…of summer.
THE PERFECT COFFEE STEAK RUB
Posted: October 3, 2026 in beef, Carnivore!, Food, grilling, RecipesTags: beef, chicken, coffee, dinner, food, grilling, pork, recipe, recipes, rubs, steak
If you’re like me and you grill outdoors year ’round, this is for you. But in case of nasty weather, this works indoors as well.
I rarely order beef at a restaurant, because I can usually make a better steak at home. For one thing, I use humanely raised grass-fed beef, something few restaurants offer. And I can cook it for less than a third of the price of a steakhouse. Granted, most steakhouses dry-age their beef, a time-consuming process of taking slabs of beef and keeping them in a fridge for weeks until a certain amount of moisture is sucked out of the meat, intensifying the flavor. I’ve done that at home in my fridge, but it takes a lot of time and effort.
There is one steak that I couldn’t match for the longest time, and that was the Capital Grille’s bone-in Kona crusted dry-aged NY strip. I would have dreams about that steak! It was time to find a way to make something that would satisfy my craving for that amazing steak at home.
Looking at a variety of coffee rub recipes on-line, I started the slow and steady process of combining ingredients in just the right proportions, tasting as I went. What I came up with really accentuated the flavor of the beef I was cooking, better than I had imagined!
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon Kosher salt
1 tablespoon ground coffee (use your favorite)
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
1 teaspoon granulated onion
1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
Combine the ingredients, mixing well, and keep them in a tightly sealed container at room temperature.
The secret ingredients are the brown sugar and the cocoa. The brown sugar gives the steak a caramelized crust when cooking, and the cocoa rounds out the flavors and gives the beef an extra “umph!”
When using, sprinkle the seasoning liberally on both sides of the steak before cooking. When cooking indoors, I like to add bacon fat to a hot cast iron skillet, searing the steak on all sides, and then finishing it in the oven. But let’s face it: nothing beats the grill!
A side note : I’m going to a party today where I was asked to bring pulled pork. I used this rub on the pork shoulder, and it came out fantastic! It also works really well with chicken!
Looks like the Halloween vibe is in full swing at the food store!
I love traveling by car. I’ve been to 25 countries and I’ve driven in 16 of them. And I love the signs that I see along the way. Here are a few that caught my attention.
IT’S NOT KFC, BUT IT’S CLOSE ENOUGH!
Posted: September 29, 2026 in Carnivore!, chicken, Food, frying, RecipesTags: chicken, food, KFC, original recipe, recipes
It’s been a while since I posted this. Inspired by a recent conversation I had with a friend, I decided to share it again…
It’s never a healthy option to eat fast food. Michael Pollan said it best: “It’s not food if it arrived through the window of your car.”
Years ago, a guy who claimed to be the nephew of Colonel Sanders, revealed the 11 secret herbs and spices that made KFC‘s original recipe chicken a worldwide success. He said he worked for his uncle for many years and had to make huge batches of the seasoning mix.
For me, KFC is like crack. Although I’m a big proponent of grass-fed this and pastured that, my kryptonite is KFC‘s original recipe chicken. There’s a KFC right next door to a local Home Depot in my area and my car literally drives itself to the pick-up window…I can’t help it. I justify the consumption of this heavenly grease by asking for no sides–no biscuit, no nothing. I get one breast and one thigh, and I drive off, steering my car with my knees as I indulge in my dirty secret, the hot grease dripping down my chin, a roll of paper towels at my side.
Making the KFC chicken recipe at home means I do have some control over product quality. I can use pastured chicken. I can use clean oil. I don’t have the fancy pressure fryer they use at KFC, but I can use the healthier option of oven-frying. That means I fry my chicken in oil until golden brown, then finish the cooking process in the oven.
I have to say, the recipe really works! Maybe if I placed the real KFC side-by-side with my home-made chicken, I’d notice a big difference. But my brain said it was pretty damn close and absolutely delicious! If I could change one thing, I would use smaller chicken pieces next time. I used large pieces and the meat-to-breading ratio was off. Though it was mighty tasty, I was craving more breading per bite.
The recipe calls for all-purpose flour, but if you follow a gluten-free lifestyle, using Cup4Cup GF flour works just as well.
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon celery salt
1 tablespoon dried mustard
1 tablespoon garlic salt
1 tablespoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons black pepper
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons thyme
1 1/2 teaspoons basil
1 1/2 teaspoons oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 egg
5 lbs. chicken pieces…your choice
oil, for frying
Combine the flour and the “11 herbs and spices” in a bowl. Mix well.
In another bowl, whisk together the milk and the egg. Add the chicken pieces to this bowl and let the chicken soak in it for 10 minutes.
Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.
Pour a couple of inches of the oil into a pan with high sides and heat it to 340 degrees, using a thermometer. Don’t fill it with too much oil, because oil expands when hot and it could spill over.
Take the chicken pieces out of the milk and egg mixture and coat them with the seasoning mix one at a time, making sure you coat them well. Carefully place the chicken in the hot oil. Don’t overcrowd the pan…work in small batches. Too much chicken could cause the oil to spill over the top.
Fry the chicken pieces just until golden…no need to cook them all the way through. Place the pieces on a rack over a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. (I avoid using aluminum foil these days.)
When all the chicken has been fried, place the baking sheet in the oven and cook until the chicken pieces reach an internal temperature of at least 160 degrees.
Make a lot! Leftovers are great, and they re-heat really well in the oven! (Don’t use a microwave…the oven is best.)
BEEN COOKING…
Posted: September 28, 2026 in UncategorizedTags: cooking, dinner, food, martini, pork, recipe, recipes, ribs, seafood, Vesper
MONHEGAN ISLAND, MAINE
Posted: September 27, 2026 in UncategorizedTags: adventure, beach, Maine, nature, travel, vacation
About 10 miles off the coast of Maine lies Monhegan Island, a small artists’ colony with about 70 year-round residents. For the most part, you walk the island. There are a few pick-up trucks that will carry your luggage to your hotel or rental. And there are golf carts for the older folks. But it’s an art and nature lover’s island.
Day trips from either Port Clyde or New Harbor, Maine, are the way most people go. But overnights are even better. Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to stay on this island for a week or more, and its rugged beauty is quintessential Maine.
It had been quite a few years since my last visit, but my daughter and I went this past July, to see her mom, who teaches art classes on the island in the summertime. Sure, there are a few more golf carts than before, and it seems that there are more people that have discovered this well-kept secret, but it’s still a very special place to visit.
Finding great food on Monhegan Island is not a problem, especially if you like lobster! A couple of the hotels serve dinner (BYOB…there’s no booze served on the island, though beer and wine are available in the grocery store and there is a brewery.)
If you like hiking, there are plenty of dirt roads and trails in the woods to walk, and the views on this island are really quite spectacular, especially if you get to spend the night.
There’s also a crepe stand, something new since my last visit, and you can choose sweet or savory. I chose one with smoked salmon!
For fancier fare, The Monhegan House reigns supreme for wonderful, thoughtful dishes. Here are a few…
My daughter and I stayed on Monhegan for just a few nights, but it was a wonderful, relaxing trip. If you’re planning a coastal Maine vacation next summer, be sure to include a full day (an overnight is better) on Monhegan Island! But do what I did, and bring your own martinis!
I had Sunday brunch with friends last weekend at CAV in Providence, Rhode Island, for the first time in over a decade. I had forgotten how much fun this place is.
An awesome bar. Excellent food and service, and you’re surrounded by antiques… Which you can buy!
I will be back soon.
ASIAN SHRIMP WITH SWEET AND SPICY GRAPEFRUIT SAUCE
Posted: September 24, 2026 in Food, seafood, shrimpTags: Asian, food, recipes, seafood, shrimp, stir fry
Shrimp with an orange sauce is something you see on every Chinese restaurant menu. I didn’t have oranges, but wanted a citrus kick to my sweet and spicy sauce. I went with grapefruit and I never looked back!
Although I call this recipe “Asian shrimp,” I never buy my shrimp from Asia! Only wild-caught American shrimp will ever do. When you realize just how nasty Asian shrimp can be (farmed in over-crowded conditions, swimming in their own filth and fed chemical food pellets and antibiotics) you’ll never eat it again.
Green beans looked good in the produce aisle, so I used them, but feel free to substitute with broccoli, asparagus, or any veggies you like.
Chili garlic sauce and hoisin sauce can be found in most supermarkets, in the international foods section.
As long as you use gluten-free soy sauce and hoisin sauce (the brand La Choy is GF), this dish is gluten-free!
For the rice:
1 cup cooked basmati rice (I use Texmati brown rice)
2 cups seafood stock (I use homemade shrimp and fish stock, but vegetable stock will work)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 scallions, finely chopped
For the veggies:
1/2 Vidalia onion, finely chopped
1 lb. fresh green beans, washed and cut into 1/4′ pieces
1 teaspoon soy sauce
splash of peanut oil
For the shrimp:
2 dozen thawed, peeled and de-veined wild-caught USA shrimp
1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce
3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
juice and zest of 1 grapefruit
splash of peanut oil
Making your own seafood stock is easy: just peel the shrimp you’re going to use in this recipe, and place the shells in a saucepan full of water. Let it boil until you’ve reduced it to 2 cups. Strain out the shells and discard them. Then use the stock to cook your rice, according to the package directions. Once the rice is cooked, toss in the chopped scallions, mix well, and set the rice aside.
Add peanut oil to a hot pan and sauté the onions until translucent. Add the green beans and cook them until they’re al dente. Add the soy sauce, stir, and then pour the contents of the pan into the rice. Mix well.
Using the same pan, add a little more peanut oil and sear the shrimp on both sides. Don’t overcook them! Push the shrimp to the sides of the pan so that a circle remains in the middle. Add the chili garlic sauce and hoysin sauce and stir them together, then blending in the shrimp until the shrimp are covered with the sauce. Add the grapefruit zest and juice and stir until everything is combined and the sauce has thickened just a bit.
Pour the contents of the pan into the rice mix and combine. Add more soy sauce to the rice, if you like.
