I Light Fires!!!!!

Summer has a rhythm all it's own. The sky's are bluer and the air is filled with the scent of new life. It's a time to celebrate the passing of the gloomy demeanor known as winter. No longer are we locked away in our domiciles hiding from the cold and blustery season. We are free to roam the wild yonder under the sun's yellowy-orange warmth. We are released from the doldrums of  the grey season and awakened to play in the lush vibrant radiance of newness. We are reborn. We once again feel the energy of our childhoods rushing back to us. Many feel the primal call of the wild and choose to live within the wide open frontier, if only for a few days. We feel the need to return to our roots and become one with nature as a means to escape the rat race around us. We yearn for the quiet simplicity of a by-gone era before the great expansion of machinery and technology stole our souls.

The simplest of escapes, cooking over an open fire. Nothing beats that. The roar of the flames, the smell of the searing flesh, it's as old as man himself. Nothing beats the unmistakable taste of a steak seared to juicy perfection over an open flame. It's like tasting food for the first time all over again. A man will stand at his grill all day flame-broiling proteins for mass consumption just to taste that smoky sweet flavor. For most of us, it's a compulsion, an unconscious desire that as soon as the sun shines and it gets warm, we must grill. I've even been known to stand outside in zero degree weather buried by snow grilling, I may have an addiction.

The grill is a magnificent tool. For some it's like an appendage, to others a complete mystery. Grilling can be made more complicated by bright shiny gas grills or worse, the dual grill. It's a hybrid of technology that gives you the choice to cook with either gas or charcoal. Honestly gas is fine but it leaves a strange taste on your product. I use charcoal, plain old charcoal in a kettle grill. No fast light stuff for me because like gas it too has a funky aftertaste. I also light my charcoal with newspaper soaked in vegetable oil instead of  lighter fluid. The propellant can leave a strange smell and flavor on your food.  With the vegetable oil it burns slower and lights the coal and wood chips more evenly without the gassy smell and taste. Squirt a little veggie oil on the black nuggets and wood chips as well, it will help you regulate the heat more.

So I say unto you my fellow grill geeks stay true to the ancient ways and you will find a better tasting, more flavorful piece of protein. From bovine to the kingly pig, all things are better over the naked flame. Grab your friends, relatives, or neighbors and get together to celebrate our ancient heritage and cook a hearty meal over natures greatest cooking instrument, the glorious open flame. Enjoy and God Bless!!!  

Not The Same Old Pork And Beans!!

I know what you are thinking, how can you dress up the old stand by pork and beans?
Well it's not quite what you think. The pork is boneless chops and the beans are French cut green beans. It's a quick and easy way to have a tasty dinner you and the family will love.

First heat an 8" skillet and add just enough oil to thinly coat the bottom of the pan. Next add a cup of chicken broth, a half cup of apple juice, and two heaping tablespoons of minced garlic, this will create a brazing liquid. Let simmer for about a half hour before adding three or four boneless pork chops you have tenderized and lightly salted. Cook until chop starts to turn white on the bottom side, flip over and repeat on uncooked side. Now return to original side and cook for five minutes per side. Finish cooking when the chops inner temperature is 160 degrees. You can use a meat thermometer to check for doneness.

While you are waiting for your brazing liquid  to come to temperature you can heat up a frying pan to toast a half cup whole almonds. After the almonds are toasted, lightly salt them and rough chop them in a food processor. In a dutch oven boil one cup of chicken broth and add a pound of French cut green beans . Cook the beans in the broth until most of the liquid is absorbed. Strain out the rest of the broth to use with the pork chops. Put beans in a small casserole dish and combine with a can of cream of mushroom soup and sprinkle the almonds evenly over the top. Place in the oven at three hundred and fifty degrees for about ten minutes.

So there you have it, a quick meal for you and the family and none of those nasty pork and beans. Enjoy and God Bless.

Look Ma, No Hands!!!!!

Mom's are great, they patch us up when we fall. They give us love when we fall down. Mom's feed our tummies when we're hungry and our spirit when we need nurturing. My Mom is the reason I cook. She taught me a love for food and cooking for others. She cleaned our rooms, washed our clothes, and helped us with our homework. So today and everyday, no matter our relationship now, we should remember how our Mom's influenced our lives. So to all the mothers around the world I say Happy Mother's Day and God Bless.

How Many Guys Does It Take To Make A Burger?

Way back in the year 1986 a husband and wife from Arlington, Virgina would create a concept to serve a better fast burger product. It is known as 5 Guys Burgers and Fries.Using 100% pure ground beef that is never frozen,  freezers aren't allowed in a franchise restaurant. They have only fresh product from the beef to the hand cut skin on french fries that are cooked in peanut oil.

Any time you serve me a thick juicy cheese burger and tasty all natural fries in a paper bag, I'm hooked. The fries are fresh and plentiful, a small order is a small cup with an extra scoop added to the bag. Imagine almost another small order of super hot perfectly cooked golden gems floating around the bottom of your brown paper sack. It's like french fry heaven. The fries are crispy on the outside but oh,so tender on the inside and just melt in your mouth leaving you only wanting more. They're so confident the fries are the best quality they tell you daily where the spuds are from. The other places don't even have 100% potato fries, it's more like a potatoish product. 5 Guys guarantees quality every time you  bite into their all potato french fried delights.

The burgers are grilled to tasty bliss. They are well done and still juicy. Two patties make up a regular burger giving you a hand full of char-cooked goodness. Every bite is a fresh new taste experience. All of the condiments are fresh and full of flavor. It doesn't matter if you add the grilled peppers or onions or the vivid green jalapeños they are all super market fresh. Each burger is hand crafted for every order, there are no heat lamps, warming stations, or precooked food.  It's all made to order. Sure it takes a couple of minutes more, but why comprise flavor and freshness just to have a quick bite. It's worth the extra minute or two to get your hands on these burgers and fries.

The over all atmosphere is one of friendly people, clean tables and floors, with a brightly lit dinning room. It's a place to go to relax with friends and family while enjoying really delicious fast food. Plus while waiting for your food you may want to sample the free shell on roasted peanuts. A perfect warm up for the main course to come. So if you want fresh fast burgers and fries and don't care to wait a minute or two longer for them, then you need to get a car load of friends or family and seek out the closest  5 Guys. These guys my not be clowns or kings, but they sure know quality and quantity.

Wilie E. Coyote, Super Christian!!!!!!

You read right. Wilie E. Coyote is a Christian. No I'm not nuts, I have proof.
Item one: Acme is God.
 God gives us the tools to get through everyday life and to smite our enemies. It's just a matter if we use them as God wants if they are successful or not. God gives us talent, it's up to us if we use them to glorify Him.
 God wants us to be pure of mind and heart and rely on his wisdom to know when and where victory will occur. It's when we as mortals try and pigeon hole God  that He punishes us with failure. He wants us to have patients and let Him take control. Harder than it sounds.
That is why so many man driven enterprises have failed. We left God out. We must give God the benefit of the doubt when it comes to his timing. We didn't build the trees, create water, or even the birds in the air. God did this. So we must let him guide us to a final solution to our problems. That is one thing Wilie E. teaches us. Man cannot do it alone!!!!

Item Two: Never Give Up....No Matter What.
God gave us talents to glorify him and we should use them in our everyday life. If we fail at an enterprise that we have clearly heard his voice in, we should pick ourselves up and try, try again. Just like Wilie E.
He never gave up. When he failed, he sent to Acme (prayed to God), and was given another chance to smite his enemy(The Road Runner). Though he let his timing override his faith in Acme(God), Acme (God) always answered with another solution. Wile E. just never learned that Acme(God) just wanted him to trust in Him and God would provide what Wilie needed (the Road Runner).


Bottom line is this: we need to let God work in our lives on his time to receive the blessings he wants to give us. If we trust in God and have faith, He will provide for us. I guess what I'm trying to say is more people should be less like Wile E. Coyote and have patience and faith that God will make every thing alright. Maybe not on our time, but on His.

Outside the Bun, I Must Run, Run, Run

It calls to me. I hear it many a day. It's like a Siren's song calling me to the rocks. I can not resist. It is my mistress, my addiction and it's name is... Taco Bell.
That's right I love Taco Bell. It's almost Tex-Mex styling and less than average cost has me going back more times than I care to recount. It has me hooked. I'm like a trout on a fly fisherman's bait. Snagged.
From the first time I stepped foot in one it's been an on going love affair. I can't put my finger on it but I do crave the off beat fast food chain's culinary treat. It's like a fast food paradise away from all the burgers and fries. It's tacos, nachos, and the burritos, oh, the burritos. A swell concoction of  beef, melted cheese stuff, and spices brought together by a dollop of sour cream and lettuce.  I can taste it's Tex-Mex goodness right now!!!
Every time I go in there the smell, the lighting and the menu make me feel at home. The brightly colored walls, the offset grey tile with red brick it all seems homey to me.
You step up to the fake green slate counter and give your order( for me it's always the same; a nacho supreme and two burrito supremes and a small soda.) You get rung up and they ask for your name. When the order is ready the person behind the counter bellows your name, announcing to those gathered inside, my Tex-Mex bliss is about to begin. I grab a black spork to get every last yummy morsel. Next it's a few napkins because good food is messy food. The drink station is where my small cup will be filled to full with Taco Bell's own flavor of Mountain Dew.
Time to find a seat. I rush to a window booth eager to unwrap my tasty treasure. I'm so happy!!!
With every bite my attitude becomes brighter and brighter as I know my hunger will be conquered by this Tex-Mex greatness. To me every day spent at Taco Bell is a great day.
It's not top quality, it's not real Tex-Mex, but like I said, I just can't get enough.
For some people it's the opera, for others it's fine dining, but for my money to escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life I seek out a "run for the boarder."  Lawsuits and controversy aside Taco Bell is my favorite place to go relax and enjoy a low priced almost Tex-Mex meal with friends and family. I maybe a good cook in my own right, I'm just not a snob. I don't need a fancy plating, or three stars to have a good meal. Just don't throw some forty minute old burger on my tray and call it fresh. I've done my home work and I can pronounce the stuff in a taco from Taco Bell, I can't say the same thing about Mickey D's and their offspring. Call me crazy, but I'm thinking "outside the bun" and enjoying every bite of it!!!!

Twigs And Berries Are Not A Meal!!!

Vegans and vegetarians are a species I don't get. Since when did vegetables become a main course, where I come from the garden dwellers are a side dish. Period. Now here we are overrun with a bunch of carrot munching people who believe veggies to be the best thing ever. Don't get me wrong, I understand the religious and philosophical applications of vegetarianism, I have no problem with that. I do, however, shake my head at the people who choose to eat like a bunny for no other reason than they think it's healthier. I got a hint for you all, you are going to die no matter how you eat. Sure it's a morbid way to see things but my point is this, life is short, you might as well go out and enjoy as much as you can in moderation.

The other reason people give for the herbivorous lifestyle is the cruel way some animals are raised. Understood. As a cook who enjoys dining on animals I can tell you this, the better the animal is treated the better it tastes. Low grade poorly raised beef tastes like horse meat, not that I go around eating horses.
 Cruelty to animals is wrong on all levels and should be dealt with harshly. I recommend doing some research before buying any meat in a grocery store. Ask where it came from, know if it is reputably solid farm. Only buy free range chicken or poultry. Know your pork, learn the difference between good swine and bad. Never be afraid to ask your local butcher where he gets his product from, if he doesn't know maybe you should change butchers.

Also if you know your Bible it is in the good book that God gave us dominion over all the creatures of the earth, sea, and sky. If God says it's okay to eat meat, that's good enough for me.

Okay, to show you I'm not some prehistoric caveman clubbing T-Rex's for the family bar-b-que, here is a recipe I have for an Indian style vegan soup. I actually like it a lot, it fills you up quick and tastes great, enjoy.

Curry Bean Soup

1 cup each of rinsed Navy beans, Great Northern beans
1 cup Green Lentils
1 whole red onion roughly chopped
1 Green pepper roughly chopped
1 Yellow pepper roughly chopped
1 Red pepper roughly chopped
3oz. Baby spinach fine chopped
6 cups cold water
24oz. veggie broth
1/4 cup Indian curry powder
1/4 cup cumin
2tbl. Cayenne pepper powder
Salt and Pepper to taste

In a medium stock pot combine beans and lentils, broth, and 6 cups of water. Bring to a boil. Add in spices and let simmer for about 40 minutes. Add veggies (except spinach). Bring to boil again, stirring frequently. Let simmer on low heat for about an hour, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Finish soup by adding spinach and let seep for 15 minutes. You can serve the soup with a flat bread or alone.

Sometimes It Snows In April

It's hard for me to get excited about Baseball's opening day when there is a threat of snow in the forecast. Why are we starting baseball in such a unpredictable month?
To me baseball is about warm weather, the smell of fresh cut grass, and young kids wolfing down hot dogs. You watch the opening day games and you see a bunch of die hard fans bundled up in winter clothes. It looks more like a fall football game than the summer past time.

Some how the sparkle of a bright sunny warm day,  the crack of a wooden bat, and the smell of concession stand food says baseball. When you have grey skies, cold weather, and snow I don't get the same fuzzy feeling about my favorite childhood sport. Maybe I'm looking back on my past Little League days and transferring them upon a tarnished enterprise. The sport I use to love and cherish has become but a shadowy figure of it's once storybook past. Greedy players being paid outrageous salaries that never seem to be enough for them, owners gouging the fans for every dime they can get to pay the players. It's no longer a sport for the fans, but a financial tug of war between players and owners. Baseball should be a sport for kids and the kids at heart to enjoy, a summer's diversion for children to watch their favorite teams play a game. But alas the game has been over shadowed by greed, cheaters, and cry-babies.

I can't speak for anyone else but the once poetic endeavor that was played by men who loved the game has been replaced by a nightmare mired in controversy and greed. For me it was something I always looked forward to, opening day was like Christmas, now it's somewhere between Arbor Day and a root channel. I guess until America's Past time rediscovers it's roots, I can always think back to my days as a kid playing for the love of the sport and nothing more. That's my happy place!!

Stuck At The Kids Table...Again

                                                                                   Why do we cook?
Well I guess there are a million answers to that question. We cook to feed our families, because raw meat can kill us, we have too, or for a great many of us it's a passion. A passion to create the ultimate dish that sends others into a catatonic state from pure bliss. I know I cook because I grew up with a mother who was the best cook I ever knew. She made everything so delicious, from pasta to steak, and everything in between. She never made a dish I wouldn't eat. She also could bake, her lemon squares should be contraband.

My love for cooking comes from her. I love cooking for my family as well as friends, it makes me happy. It doesn't have to be some big complicated feast, it could be a simple comfort food like beef stew. Eating brings people together and, if the food is good, puts us in a good mood. Wars have been stopped over dinners, arguments ended over a simple bar-b-que. Lets face it, we love to eat good food, and when we do we are open for just about anything. When people come together over well prepared food they seem to leave in a better mood, that is after their naps.

Food and cooking is a way to bring people of all walks of life together. No one has ever turned down a well cooked meal. We don't need a holiday like Thanksgiving to bring us together to sup. We could use any excuse to get friends and family together to chow down upon some fine vittles. Haven't seen the cousins in a while, let's eat, Mom and Dad in town, how about dinner?

It's easy if you think about it, we all need to eat, so why not share our culinary expertise with those we love, kind of like, or just tolerate, who knows by the end of dinner you may find you have many more good friends!

Skydiving Without A Parachute Is Just Falling !!!!

I like Henry Rollins. He speaks to a side of me that wants to yell at all the bad guys. I just now understand that you can't yell at the top of your lungs all the time without losing your voice. Sometimes a subtle touch is needed to make an argument, other times a more direct approch is nessessary to get someone to see the light. Knowing when to use each is an art form unto itself. Christ himself wasn't always mild mannared, he also knocked over tables and kicked chairs to get a point across. He also would use mild tactics when teaching his enemies how they were doing wrong. Just because you don't agree with someone doesn't mean you have to yell louder than them to get a point across. Try a little compassion when talking with someone you don't agree with and see if that doesn't go farther than a screeming match. Henry Rollins has a lot of good ideas and could be very helpful but most of that gets lost in his "angry guy" rants. My advice to Henry is continue doing what you're doing, just find a way be be more like Christ; yell when you must, be compassionate and calm when you can. Most importantly always stand on the side of rightiousness and never compromise your principles for any reason. And heck it never hurts to have the Word of the Lord on your side.

Shamrocks and Shillelaghs!!

It's my favorite time of the year. A time of leprechauns and clover, a day when being Irish means you are king for a moment. Saint Patrick's Day.

The pubs will be packed with "Want to Be's" chowing down on corned beef and cabbage along with carrots. They will be drinking beer, if you want to call Bud Light a "beer". It is as predictable as sunrise and sunset. Someone you know, or maybe you, will be found staggering down the street singing Irish songs drunk beyond any sence of reason. This my friends is St. Patricks Day in America.

Up until 1970 St. Patricks Day was a solemn day, a religious day and day to reflect on what it meant to be Christian in Ireland. St. Patrick wasn't even Irish, he was a Romano-Briton slave brought to Ireland to work the fields. His claim to fame isn't chasing snakes out off the island,  he is in fact credited with bringing Christianity to the Irish. Before 1970 the Irish government even ordered bars and pubs be closed. 

Tonight I will be celebrating the minor holiday by mixing tradition with a bit of Americana. I will be dinning on an Irish stew made of beef, potatoes, and carrots and washing it down with a stout Guinness and a shot of Irish Whiskey. This meal is closer to what an Irish family may have on this day, (just substitute lamb for the beef), unlike the whole corned beef and cabbage thing. So to all I say a Happy Saint Patricks Day!!!

Helping Never Hurt

It's nice to see so many people throughout the world coming together to help the Japanese people whom were effected by the earthquake/typhoon. It is in times of trouble that mankind seems to be at it's best. We have seen an outpouring of support for Japan and Haiti as they struggle to come to grips with major catastrophes and loss of life. These people will never have the same life they had before the disasters. They have lost homes, security, and family members all in the blink of an eye. The Japanese and Haitians are going to need alot of help for many years just to get back to what most people take for granted, so we need to help anyway we can.

With that said I also believe we cannot forget that everyday many Americans go without shelter and food as well. I am not posting this as a political debate so leave your opinions of the homeless to yourself and hear me out. Homelessness in America mostly gets swept under the rug because some people don't want to believe that the most powerful country in the world can have that kind of problem. We do. The homeless population continues to climb as the economy continues to tank. Some of the homeless are even employed but don't make enough money to support themselves or their children properly. They occupy shelters, if they are lucky, or even live in their cars and frequent food banks as well as soup kitchens. We need to remember that people are struggling even in our neighborhoods, you may even know someone whom has lost everything or your kids go to school with a child that spends his/her nights in a shelter, car, or worse. So I say for every dollar sent to help foreign countries recover we should send the same amount to the local shelter, food bank, or soup kitchen. Many of these places are running low on funds to remain open or to accept new comers. In other words they need our help as well, so why not help locally as well as globally. Let us not forget that charity begins at home.

Faster Doesn't Mean Better!!!

Fast food. Not true. Why hasn't anyone sued fast food places for false advertising?

Take it from a person who has seen the other side of the counter in more than one fast food chain, calling it food should be criminal. A tasteless, overcooked, below grade semi-meat patty should never be consittered a culinary treat. Processed food is the number one reason a society should rethink it's definition of "good food fast". Lots of salt, fat, preservatives, and stuff like oat kernels as well as things I can neither spell or pronounce. Exercize all you want but a steady diet of pre-packaged processed "food" is still going to make you unhealthy. Loads of sugars, salt, and  white bread can all lead a person to have high blood pressure, sluggishness, and even fat.

Now I know it's easy and convenient to head to the nearest drive-thru at the end of a hard day of work, but sometimes convenience comes with a price. In this case you give up taste and health. Rewarding your kids with these "treats" is only re-enforcing bad choices in our youth's eating habits.  All I know is that when the local police department feeds the prisioners, they feed them fast food, now hows that a "treat". When you think about it by giving your kids fast food, you're feeding them like a prisioner. I can't remember the last time someone went to prision because the food was outstanding.

So how can you break the cycle of bad eating?

Simple. Keep cold cuts on hand as well as large sized tortillas and let the kids make and eat wraps. Frozen beef patties can be baked in the oven and served on wheat rolls for a healthier alternitive to burger joints. Salad mixes are easy to find at your local food store and can be combined millions of different ways to create healthy and delicious summer dinners. The things all these suggestions have in common is that they are quick and easy as well as healthy.

 My favorite fast and easy dinner is canned tuna in water seasoned with garlic powder, black pepper, and onion powder as well as diced fresh celery with light mayo on rye bread with a soup of rice noodles cooked in chicken brooth and flavored with green onion. Quick, easy and healthy as well as full flavored. It will leave you satisfied and feeling good. So please try to find ways to feed your family fast and easy without resorting to ordering pizza, or visiting the drive-thru. I think you'll find your family won't miss them.

One last thought, if you are going to eat at a chain restaurant please give Panera Bread a try. I've had both breakfast and lunch there and I was blown away. The menu is a culinary delight. They have many diffrent soups and sandwiches on fresh baked bread. You walk in that place and the smell alone hooks you. everything they make from breakfast sandwiches like Asiago Bagel Breakfast sandwiches to Ciabatta Breakfast Sandwiches. You also get the freshest coffee I have ever had anywhere outside of Starbucks. They put the time the coffee was brewed right on the carafe so you know how long the brew has been out. On both of my visits never once did I see a coffee more than 20 minutes old before it was changed out with a fresher pot. 

The lunch I had was also great, I had a Cuban inspired sandwich that was excellent. The Black Bean soup was a rich and hardy side worthy of it being a main course. And again the coffee was fresh and robust without the bitterness that you find at other coffee shops. The end result was an amazing meal in a comfortable dinning room that didn't break the bank. To make things even better they have a kids menu so the whole family is welcome!!!!

Never Let Your Meat Loaf

The one thing you need to know about me is I am not a vegetarian, I enjoy the life of an omnivore. I understand the vegetarian lifestyle as it pertains to religious beliefs and do enjoy some veggie dishes, but for the most part I like meat.  Pork is my favorite. The pig is a noble beast that when in the right hands can be the most delectable of all the meats out there. On the same turn if you don't know how to handle the beautiful slabs of bovine it can turn into shoe leather or make you very sick. My suggestion is always have a thermometer on hand to make sure the piggies core temperature is 160 degrees before serving it to your guests.
Another thing about cooks and pork is the unexplainable need to serve it with applesauce every time they make it. I can't tell you how many different cuts of pork I have had and found a side of apple mush plopped down next to it. Stop please, we get it applesauce goes good with pork. Next time you make pork try something off the beaten path like a simple Rice Pilaf or Egg Noodles with sour cream and chives. Cornbread also makes a nice addition to the meal especially if Barbecue Sauce is involved. Pork is such a versatile meat that limiting yourself to what you accent it with is just plain lazy or unadventurious. Live a little, find side dishes you like and try putting them with your pork entrees.

We've all seen it, a big hunk of brown mystery meat in the loaf shape, Meatloaf. For some just to mention it sends chills up their spine or sees them run into the bathroom dry heaving. It's the Frankenstein of all meat entrees. We grew up on it, our Moms serving it with pride like it was their best meal. Most times it was a dry brick of beef and pork bound together by breadcrumbs or a messy giant meatball leaking fatty juices covered with catsup. Either way it seemed to be a dish your Mom threw together at the last minute because she really didn't want to cook all day or was tired. Beef, pork (if you were lucky), and catsup all wrapped up in brick form, yum.

Meatloaf is a canvas. It is a wide open space just waiting to be filled. May I suggest an alterenitive to your Mom's meatloaf?

Try mixing ground beef (or Turkey if you want to be healthy) with equal parts ground pork, one egg, a diced onion (yellow works best), 1/2 cup unseasoned breadcrumbs, A-1 Steaksauce, with a tablespoon of Herbs De Provence. Lightly oil a Loaf pan and put half the mix in it. Create an indent in the mixture leaving 1/2 inch unchanneled on all sides. Place sliced cubes of Velveta cheese into the hollowed out section of the mix. Fill in the rest of the mix covering the cheese. Cover the top of the meatloaf with more A-1 sauce. Bake the loaf for 40 minutes at 350 degrees. Let sit for 5 minutes and then serve. The cheese adds such a creamy texture and the A-1 makes the beef and pork so succulent and spicy you'll forget all about bland Meatloaf.

I suggest you serve your adult guests a dark beer or a deep red wine with your now awesome Meatloaf.

I hope you feel a little bit more comfortable when it comes to pork. No one should be affraid to cook anything. Pork can be a tasty deversion from beef and chicken. So as long as you treat it with respect the pork will be good to you.