Sunday, September 28, 2014

Smoked Pork Chops on the Grill

Sometimes pork chops are dirt cheap.
Did you know your grill can become a smoker?  Build a modest fire on one side of your grill, add some wet chips (your choice of flavor) thgat you've soaked.  Put the chops on the side of the grill with no fire.  Put the lid on, and barely open the vents.  We also used a bit of apple wood which is particularly good with pork.

To start with, I put a rub on the chops.  We're having a German meal, so I used carraway seeds, granulated garlic, white pepper, a pinch of ginger and some paprika.  Stash the the "rubbed" chops, covered,  in the fridge for a couple hours.

The pork chops take about 2 hours to smoke, and when I sneaked a bite---heaven!

I'll cook some carrot and onion in a bit of oil and then add some white wine,a big jar of saurkraut, drained, and a grated potato.  Usually grate in an apple, too, but we have none so I'll use a bit of agave nectar.  Add more wine, cook a while, and serve the chops with the saurkraut, mashed potatoes and a green salad.

Major yumminess.     We're having an Indian Summer Day, so it was perfect to watch the Ryder Cup and smoke the pork chops.  Now the Red Sox and Yankees are playing the last game of a disappointing season, but the new Red Sox rookies are tremendous.  Really inspiring.  I expect good things in 2015.  From worst to first to worst to first?  Now that will be historical.

Bon Appetit! 

The cheese parer. 

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Going Bananas with Banana Waffles

Come home from a rare week out of town and the milk is sour.  I recall tossing a ripe banana into the freezer before we left.  Looks like we'll be eating banana waffles.  Sour milk makes great pancakes and waffles.  I always assume everyone know this, but maybe not.  I thawed the banana gently in the microwave, peeled it, and tossed it into the batter.  Mashed around a bit until pieces of banana were distributed.  Heat up the waffle iron, fry some bacon and get out the maple and strawberry syrups.  We're weird.  We like cottage cheese with our pancakes and waffles.  Quite yummy.   No one was ready for lunch before 1:00.  #1 son makes banana-chocolate chip pancakes and waffles, but that's too decadent for me.  And remember, you just pop the overripe banana into the freezer, skin and all.  When  you have three of them, you make banana bread.  We waste nothing in this household. 

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Even the Wall Street Journal Carps about Food Prices

I couldn't believe the WSJ, a publication that prints a section called "Mansion" every Friday, had a story last week complaining about food prices.  After I read a bit, I realized the woman involved was entertaining 200 guests and serving lots of expensive booze, so naturally the price would be a concern if one is not "made of money" as the saying goes.  Sticker Shock at the Supermarket?

Meat prices are  high, cereal is high, honey will be going through the roof.  What's a shopper to do?  Eggs are still a bargain, and a good omelet (try spinach) or quiche is always within reach.  The Boston Globe's recipe section today (September 3rd) had a quiche with tomtoes and basil featured.  We're going to eat one of those tonight.  Tomatoes and basil from the garden and shredded mozzarella from the grocery story.  The grated cheeses are frequently on sale.  Don't get carried away, as they don't last forever.  Never tried freezing them.  If you've done this successfully, let me know. 

It really pains me to pay $4.00+ for a loaf of decent bread.  I have a good recipe for food processor bread that is easy (just 10 minutes max of total concentration) and tasty.  I invested in a special bread pan for it, as it makes two loaves.  Eat one, freeze one.  Food processor French bread

We're been using tomatoes from the garden in many recipes, and I've tried some new kebab meals that have been successful, both with chicken and with pork.  There was also a fab orzo salad with eggplant, fennel and zucchini.  I'm not a big fan of zucchni which is basically tasteless, but it was o.k. in the salad and also in a vegetable crostata the next night with a whole wheat crust. 

The recipe was for tomatoes,  zucchini and eggplant, and I added some spinach.  It called for fresh mozzarella which I didn't have quite enough of, so I added feta.  Unless you are baking, use the ingredients as a guide.  Of course I made the crust exactly according to instructions. and it was tender and tasty.  Keep your whole wheat flour in the fridge and it will stay fresh. 

Hope this gives you some new ideas.  Think Quiche, Crostata and Kebabs.  Less meat and lots of flavor.  And if you cater a party for 200, serve chicken not beef!  

Bon Appetit!