Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

CHAR-GRILLED OYSTERS

Posted: June 21, 2026 in Uncategorized
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Happy Father’s Day! I think it’s time to grill some oysters!

It’s been a few years since I visited New Orleans, and it was great to see that many of the old food destinations were still there: the Napoleon House, Café Dumonde, Acme Oyster House, and across the street from it: Felix‘s Oyster House.

My friend, Rick, told me I had to try the char-grilled oysters at Felix‘s. He hadn’t been there, but he read a lot about them and they were supposed to be amazing.  Well, that’s all the encouragement I needed, and I made a beeline to Felix’s that very day.

When you think about it, it’s no great culinary feat to grill an oyster. But yet, I never thought of doing it on my own. The dozen oysters I devoured that day were buttery, garlicky, with a hint of char and smoke that made them absolutely delicious, quite easily the best oysters I’ve ever had in my life.

I knew that as soon as I came home from this trip, I would have to try to make these myself. I have to say I came pretty darn close!

If you don’t use a charcoal or wood fire to make these, you’re simply leaving out one of the most important ingredients to the entire recipe. A gas grill or a kitchen stove can cook an oyster, but the only way you can take it to the next level is by putting it on open flame, a wood-burning flame.

This recipe is good for about a dozen oysters. Using gluten-free breadcrumbs makes this recipe gluten-free.

The first step is to get your hardwood charcoal fire started. I use a charcoal chimney and newspaper–never any lighter fluid.

Once the coals are lit, head to the kitchen…

4 tablespoons salted butter
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated (I use Parmigiano Reggiano)
4 tablespoons breadcrumbs






Combine the butter, garlic, parsley, and cheese in a sauté pan over medium heat. All you’re looking to do is to melt the butter, so once it’s melted, take the pan off the heat and this mix is ready to use.

Shuck your dozen oysters. Remember: they will shrink a little bit while cooking, so don’t be afraid to go for bigger ones.

Lay the opened oysters in a pan, carefully trying to preserve as much of the oyster liquor (liquid) in each shell as possible.

When the hardwood charcoal has heated up, and you’ve spread the coals evenly on your grill, you are ready to cook the oysters. You want the grill to be hot.

You don’t need to put the oysters directly on the hardwood charcoal. Putting a grill over the coals is fine, and it keeps the oyster shells from tipping over.


Before placing the oysters on the grill, sprinkle each one with some of the breadcrumbs. Then place the oysters on the grill, being careful not to burn your hands! 


Using a spoon, pour some of the butter mixture into each oyster shell. It will flame up! That’s OK. Use up the entire butter mixture for all 12 oysters.


The oysters are ready when you see that golden brown color all around the edges of the oyster shell, when most of the liquid in the shell has evaporated. Don’t let them dry out completely.

Using tongs, remove the oysters from the flame and enjoy! Just be careful…they can be lava hot!

CLAMS CASINO

Posted: June 17, 2026 in Food, Recipes, Rhode Island, seafood, Uncategorized
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I’ve had Clams Casino in many different forms. Back when I worked in Italian restaurants in New York, we would make a breadcrumb mixture, press it onto a freshly opened whole clam, and then place a small piece of bacon on top before it went into the oven. It was good, but the clam often stuck to the shell, and many people didn’t want to gulp down a whole clam like that.

 

Oyster knife (left) and a clam knife (right.) Different tools for different jobs.

 

When it was time for me to make my own recipe, I decided that I would chop the clams and mix them into the breadcrumb mix, so that every bite was the same.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/3 cup finely chopped Vidalia or other sweet onion (about a 1/2 an onion)
2 garlic cloves, squeezed through a garlic press
1/3 cup dry white wine
1/3 cup unflavored bread crumbs
1 tablespoon fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Freshly cracked black pepper
2 dozen medium sized clams
1/3 lb. bacon, cut in small squares to fit the clam shells
Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the onions, and sauté them until they’re translucent. Add the garlic, and cook for 10 seconds. Add the wine and simmer for a minute. Add the bread crumbs, and stir the mixture until it becomes thicker, like a paste. Add the parsley and oregano. Season with pepper. (There’s going to be plenty of salt in the clam juice and bacon, so no salt is needed.)
The bread crumb mixture.
Remove the pan from the heat and let it cool.
It’s time to open the clams. If you know how to do that, open them over a sieve with a bowl underneath so that the clam meats and juices are captured. Discard any broken shells, but save the good ones.
If you struggle with opening clams, this method makes it a little easier: Bring a large pot of water to boil, and drop the clams into it, about 10 at a time, for 30 seconds. Don’t let them open! Remove the clams with a slotted spoon and place them in a bowl to cool. Continue doing this in small batches until all the clams have been in the water. You’ll find this makes opening the clams much easier. Then proceed as above.
Once you’ve shucked all the clams, let the clam juice sit for a bit, so that any grit settles to the bottom of the bowl. Then pour off the clean clam juice and add it to your bread crumb mixture. (Don’t worry if it looks soggy at this point.)
Looking a little soggy, but that’s OK.
I like to hand chop the clam meats instead of using a food processor. You want tasty clam chunks, not too big, but not mush. Add the clams to the the bread crumb mix.
At this point, if the clam mix looks very soggy, simply add a little more bread crumb to dry it out.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Line a large baking sheet with foil. Separate the clam shell halves and wash them, making sure you don’t have any shell fragments left in the clam shell.  Fill them with the clam mixture, mounding them slightly, and placing each one on the baking sheet.
Clams and bacon…delicious!
Cut the bacon in small squares to fit the clam shells. Place a small piece of raw bacon on the top of each clam.
Bake until the clams are just cooked through, the topping is golden, and the bacon is cooked, about 30 minutes.
This makes a great appetizer, but it’s hard to just eat a few!

HONEY-BOURBON RIBS

Posted: June 14, 2026 in barbecue, Carnivore!, CHARCOAL, Food, grilling, pork, Recipes, smoking, Uncategorized
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Since it’s National Bourbon Day, let’s not just drink some bourbon…let’s cook with it!

This recipe uses a smoker. If you don’t have one, or just don’t want all the smoke, start with aper-heated oven at 250° and go from there.

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5 lbs St Louis style pork ribs
Salt and pepper

 

1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup bourbon (use whatever you have on hand)
zest and juice of 1 lime
zest and juice of 1 lemon
zest and juice of 1 orange
2 tablespoons Hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (I use Maille)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon chili oil
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Season the ribs well with salt and pepper and cook in a smoker for 3 hours at 250°, using hickory chips.

While the ribs are smoking, combine the sauce ingredients in a sauce pan, bringing it to a boil, then lowering to medium heat and reducing the sauce by half until it thickens. Stir often, being careful not to let the honey foam up and spill over the top.

Pre-heat the oven at 250°.

Remove the ribs from the smoker and place them on a sheet pan that is lined with aluminum foil, with enough foil to wrap around the ribs. Brush the ribs on all sides with the sauce, stacking no more than 2 sets of ribs on top of each other, and then wrap them with foil.

Cook the ribs in the foil for 2 more hours, until tender.

 

 

 

 

COFFEE-RUBBED ROASTED CHICKEN

Posted: June 7, 2026 in Uncategorized
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Season it, pop it in the oven and walk away. Couldn’t be easier!

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 

 

Pre-heat the oven to 325°.

Whether you spatchcock your chicken or not, doesn’t really matter. I find that doing it will cook the chicken faster and more evenly. Bell & Evans, an excellent brand, sells their whole birds that way alrerady. See if your market carries them.

To spatchcock, you cut down both sides of the backbone of the chicken. (I freeze the backbone for future chicken stock.) Then you flatten the bird out in the pan.

Combine the rub ingredients in a bowl.

Rub the chicken with a little olive oil, then sprinkle the coffee rub all over the top and bottom of the chicken.


Bake until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°. Check the breast temp as well as the thigh. The thighs cook a little faster. Let the bird rest for 10–15 minutes before serving.

 

TUNA TARTARE

Posted: June 5, 2026 in Uncategorized
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For me, the only way to eat tuna is raw, and not just sushi or sashimi. I’m not  a fan of what most restaurants do: serving tuna seared on the outside and rare on the inside. You can tell the quality of the tuna just isn’t there. It usually needs to be drowned in soy sauce to have any taste at all.

So getting my tuna fix often means I’ve got to prepare something at home.

If you’re paranoid about parasites, tuna is probably the safest fish to eat raw. I buy my tuna wild-caught and frozen from reputable sources. Occasionally, I’m lucky enough to buy it fresh from the fisherman, but that is a rare treat.

Technically, fish needs to be frozen at a temperature of -4°F (-20°C) or below for 7 days, for parasites to be killed. In the United States, this is required by law of all fish served at sushi restaurants, with tuna being the only exception.

Most marinades or ceviches use lemon or lime. I enjoy the freshness of grapefruit, and it really works here. This recipe was literally created by opening my fridge and pantry, and grabbing whatever looked good.

 

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1 lb. excellent quality raw tuna
juice of 1 grapefruit
1 teaspoon grapefruit zest
2 teaspoons low-salt soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon wasabi powder
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (I use Frank’s Red Hot)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon sea salt (I use Fleur de Sel)
1 tablespoon chopped scallions, green part only
sesame seeds (optional)
cubed avocado or plain guacamole

 

If I’m starting with frozen tuna, I allow it to thaw just enough so I can cut it into small cubes easily. I place the cut tuna on paper towels to soak up excess moisture, and keep it in the fridge.

In a bowl, I combine all the other ingredients, except the sesame seeds and avocado. I add the tuna to the bowl, and mix everything carefully, putting it back in the fridge to marinate for an hour.

When I’m ready to serve, I place the tuna on a plate. (If it’s very runny, I use a slotted spoon.) I top it with a sprinkling of sesame seeds and serve with fresh cubed avocado, or even plain guacamole.

 

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THAI GRILLED STEAK

Posted: June 3, 2026 in barbecue, beef, Carnivore!, CHARCOAL, Food, grilling, Recipes, Uncategorized
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This is a really delicious grilled steak full of wonderful Thai flavors. You do need to marinate it overnight, so keep that in mind. The overnight marinating is key to the intense and unbelievable flavor of the beef.

The original recipe called for skirt steak, but I didn’t have any in my freezer. I did have a fat ribeye, though, so once I thawed it, I sliced it lengthwise to get two large, thin steaks which would easily suck up the marinade I was going to make. And the ribeye was nicely marbled, so it stayed juicy and tender. Beef flap or flank steak are cuts is that would work well with this recipe.

 

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1/4 cup toasted sesame oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons grated ginger
2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons chopped dry roasted unsalted peanuts
2 scallions, minced
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lime juice
1 tablespoon chile oil
2 lbs. beef ribeye (or skirt steak or beef flap)
1/4 cup chicken stock (homemade is best)

In a bowl, whisk together the sesame oil, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, cilantro, peanuts, scallions, sugar, lime juice and chile oil. Transfer half of it to a shallow dish.

Add the steak to the dish and turn the meat to coat it well. Cover and refrigerate the beef overnight. Refrigerate the other half of the marinade in a separate container.

The next day, light a grill. While it’s warming up, get out a sauce pan and pour the chicken stock in along with the reserved marinade. Heat it to combine it well, but not letting it reach a boil. Remove it from the heat and let it come to room temperature. This will be the dipping sauce for the beef.

About 30 minutes before cooking, take the marinated steak out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature. Season it with salt and pepper, and grill it over high heat until it’s medium-rare, about 5 minutes.

If it’s too cold to light a grill, or if you just want to use the oven, heat a cast iron pan on the stovetop, add a few drops of avocado oil or pork fat, and sear the beef on both sides before placing it in a pre-heated 375° oven to finish cooking.

Devour the beef with the dipping sauce!

Roasted veggies on the side.

SLOW-SMOKED PULLED PORK WITH A COFFEE RUB

Posted: May 31, 2026 in Uncategorized, Food, Recipes, grilling, barbecue, pork, CHARCOAL, Carnivore!
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As I’ve mentioned previously, I love the Kona-crusted NY strip at the Capital Grille, so much so that it inspired me to make a coffee rub of my own. I’ve been using it on steaks and burgers for years. But recently, I used it on a slow-smoked pork shoulder for the first time, and it was fantastic!

I used a smaller pork shoulder, about 6 lbs., and smoked it for about 12 hours. Obviously, if you use a larger hunka meat, you’ll need more time. I prefer a bone-in shoulder over boneless. I think it gives greater flavor.

Rubbed and ready to smoke!

My coffee rub is easy to make, and I usually make a lot of it at once, since it stores well.

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

I mix all the ingredients well, then rub generously on the pork shoulder before placing it a 250-degree smoker for about 12 hours. I use an electric smoker, which allows me to set the temperature and forget it, with the exception of occasionally adding hickory chips. I love just a hint of smokiness…I don’t want the rub to be overpowered by the smoke.

Perfectly smoked, with the bone easily sliding out of the shoulder.

The brown sugar in the coffee rub creates a beautiful crust on the meat, which goes really well with the pork and the barbecue sauce I make.

The barbecue sauce uses much-needed vinegar. It cuts through the rich fattiness of the pork, and is absolutely delicious.

2 cups ketchup
3/4 cup water
6 tablespoons cider vinegar
6 tablespoons white vinegar
6 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin

Mix all the ingredients in a saucepan and simmer until the flavors have blended, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and cool to room temp. If you store it in an airtight container in the fridge, it’ll stay good for a few months.

A beautifully smoked pork shoulder, amazing barbecue sauce…what more do you need for an amazing pulled pork sandwich except a toasted brioche bun and perhaps some of my world-famous home fries on the side?

The home fries? That recipe is for another blog!

ONE LAST LOOK AT LISBON, PORTUGAL

Posted: May 24, 2026 in Uncategorized
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I spent my last full day in Portugal just walking up and down the streets of Lisbon. It was Easter weekend, and the streets were full of people enjoying a beautiful, sunny day. I was told that schools in Portugal and Spain take two-week vacations around Easter, and many people from Portugal go to Spain while folks from Spain visit Portugal, since it’s only a few hours by car. And I found that to be very true, since I could understand overheard conversations a lot better that weekend! (My Spanish is much better than my Portuguese!)

The waterfront in Lisbon was full of travelers!

A small Easter marketplace opened up over the weekend, and it was my opportunity to try the famous pork sandwich called bifana. I had actually tracked down a bifana shop in town, but they were closed for the holiday. So finding this stand was a bit of luck. And it was delicious!

The ladies workjing here were very sweet and happy to share their food with hungry customers like me!
An interesting way to serve condiments!
A beer is always a good choice on a hot day!

My last meal in Portugal had to be special. And so, I chose a restaurant that was visited by Anthony Bourdain many years ago on “No Reservations.” The only time he went to Portugal, from what I understand.

Cervejaria Ramiro has been around for many years, but Bourdain brought it worldwide fame, and if you don’t get yourself a reservation, you don’t get in!

Amazing seafood served at a frenetic pace. Fast, but you never feel rushed. And the servers are real characters. It’s just an awesome, fun time eating fantastic seafood!

The garlic was heavy here!

I met Anthony Bourdain once. I was lucky enough to introduce him onstage at the Providence Performing Arts Center, back when he did his speaking tours. We had a good 30 minutes to hang out together backstage, and what did we talk about? Nickelodeon! Both his daughter and mine were the same age, and we were dads that sat and watched “Spongebob” and “Dora” with our kids. It was a wonderful “dad” conversation I’ll never forget–as far from foodie talk as it could be.

MARINATED RIBEYE…GREAT ON THE GRILL!

Posted: May 22, 2026 in barbecue, beef, Carnivore!, Food, grilling, marinade, Recipes, Uncategorized
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Out on the North Fork of Long Island, there’s a steak restaurant called the Elbow Room. It’s nothing fancy…old school cooking. But they’re famous for their steaks because of a super-secret marinade. Ages ago, I spotted a newspaper article that claimed they found out what that secret marinade was, and they published it. Whether this really is the official Elbow Room marinade or not, I have to say it’s pretty darn tasty and it makes for a delicious steak on the grill.

 

 

My biggest concern with the marinade was the salt factor, since it uses soy sauce. But the ribeye I had was almost an inch-and-a-half thick, which meant that it could sit in the marinade for a long time…my ribeye sat in it for 8 hours. If you choose to use a thinner cut of meat, you might need to reduce your marinating time.

The recipe uses a product called Gravy Master, available in most supermarkets. Look for it in the section where you find gravies and instant potatoes.

 

 

1 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup Gravy Master
2 large Vidalia onions
2 cloves of garlic
2 teaspoons celery seed
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

 

Combine the onions and garlic in a large food processor and purée. Add the remaining ingredients and run the processor until it’s smooth and sort of resembles root beer.

 

 

Marinate the beef in the marinade overnight, or for as long as possible. The thicker the cut of meat, the longer you can marinate it.

Looks delicious, but it hasn’t been cooked yet! Straight out of the marinade.

 

Light the grill. I prefer pure hardwood charcoal because that’s where the flavor is. If I’m just cooking one steak, I get my camping grill out. It lights quickly and easily, and it doesn’t waste a whole lotta charcoal.

 

Always use a charcoal chimney, never lighter fluid…unless you like the taste of petroleum products in your food.

 

Pure hardwood charcoal gives you a hot fire. I like to sear the beef really well on both sides, then move the steak to a cooler spot on the grill and close the cover. I’ll let the beef cook until it gets to a perfect medium-rare.

 

 

If you try this marinade on burgers–and it’s great on burgers–simply brush the burgers with the marinade as you place them on the grill. Go easy or you’ll get a very salty burger.

 

Marinated grilled ribeye with a side of fried rice…an easy combination of veggies and rice leftovers I had in the fridge with a dash of soy sauce.

 

 

 

TOURING SINTRA AND CASCAIS, PORTUGAL

Posted: May 20, 2026 in Uncategorized
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Sintra and Cascais are two very popular destinations just outside of Lisbon proper, and it was highly recommended to me that I sign up with a tour, rather than try to drive the narrow, winding roads by myself. I wisely took the tour.

Not only was the tour informative and relaxing, but tickets to the always-popular, always-crowded Pena National Palace in Sintra, were included. It was a van of no more than 8 people, and our knowledgeable driver knew the roads really well.

The Pena National Palace is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and it was built by King Ferdinand II as a royal summer residence in the 19th century. But there are so many more details to the story. I’ll leave it to you to Google it if you’re interested.

The walk uphill to the palace was quite steep, but the views we saw when we finally got there made it all worthwhile.

If you’re going to check the palace out, I highly recommend going off-season. It gets very, very crowded, with very long waits in line.

After the palace tour, we made a quick walk through the town of Sintra, stopping for some of their famous pastries and a wonderful drink called Ginja, a cherry liqueur served in a small chocolate cup.

Sweets of Sintra, from the famous Casa Piriquita bakery.

On our way to Cascais, we stopped at Cabo da Roca, the most western point in continental Europe.

We headed back to Lisbon along the coast, driving through Cascais, which is basically the Portuguese Riviera. Suddenly, there are waterfront mansions, Ferraris zooming past the tour van, and lots of beautiful people wearing expensive clothes and shopping in expensive shops. You almost feel like you’ve been transported to another country…

We made a stop in Cascais to have lunch and walk along the perfectly manicured waterfront. Only when I returned to my hotel did I realize I didn’t take any pictures in Cascais. The glitz and glam was fun to see, but it’s not what I came to Portugal for.

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