil, onions and celery; sauté until onions turn clear (about 5- 7 minutes). Add garlic, wine and all of the seasonings, simmer until the sauce reduces by one third.

Remove from heat, gently fold in the crabmeat and remaining ingredients; stuffing should be used immediately or refrigerated.

Plate Presentation
Spoon stuffing into crab shells or in a buttered baking dish. Garnish with thin lemon slices.

Louis' Crabcakes

Makes ten 4-ounce dinner-portion crab cakes.

2 cups best-quality mayonnaise (I use Hellmann's)
2 large egg whites
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon dry mustard (I use Colman's English mustard)
6 tablespoons minced shallots
1/4 cup minced scallions, white and green parts
2 pounds lump crabmeat, gently picked over to remove any shell without breaking up the big pieces of crab
3 cups bread crumbs, made in a food processor from a sliced and dried baguette
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
1/2 cup peanut oil
4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1. Whisk the mayonnaise and egg whites together in a small bowl until well blended. Whisk in the Tabasco and dry mustard. Add the shallot and scallions and mix well. Carefully fold in the crabmeat so as not to break up the lumps. Gently fold in 2 cups of the bread crumbs.

2. Divide the mixture into 10 equal parts of 4 ounces each and gently pat each portion into the round shape of crab cakes. Mix the melted butter with the remaining cup of bread crumbs and gently coat each of the cakes.

3. Heat the oil and 4 tablespoons of butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté the crab cakes for 3 minutes on each side or until nicely browned, turning once. Watch the heat. If the fat gets too hot, the cakes will brown on the outside before they are cooked on the inside. When cooked, drain the cakes briefly on paper towels. Serve immediately or keep warm in a 200°F oven for up to 15 minutes. If the crab cakes stay in the oven any longer, they will dry out.

Mojo Isleño

Mojo isleño is a popular way to prepare fish in Puerto Rico. It's name can be translated as "islander sauce," and its components--olives, peppers, garlic and bay leaves--are typically Puerto Rican.

Ingredients:

Olive oil -- 1/4 cup
Onion, chopped -- 1
Bell pepper, chopped -- 1
Garlic, minced -- 4-6 cloves
Tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced -- 2 cups
Red wine vinegar -- 2 tablespoons
Green olives, pitted -- 1/4 cup
Capers, rinsed -- 1 tablespoon
Bay leaf -- 1 or 2
Salt and pepper -- to taste
Olive oil -- 1/4 cup
Fish fillets, cut in serving size -- 2 pounds
Salt and pepper -- to taste

Directions:

1. Heat the first 1/4 cup olive oil in a saucepan over medium flame. Add the onions and peppers and sauté until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic and sauté for another 1 to 2 minutes.

2. Stir in the tomatoes, vinegar, olives, capers, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes until somewhat reduced.

3. Heat the remaining olive oil in a sauté pan over medium high flame. Season the fish with salt and pepper and sauté on both sides until both sides are lightly browned.

4. Pour the prepared sauce over the fish and simmer until the fish is cooked through, about 6 to 8 minutes.

Orange Pecan Salmon

Ok, so admittedly, this recipe came from a magazine. It sounded good, but I know Aldi doesn't have orange marmalade so I subbed some tasty Mango/Passionfruit preserves instead and it came out really well. Even my youngest said "Dad, this fish is goood"

Ingredients
1 cup Orange Marmalade
1/2 cup Soy Sauce
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

8 oz Pecans (chopped)
4 Salmon Filets

Directions:

Combine everything but the nuts. Let the salmon marinate for at least 30 minutes, up to maybe an hour or so.

Bake/Roast salmon at 350 for 20-25 minutes. Take the marinade and bring to a boil, add nuts, and serve over salmon.

Shrimp Etouffee

Étouffée or etouffee is a Cajun dish typically served with shellfish or chicken over rice and is similar to gumbo. It is most popular in New Orleans and in the bayou country of the southernmost half of Louisiana.

2 Tbsp Creole Seasoning
4 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
1/2 Cup Onion, Finely Chopped
1/4 Cup Celery, Finely Chopped
1/4 Cup Bell Pepper, Finely Chopped
1/4 Cup Flour
3/4 Cup fresh Tomatoes, diced
Shrimp Stock
2 Tbsp Minced Garlic
I bundle of Fresh Thyme
2 tsp Homemade Worcestershire Sauce
1 tsp Hot Sauce (I like Crystal or Louisiana Gold)
1/2 Cup Green Onions, thinly sliced
3 Tbsp minced Italian Parsley
2 lb Good Quality Shrimp, Peeled and Deveined, Save shells for the stock
3 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
Salt & Freshly Ground Black Pepper to taste
1 Recipe Creole Boiled Rice

Season the shrimp with 1 Tbsp of the Creole Seasoning.
Melt the butter in a large cast iron skillet, add the onions, bell pepper, and celery, saute until translucent. Whisk in the flour to make a blonde roux, stirring constantly, about 3-5 minutes. Stir in the remaining Creole Seasoning. Add a small amount of the shrimp stock, stir well to form a paste, add the remaining stock gradually, whisking constantly. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. You may need a little more stock, but the end result should be the consistency of a gravy, not too thick, not too thin.

Add the tomatoes, garlic, Thyme, Worcestershire, and hot sauce, a little salt, black pepper, and Cayenne. Simmer for 20-30 minutes.

Add the shrimp, green onions, and parsley, simmer for 10 minutes more or until the shrimp are cooked through. Stir in the 3 Tbsp butter, and adjust the seasonings to taste.

Chipotle's Cilantro Lime Rice

1 tbsp oil (canola/vegetable)
2 tsp fresh cilantro, chopped fine
1 fresh key lime (or ½ regular lime)
½ tsp salt (kosher or sea salt)
1 cup long grain white rice (or basmati, if you can bear the funky smell)
2 cups water

Sautee the rice in oil until almost translucent (as if you are making a risotto).

Add water, bring to a boil.

As soon as the water begins to boil, turn the heat down low.

Simmer, covered for 15-20 minutes, or until all water is absorbed.

Turn off heat. DON'T PEEK. LEAVE IT COVERED for 30 minutes (this is the "steaming" part.... Chipotle steams rice every hour). This is what makes the rice fluffy. You won’t be happy with yourself if you don’t do this. Be patient. Good things come to those who wait.

Remove lid, let some of the steam out. It may be helpful to transfer rice into a mixing bowl for the next step.

Mix salt and juice of key lime together until salt is dissolved.

Pour it over rice, fluff with a fork.

Sprinkle in cilantro, and toss well to evenly coat with cilantro and lime mixture.

Creole Boiled Rice

The goal here is not to absorb all of the liquid into the rice like most recipes. The goal is to make the rice tender, then drain the rice! Think Pasta. I use Basmati or Jasmine Rice. Here is my recipe!

Creole Boiled Rice

1 quart of Boiling Water
1 Cup Basmati or Jasmine Rice
2 Fresh Bay Leaves (If you have to use dried, do so, but damn….. the fresh are so much better!)
1 Tablespoon Kosher Salt
1 Tablespoon Unsalted Butter (Optional)

Bring the water to a boil with the Bay leaves. Add the salt. Add the rice, stir to make sure the rice doesn’t stick! Do Not Stir again! If you agitate the rice too much, it gets sticky! So give it a good stir, when it comes back to a boil, partially cover it. Cook for about 11 minutes, but taste it, don’t trust me! It should have some bite, but a crunch is bad, Call it Al Dente, like I said, think Pasta. When it’s tender, drain it, pluck out the bay leaves, and if desired, place it into a 400 degree oven with the butter patted on top for about 15 minutes; this helps dry the rice out.

German Spaetzle Dumplings

Ingredients

4 cups all-purpose flour
5 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup water

Directions

1. In large bowl, combine flour, eggs and salt. Add water a little at a time to form a soft dough.

2. Boil 2 quarts of water in a large pot. Squeeze dough out into the water using noodle or fruit press or by pressing through a colander with large holes. When noodles float to the top of the water, they are done (6 to 8 minutes). Serve as a side or main dish.

Homemade Tater Tots

I don't know about your kids, but mine have an affinity for tater tots and if you're up for it, I found a pretty great recipe for a home made version. Next time I'll add some cheese and bacon. Why? Well everything's better with cheese and bacon right?

Ingredients

8 medium potatoes, cooked, peeled, and hot
1 tablespoon flour
1 dash pepper
1 teaspoon salt or 1 teaspoon seasoning salt
2 tablespoons finely minced onions (optional)
canola oil or vegetable oil

Directions

Finely shred or use a ricer while potatoes are still hot.
Stir in flour, salt, pepper and onion (if using).
Heat 1/4-in oil in heavy pan.
Form into small balls and drop in oil; fry until slightly golden.
Drain on paper towels, then freeze for tater tot casseroles or to serve alone.
When ready to serve, remove from freezer.
Bake in single layers on a greased baking sheet; at 400 degrees until desired doneness.

Arroz con Pollo

Ingredients

2 c. raw medium or long grain rice
1 lb. chicken parts (I use chicken drumettes but you can use chicken thighs, or whole pieces.
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
2 tbsp. Manzanilla olives (use the red sweet peppers)
1 tsp. alcaparras (capers)
1/2 c. sofrito
1 tsp. garlic powder or 2 garlic cloves (minced)
1 envelope of onion soup* (my secret)
1/2 c. vegetable canola oil
1 envelope of sazon
adobo to taste
4 c. boiling water

Directions
For best results, prepare the chicken the day before.

Sprinkle the chicken with adobo and store in the refrigerator until you are ready to make the rice.

In a large pot, brown the chicken parts in the canola oil, about 5 minutes on each side.

Take the chicken out of the pot and set aside but don't put them on paper towels to drain.

In the same pot that you fried the chicken, (drippings and all), add the sofrito, tomato sauce, olives, capers, and garlic.

Mix well and cook the sofrito for 5 minutes on medium heat.

Now add the onion soup, sazon, chicken and rice to the pot and stir.

Add the boiling water until the water is about 1 inch above the rice, but stir once only.

Boil uncovered, on medium high heat, until all the water is absorbed.

When the water is all absorbed, gently stir from bottom to top.
DO NOT STIR LOTS.

Cover the pot with aluminum foil, cover with the top and continue to cook over LOW heat for another 30 - 35 minutes or until the rice is tender.

Tips
Using aluminum foil helps to pop all the grains faster and evenly.

*Use 1 pack of Onion soup and omit the salt for better taste.

If you stir the rice too much, it will become sticky and will get "amelcochao" (soggy rice).

If you cook your rice on high heat too long, it will get "ahumado" (burnt) and will taste yucky.

You can also cook the chicken with the adobo in a crockpot all day while you go to work and when you get home, you can debone it but save the broth to make the rice instead of adding the water.

Hoppin' John

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups dry black-eyed peas
1 pound ham hocks
1 onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste
4 cups water
1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice
1 cup shredded smoked Cheddar cheese

Directions

1. In a large pan place the peas, ham hock, onion, red pepper, salt and pepper. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 1 1/2 hours.

2. Remove ham hock and cut meat into pieces. Return meat to pot. Stir in the rice, cover and cook until rice is tender, about 20 to 25 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle shredded cheese over top, if desired. Serve

Picadillo - Relleno Básico

Ingredients

1 lb. ground meat
2 oz. chopped cooking ham
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 medium garlic clove (a pilonazo)
1/4 tsp. vinegar
1 tsp. salt
6-8 chopped olives
1 tsp. capers
1 envelope of sazón
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
2 tsp. sofrito

Optional:
8-10 chopped prunes
2 tsp. raisins

Directions
In a deep pot, brown the ground meat.

Drain most of the grease and add garlic, ham, oregano, vinegar, salt, olives, capers, sazón, sofrito and tomato sauce.

Bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to low and cover the pot.

Cook for 15 minutes covered.

Uncover and cook another 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Tips
For a healthier recipe, try using ground turkey instead.

If you prefer to cook ground pork meat, cook an additional 15-20 minutes.

This recipe is used in making pastelillos, alcapurrias, stuffed green peppers, piñon and many other dishes.

Shrimp Stock

The Shells and tails from 2 lb. of Shrimp
1/2 Cup chopped Onion
1/4 Cup chopped Celery
2 Garlic Cloves
1 Lemon sliced
2 Fresh Bay Leaves
3 Sprigs Fresh Thyme
1 tsp. Black Peppercorns

Add all ingredients to a 2 qt. saucepan. Cover this with cold water, it should be about 6-8 Cups Cups. You’ll need 1 1/2 Cups for the Etouffee. Bring almost to a boil, reduce the heat to a low simmer. Simmer for about 45 minutes to an hour. Strain.

Tip: When adding fresh Thyme to a simmered dish like this, I always bundle the Thyme tightly with butchers twine. The leaves will remove themselves while cooking, and you will get all of the flavor from the stems. When ready to serve just remove the bundle of stems along with your bay leaves.

Skyline Chili - Version 2

Skyline Chili is a chain of chili restaurants based in Cincinnati, Ohio. Founded in 1949 by Greek immigrant Nicholas Lambrinides, Skyline Chili is named for the view of Cincinnati's skyline that Lambrinides could see from his first restaurant (which has since been demolished), opened in the section of town now known as Price Hill. It is also the "official chili" of many local professional sports teams, universities, and venues, including the Cincinnati Reds, the University of Cincinnati, and the Kings Island theme park.

1 qt. water
2 med. onions, finely chopped
2 (8 oz.) cans tomato sauce
5 whole allspice or 1/2 tsp. ground
1 1/2 tsp. red pepper
1 tsp. ground cumin
3-4 tbsp. chili powder
1/2 oz. unsweetened chocolate
2 lbs. ground beef
4 garlic cloves
2 tbsp. vinegar
1 whole bay leaf
5 whole cloves
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon

Add ground beef to water in 4 quart pot. Stir until beef separates to a fine texture. Boil slowly for 30 minutes. Add all other ingredients. Stir to blend, bringing to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for about 3 hours. Pot may be covered the last hour after desired consistency is reached.
Chili should be refrigerated overnight, so that the fat can be lifted from top before reheating. Serve over spaghetti. Serve with oyster crackers.

3-way: spaghetti, sauce, finely grated Cheddar cheese

4-way: spaghetti, sauce, cheese, onions

5-way: spaghetti, sauce, cheese, onions, beans.

Skyline Chili

3 lbs. lean hamburger, don't brown, chop up)
2 qts. water
2 lg. onions, chopped
2 (16 oz.) kidney beans
29 oz. can tomato sauce
1/2 tsp. allspice
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
4 tbsp. chili powder or more
2 tbsp. vinegar
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 oz. unsweetened baking chocolate squares
1 1/2 tsp. salt
4 drops Tabasco sauce

In an 8 quart kettle combine hamburger, water and onions; simmer for 30 minutes. Then add remaining ingredients. Simmer for 2 or 3 hours, uncovered. Serve with steamed buns, hot dogs, onions and cheese or serve over spaghetti noodles, onions and cheese. Makes 6 pints.

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

I don't remember where I found this recipe, but I've been using this recipe for years and finally decided to write it down. This recipe works well in slow cookers too, or make them up and throw them on the smoker. The taste of smoke on cabbage is quite good. Use any leftover pieces of cabbage chopped up with onion and bacon for cabbage and noodles. Use extra sauce over noodles.

Ingredients:

2/3 cup water
1/3 cup uncooked white rice
8 cabbage leaves (about one head)
1 pound lean ground beef
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed tomato soup
1 T Worchestershire
1 T lemon juice
1 T garlic
1 pkg onion soup mix

Method:

1. In a medium saucepan, bring water to a boil. Add rice and stir. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

2. Bring a large, wide saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil. Add cabbage leaves and cook for 2 to 4 minutes or until softened; drain. I've also done this by simply boiling the entire head of cabbage for 6 minutes, cool and peel off individual leaves.

3. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, 1 cup cooked rice, onion, egg, salt and pepper, worchestershite, lemon juice, garlic, along with 2 tablespoons of tomato soup. Mix thoroughly.

4. Divide the beef mixture evenly among the cabbage leaves. Roll and secure them with toothpicks or string.

5. In a large skillet over medium heat, place the cabbage rolls and pour the remaining tomato soup over the top. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 40 minutes, stirring and basting with the liquid often.

Stuffed Shells

This version tastes great and the cheese stuffing is just perfect. The original recipe called for mixing the leftover cheese with the sauce and meatballs, but my family prefers to have the sauce over the shells and the melted mozzarella on top of everything.

Ingredients

1 (12 ounce) package jumbo pasta shells
2 eggs, beaten
1 (32 ounce) container ricotta cheese
1 pound shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
8 ounces grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1 tablespoon dried parsley
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 (28 ounce) jar pasta sauce
8 ounces sliced fresh mushrooms

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.

3. In a large bowl, mix eggs, ricotta, half the mozzarella, half the Parmesan, parsley, salt and pepper until well combined. Stuff cooked shells with ricotta mixture and place in a 9x13 inch baking dish.

4. In a medium bowl, stir together pasta sauce and mushrooms. Pour over stuffed shells.

5. Sprinkle with reserved mozzarella and Parmesan.

5. Cover and bake in preheated oven 45 to 60 minutes, until edges are bubbly and shells are slightly set. Uncover and broil until cheese just starts to barely brown.

Koolicles - Cherry Kool-Aid Flavored Pickles

This is a very rough recipe from Chez on the BBQ Forum. I've noted it here and will revise recipe as I make it and adjust.

Pictures of process to follow when I make it.

Save half the pickle brine (about a quart of it)
1/2 gallon of strong cherry koolaid (2 packets koolaid and 1 cup sugar
Add the reserved quart of brine, making about 3 quarts of cherry brine
Split dills in half
Pack in jars
Pour the sweet cherry brine over them
Fridge

Mexican Style GRILLED CORN

Fire roasted smokyness on every grain, generously sprinkled with chili powder and cotija cheese. Flex your muscle and squeeze all the juice out of the slices of lime over your corn, trust me, you'll thank me later.

The corn is always sweet, the chili powder slightly spicy, the cheese is starting to melt a lil by now and it's turning creamy, while it's saltyness is brought out by the fresh lime juice. One bite into that baby, and all the senses are brought to life again. Sweet, sour, salty, creamy, hot and smoky, by now my tongue is jumping up and down with joy! And being messy or corn grains getting stuck in my teeth is the last thing on my mind.

Mofongo

My family and I had this dish for the first time when we visited Puerto Rico in the spring of 2009. It was delicious and makes a very interesting starchy vegetable choice for stewed meats.

Ingredients:
3 green plaintains
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 lb. Crisp fried pork rinds
4 cups water
3 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon olive oil
Optional: fried bacon, lard or vegetable oil

Directions:
1. Peel plaintains. Cut into one inch slices. Soak for 15 minutes in salt and water. Drain well.

2. Heat fat or oil(350 degrees if you are using a deep fryer). Add plaintain slices and fry for 15 minutes but do not brown. Drain on paper towel.

3. In a mortar(for pounding), crush garlic cloves and sprinkle with salt, add olive oil to the mixture and keep pounding.

4. Crush a portion of the fried plaintains slices and the pork. Add some of the garlic and olive oil mixture and keep pounding.

5. Spoon the mixture and shape into two inch balls. Repeat steps 3 and 4 until you use all the ingredients.

6.Place in oven pan and keep warm until you are ready to serve.

Suggestions: Prepare chicken broth and pour over mofongo, so it will be juicy.

Oriental Cabbage Slaw

1 lb. package of cole slaw mix (put it in a bowl and chop it up a little with some kitchen shears cause sometimes the pieces are really long)
1 cup toasted, sliced almonds (sometimes just don't feel like toasting = ok)
1/2 cup chopped, red onion
2 pkgs oriental flavor ramen noodles, uncooked, broken up

mix all that up in a bowl

dressing:
1 cup oil
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
2 flavor packets from the oriental noodles

pour the dressing over just before serving cause it gets soggy quick.

Overnight Slaw

Ingredients

1 head cabbage – shredded
1 red onion -- thinly sliced
½ cup chopped red pepper
½ cup chopped gr. Pepper
½ cup sliced stuffed olives
½ cup white vinegar
½ cup vegetable oil
½ cup sugar
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp salt
1 tsp celery seed
1 tsp mustard seed

Directions:

In a 4 qt. bowl, combine the veggies and olives. In a saucepan, combine remaining ingredients; bring to a boil.

Cook and stir for 1 min. Pour over veggies and stir
gently. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Mix well before serving. 12 - 16 servings.

NOTES: Make this the night before, and the flavors keep getting better!

Seasoned Green Beans

This recipe has been permanently "borrowed" from Troop 101 and courtesy of Mr. P. So simple, yet so delicious.

1 cup green beans (about 1 lb)
2 tablespoons butter, melted
½ tsp seasoned salt
½ tsp chili powder
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp onion powder

Steam for 7-8 minutes or until crisp-tender. In a small bowl, combine the butter and
seasonings. Drain beans; add butter mixture and toss to coat.

Smoked Cabbage

This recipe is really delicious and inexpensive. Something about having cabbage with your smoked meats that is really delicious. Why do you think coleslaw is so prevalent on BBQ menus?

Here's the ingredients and method, couldn't be much simpler.

2 heads cabbage
1 cup butter
Salt and Pepper

Cut cabbage into fourths place stick of butter in middle close firmly but dont let butter come out of top place heavy alumnum foil around place on smoker for about 4 hours until tender.

About 8 servings