Continue reading »]]> Ok..there’s is no such thing, but this is what happens when you let a hillbilly get a hold of good spices…we make chili. This is actually a variation on a recipe shown to me by an Indian friend, a very Americanized Indian friend. The recipe is stupid simple but the results are great.

	Add Sesame Oil and butter to stock pot. Drop in Garam Masala, Curry, Mustard Seeds, and Chili Powder to the oil mixture. Stir for 2-3 minutes.
	Soften onion in spice/oil mixture. Later add cubed potato and garlic.
	Add lean ground beef and cook until browned. once the beef is browned, add tomatoes and juice to the pot. Let simmer for a couple of hours.
	Add the juice of one lime towards the end of the cooking. Adds a nice citrus tartness.
	Serve on top of basmati rice. Enjoy!

Continue reading »]]> This evening I made a delightful caprese salad with roasted cherry tomatoes and anchovies. This is a super simple dish to make, and it is suitable for a starter salad or as a salad entree.

Slice the cherry tomatoes in half. Salt and pepper them, and place in a 400 degree oven for 20-25 minutes.

Cut mozzarella into ~1/2 inches slices.

Drizzle a bed of extra virgin olive oil\on the plate, and arrange mozzarella slices and anchovy fillets.

Remove cherry tomatoes from the oven. Place on top of the salad with basil

Salt and pepper to taste and enjoy.

Paired with Rogue River Juniper Pale Ale

Continue reading »]]> Tonight, I cooked my favorite burger – the Radley Heat Burger. I haven’t made these in quite awhile. They are not insanely hot, just enough to provide a nice warmth throughout the meal.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds of lean hamburger
• Buns
• 1 large poblano pepper
• 1/4 pound pepper jack cheese
• Hottest horseradish you can find
• Worcestershire sauce
• Hot sauce
• Chili powder – Hot
• Garlic powder
• 4 large white mushrooms

Mix together the ground beef, garlic powder, horseradish, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and chili powder.

Roasted the large poblano pepper in a 375 F oven for 40 minutes. Remove, peel, and seed the roasted pepper. Cut into slices.

Take a 1/4 of the burger mixture and make a thin patty. Place pepper jack cheese and several the poblano slice onto top of it.

Make another burger patty and place on top the former patty. Seal the edges well.

Fry or grill ‘em up!

Cut white mushrooms and onion. Saute in the pan drippings.

Serve on buns with a hearty beer. In this case, the Copper John Scottish Ale from the Madison River Brewery.

Continue reading »]]> This is a most excellent dish, although I made so much I’ll be eating chicken vindaloo for a few days. My version is extra spicy, so fair warning.

Ingredients
2 teaspoon cumin seeds, whole
1 teaspoon peppercorns, black
1 teaspoon cardamom seeds
1 cinnamon (3 in stick)
1 1/2 teaspoon black mustard seeds, whole
1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds, whole
5 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon brown sugar, light
10 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 tablespoon ghee (clarified butter)
2 large yellow onions, peeled and cut into; half-rings
6 tablespoon water
1 ginger, fresh (1-inch cube), peeled; and coarsely chopped
10 garlic cloves, peeled and coarsely; chopped (or less)
1 tablespoon coriander seeds, ground
1/2 teaspoon turmeric, ground
2 lb chicken breast (boneless), cut into; bite-sized pieces
3 tomatoes
1/2 lb new potatoes, peeled and quartered

After thought: Great as a leftover rolled in a tortilla shell.

Continue reading »]]> Bianco Sardo di Moliterno, from Puglia, Italy, is also known as Canestrato, after the baskets in which this hard sheep’s milk cheese is matured. These unique molds are made from Apulian reed and greatly influence the flavor and complexity of the end product, all while giving the cheese a beautiful exterior that reinforces its handmade appeal. Furthermore, the raw sheep’s milk used for Bianco Sardo comes only from animals grazing on Apulian green grasses, instilling Bianco Sardo with the well-rounded and balanced flavor of the land. Its paste is dense and sometimes crumbly, its flavor earthy, sweet, and sometimes tangy. Pair Bianco Sardo with Nero d’Avola or Muscat.

This cheese paired with Full Sail IPA is a nice combination of floral from the beer and earthy, sweet from the cheese and truffle.

Continue reading »]]> This was an amazing recipe made with good friends and beer.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds of flank steak (trimmed)
• 1 medium onion
• 5 cloves of garlic
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro
• Cumin
• Kosher salt
• 1 lime
• 1 avocado
• 1/2 cup of white wine vinegar
• 1 cup of olive oil
• Small flour tortillas
• Full Sail Nut Brown Ale
• Chipotle-Tomatillo Sauce (made previously)

Preparation

Slice flank steak across the bias into strips Prepare marinade with lime juice, white wine vinegar, cilantro, garlic, cumin, kosher salt, and olive oil. Allow to sit for 1 hour.
		Place meat on heated bbq, or run out of gas and go for an amazing option. Heat a dutch oven on the stovetop (high). Place strips on the dutch oven in batches. After removing the meat, deglaze the dutch oven with Full Sail Nut Brown Ale. Add onion and leftover marinade. Cook down until dark and syrupy.
Slice avocado and construct with tortilla, carne asada, the beer onions, avocado, and the chipotle-tomatillo sauce. Completely decadent

Continue reading »]]> This is a super easy and tasty recipe…perfect with an IPA or pale ale.

Ingredients

• 1 Pound of sliced chicken breast
• 12 Tomatillos
• 6 Chipotle chilis with adobo sauce
• 1 Medium yellow onion
• 1 Head of Garlic
• Tortillas
• Sharp Cheddar Cheese
• Chili Powder
• Salt
• Pepper

Preparation

Roast tomatillos in dry frying pan until they are nicely charred in the outside.
		Roast garlic in a 400 degree oven for 30-35 minutes until the garlic is nice and soft. Set aside and allow to cool.
Fry sliced onion until soft with caramelized edges.
		Place chipotles with adobo sauce in food processor. Put chopped tomatillos, roasted garlic, onions, chili powder, salt and pepper in the processor.
Blend until it reaches a texture you like.
		Lightly dredge chicken in seasoned flour. Place batches of chicken strips into oil at medium high heat. After removing the chicken from the pan, put them on a cookie sheet and into a warm oven.
Once all of the chicken has been fried, pour the sauce into a clean frying pan and bring to heat. place the chicken into the pan and allow it to simmer for several minutes.
		Place chicken on on a tortilla with several slices of sharp cheddar cheese. Spoon some of the sauce on top and roll tortilla.
Serve with a refreshing brew (in this case, the Wailua Wheat Ale with passionfruit from Kona Brewing). Now that’s a meal.