Over the years, I've become quite fond of the kimchi recipe I developed and always feel slightly saddened when I see my reserves get lower and lower. Kimchi easily takes the leaderboard amongst the several varieties of fermented vegetables I prepare each year.
This past weekend family and friends from Maine and Connecticut came to celebrate back to back birthdays for Wilder and Camille. Since their birthdays are 1 day apart, the festivities tend to go on for a few days. With Camille turning 30 and Wilder turning 4, this was a special weekend for the family.
My first culinary school experience I can recall was cutting mirepoix for soups and stocks. Myself and a small group of students stood around the prep tables, nervously cutting carrots, celery, and onions while our chef instructor took notes on our knife skills.
We love our coffee program here. In fact, we couldn't imagine starting off our day with anything other than a cup of coffee. A few months ago we decided to take a week off from coffee. Yerba mate, Camille's mom's famous Red Tea, and of course chaga made for perfect alternatives yet after 1 day we were back sipping on our butter brew. You can say we are addicted to the caffeine, but quite frankly, it is the morning ritual and damn good flavor that keeps us coming back for more of this sacred drink.
The trick to a good pizza is working with a hot oven, or in this case, a hot grill. I cranked up all 3 burners and set the stone on top, closed the lid, and kicked back. I dusted my peel with cornmeal and rolled out the dough by hand, applied the toppings, and set it in the grill with the lid closed. Within 10 minutes, I had a nice brown crust, melty toppings, and an aroma to live for!
We eat a lot of eggs here. From chickens to fish, any way we can get more eggs into our diet the better. Several times a year I stock up on flounder roe, available locally, freshly frozen, and for a fair price too. There are many preparations I adore, but non as much as pan fried, which gives the outside a nice crunch to complement the soft textured interior.
I've never been a big fan of Indian food, but I will add, I've never really eaten good Indian food. My memories of a popular spot in my hometown comes with greasy sauces, precut frozen vegetables, and less then excellent parboiled rice that often accompanied most dishes. Since those meals many years ago, I've simply stayed away from the cuisine. But thankfully, things have changed.
I love Thanksgiving! For me, it's the time to give thanks for the abundant year that we've had and to enjoy the seasons harvest with close friends and family. Its the holiday of the year that I love to get busy in the kitchen and cook up a big feast. Roasted turkey from our friends at Roots & Wings Farmstead, sourdough stuffing, several veggie sides, organ meat infused gravy, plenty of hard cider, and of course desserts!
For those of you who raise chickens in your backyard, you may know what it's like to have heaps of eggs in the pantry at all times. Since I began raising chickens, I have become accustomed to consuming eggs nearly every day, and sometimes, at multiple meals. Eggs are quick to prepare, packed with quality fats, and the perfect delivery system for various sauces and condiments.
This is the original corned beef. "Corned" is a English term for small bits and in this recipe the small bits are the Salt. It was posted in 1968 in the "Irish Times" to show the care Irish take with corned beef in order to be avoid being confused with English Corned beef, it is call "Spiced Beef". It was served with cabbage for Christmas, Easter, and St. Patrick's day.
