IT’S NOT KFC, BUT IT’S CLOSE ENOUGH!

Posted: September 29, 2026 in Carnivore!, chicken, Food, frying, Recipes
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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 Uncategorized
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Whole red snapper. I almost always order a whole fish when I see it on the menu at a restaurant. But I’ve never tried cooking one at home until now. My fishmonger cleaned and scaled the fish, so I just rubbed it with extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper and put it on a sheet pan in a preheated 350° oven. I cooked it until the fish registered 140° on a thermometer. And in a pan on the stovetop, I made a variation of aglio olio: extra virgin olive oil, lots of chopped garlic, chopped parsley, and some scallions. Fried it up until the garlic was crispy and poured it on top of the fish.
That may not look like ribs in the corner, but it’s a nice, fat, Berkshire pork rib with my homemade barbecue sauce. Smoked it with hickory for about five hours. Found some organic collards at Whole Foods, so I cooked them down, throwing leftover chicken parts into the pot, to give it some flavor. When it was time to serve, I reheated them, seasoning with salt and pepper. Kept it simple. And finally, what they call ‘fava” in Santorini, Greece. It’s actually yellow split peas that I boiled in a pot of water and chicken stock, with an onion thrown in. Cooked it all down until it became a porridge, and then I put it in the blender to whip it up. Served with capers.
And let’s talk cocktails. I’ve been a fan of Vesper martinis forever, but I’m getting tired of Lile’s, and since I don’t use it that often, it goes bad in the fridge. Same thing with Cocchi Americano. (Those are the two fortified wines that most people will argue back-and-forth about when it comes to what belongs in a Vesper.) But I have more use for an excellent vermouth so my “faux” Vesper is three parts gin, one part vodka, and just a rinse of the glass with the vermouth. Twist of lemon.

MONHEGAN ISLAND, MAINE

Posted: September 27, 2026 in Uncategorized
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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.

The Island Inn, where I stayed.

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.)

Lobster at the Fish House.

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.

Ice Pond. In the old days, when the water was frozen, they’d cut ice out of this pond and use it for food storage.
No deer on the island, but you will run into pheasants!

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!

Hangin’ with the chef, who spends his winters in Morocco and summers here on the island!
Sunsets from the rocking chairs on the deck of the Island Inn, are spectacular!

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!

HELP WANTED

Posted: September 26, 2026 in Uncategorized
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CAV IN PROVIDENCE

Posted: September 25, 2026 in Uncategorized
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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.

Caesar salad with grilled chicken…and asked for bacon!
Smoked salmon platter.
Crab cake.

ASIAN SHRIMP WITH SWEET AND SPICY GRAPEFRUIT SAUCE

Posted: September 24, 2026 in Food, seafood, shrimp
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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!

 

image

 

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.

FALL IS HERE

Posted: September 23, 2026 in Uncategorized
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Time to open the vat!

LOTSA MOZZ

Posted: September 22, 2026 in Uncategorized
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NEW PROJECT: PORCHETTA

Posted: September 21, 2026 in Uncategorized
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Trial run of a new recipe today. I can’t imagine it won’t taste amazing, especially since I’m using a Berkshire pork belly. The full recipe will be coming soon!

COLD CUCUMBER SOUP

Posted: September 20, 2026 in Cucumbers, fleur de sel, Uncategorized
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The original cucumber soup recipe comes from Ikies Traditional Houses, a wonderful hotel in the beautiful town of Oia in Santorini, Greece. After a long, hot day of exploring the island, we would settle down to a refreshing bowl of cucumber soup. They were nice enough to share the recipe with us, and a few tweaks later, it’s my definition of perfect.

 

cuke soup

 

 

 

3 English cucumbers or 5 regular cucumbers, peeled, seeded and roughly chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 cup vegetable stock, preferably home-made
4 cups plain Greek yogurt
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
Juice of 1 lemon
Sea salt and pepper

 

Peel, seed and chop the cucumbers and place them in a blender with the garlic, stock, 2 cups of the yogurt, mint leaves, lemon juice, 2 teaspoons of sea salt, and a grating of fresh black pepper.

Turn on the blender and mix well. Stop the blender and then add remaining 2 cups of yogurt and mix it by hand.

Pour the cucumber soup in bowls. Garnish with diced cucumber or radish.

 

To make the vegetable stock: rough-chop a few carrots, a few stalks of celery, and an onion, and put them in a pot with 4 cups of water. Boil until the liquid has reduced by half. Strain the veggies before using the stock. You can also roast the veggies on a sheet pan in a hot oven for a bit before adding them to the water for a more robust flavor.

 

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