Here is a vibrant tasting vegetarian dish with very robust flavors. Although there are a fair number of ingredients, don’t let that deter you. It’s actually a pretty simple recipe in terms of technique and time. Once you have everything prepped, the cooking is pretty rapid. My version is an adaptation of a recipe that first appeared in the New York Times. Ingredients: 14 … [Read more...]
Grilled Mexican-Spiced Chicken Thighs
This tasty dish is based on a recipe originally from Mark Bittman, author of How to Cook Everything. Chicken thighs are so full of flavor to begin with, but when combined with Mexican spices and citrus, these chicken thighs are irresistible. Ingredients: 1 small onion, peeled and quartered 4 garlic cloves, peeled 1 Tbs. cooking oil such as peanut or canola 2 … [Read more...]
Matchstick Fries
On Labor Day earlier this week, I smoked a big pork butt in my Big Green Egg for pulled pork sandwiches. But, after watching the smoker on and off for some 10 hours, I wasn’t in the mood for complicated side dishes. So I just grill some corn and made thin-sliced matchstick French fries. Matchstick fries are simpler to make than standard French fries because … [Read more...]
Maryland-style Steamed Blue Crabs
With Labor Day weekend lurking, I’m thinking about one of my favorite summertime foods: steamed blue crabs. There’s nothing quite like enjoying fresh blue crabs from the Chesapeake Bay when I’m back east, but you can have great success cooking them at home, too. I find that many large Asian supermarkets such as Ocean Mart carry live blue crabs in season. Ingredients: 12 … [Read more...]
Scheff’s Table: Heirloom Caprese Salad
I love the time of summer when our heirloom tomatoes from the garden are ripe enough to eat. Because that means enjoying heirloom Caprese salads! Italy's Caprese salad - named for the island of Capri - is one of the simplest and most delicious things ever. The key to a great Caprese salad lies in its simplicity and freshest ingredients. However, people often … [Read more...]
Scheff’s Table: Cacio e Pepe
My son, Hank, works at a really great Italian restaurant in Medford, New Jersey called ITA101. Chef-Owner Kevin Maher, after attending the prestigious Culinary Institute of America, went to Italy for a restaurant internship and wound up staying in the country for 14 years. At ITA101 my favorite dish (and there are so many favorites!) is Chef Maher’s cacio e … [Read more...]
Grilled Flat Iron Steak
Flat iron steak is a cut of beef that is very tender, nicely marbled, and is great for grilling. It’s especially good with a simple marinade made with olive oil, Worcestershire, red wine vinegar, onions, garlic, spices and a few other ingredients. Ingredients: 1 lb. flat iron steak 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper 1/8 teaspoon onion … [Read more...]
Green Chile Frittata Recipe
We’ve got lots of green chiles growing in our garden this summer and here is a really tasty way we used some of them - by making a cheesy, tangy green chile frittata. Ingredients: 3 Tbsp. unsalted butter 1 white onion, finely diced 12 roasted green chiles, such as Anaheim or Hatch chiles, peeled, seeded & diced. 8 extra large eggs, well beaten 1 Tbsp. ground … [Read more...]
Cajun-Creole Crawfish Pasta Recipe
Years ago, a college friend suggested we eat at K-Paul's Louisiana Kitchen, chef Paul Prudhomme's original restaurant. Even though, I thought this restaurant was a tourist trap, my meal at K-Paul's was one of the most memorable I've ever had. In particular, I recall a rich, decadent pasta dish -- similar to fettuccine Alfredo, but made with crawfish. It was … [Read more...]
Rich and Hearty Chile Colorado Recipe
Chile Colorado is a rich, hearty dish that can be made with beef, pork or even chicken. I like to make mine with lean, mild-tasting pork that soaks up the flavor of dried red chiles that have been reconstituted. Although this recipe requires about 2 hours of cooking time, most of that is unattended, while the Chile Colorado is simmering away on the stove. Ingredients: … [Read more...]