Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

MAPLE CORN BREAD

Posted: October 29, 2025 in Uncategorized
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I’ve been substituting maple syrup for honey in a variety of recipes lately, and I found that I prefer it. Doesn’t matter if it’s in a barbecue sauce, a marinade, or, in this case, cornbread. Pure maple syrup just makes the recipe better!


1 cup yellow corn meal
1 cup all-purpose flour (gluten-free flour works great, too)
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
2 large eggs, beaten
1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup real maple syrup

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

In a bowl, combine the corn meal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Mix them together well.

In a separate bowl, combine the milk, eggs, butter, vanilla and maple syrup.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry, and stir them together until they’re just blended. Don’t overmix.

Grease an 8 x 8 pan with oil (I use olive oil or avocado oil), and pour the batter into it.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown.

To make this corn bread gluten-free, simply substitute a GF flour for the all-purpose flour. I used Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour with great results.

And to reduce the dairy, oat milk is a good substitute for the milk. (But quite honestly, whole milk really adds to the richness and moisture of the corn bread.)

I even baked this once without the eggs (not on purpose!) and it came out a bit drier, but still really flavorful.

ASIAN-STYLE ROASTED PORK

Posted: October 8, 2025 in Uncategorized
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I love pulled pork, or pork roast…cuts that use inexpensive, fatty cuts of meat that are full of flavor as long as you roast them low and slow.

 

A very special cut of pork!

I recently received a gift of a very fancy cut of pork: Spanish Iberico, where the pigs roam freely, feasting on acorns. It’s some of the best pork you can buy.

But even with a much less expensive cut of pork, like a pork shoulder, you can achieve some delicious results as long as you give it time: time for the marinade to get absorbed into the meat, and time for the meat to cook slowly at a low temperature. Low and slow is key to melting the fat and gristle, and making the meat as tender as it can be.

The pork, before marinating.

Just like with a basic pulled pork recipe, the spices you use make all the difference. I usually make a spice rub that I generously rub all over a pork shoulder when I’m preparing pulled pork. Then it goes in the smoker for as much as 10 hours, depending on the size of the shoulder.

In this case, I’m using a marinade, which needs to be absorbed into the meat. So if I was using a larger cut, I would butterfly it, and marinate it that way. The Iberico pork that I used in this recipe was under 2 pounds, so I left it whole.

I combine all the marinade ingredients into a bowl…

3 tablespoons Chinese Five Spice powder
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon Chinese chili garlic sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar (same thing as rice wine vinegar)
1/2 an onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped (optional)

Once the piece of pork has been trimmed of any obvious hanging fat (remember, you don’t need to butcher the meat…the fat and gristle will melt while cooking and add flavor), place in a Ziplock-type freezer bag, and pour in the marinade. Squish the bag around carefully, to make the marinade makes good contact with the meat. Place the bag in a bowl (to prevent accidents) and place the bowl in the fridge overnight. Squish the bag around every few hours.

 

Pre-heat the oven to 275 degrees. Use a baking pan large enough to hold the roast.

Remove the roast from the marinade, and wrap it in aluminum foil. Place the foil on the baking pan and into the oven. The amount of time you cook the pork will depend on the size of the roast, so use a thermometer to check if the meat is ready. My roast was ready in less than 2 hours, but it was a small one.

 

Halfway through cooking, while I was checking the temperature, I opened the foil and basted the roast with some of the marinade. Then I re-wrapped it, and placed it back in the oven.

 

I save the marinade to brush on the roast halfway through the cooking process. I could also use it as a dipping sauce when serving, but if I did that, it’s important to place the marinade in a saucepan and bring it to a boil to kill all germs! Remember, that marinade was swimming around raw pork! Once it has boiled for a bit, you can set it aside to cool to room temperature.

 

Done!

 

Pork should be cooked to a temperature of 160 degrees, so I remove it from the oven at 150 degrees, knowing the temperature will still rise as the meat rests.

 

Let the meat rest for at least 30 minutes.

 

AWESOME BAKED CHICKEN

Posted: October 6, 2025 in Carnivore!, chicken, Food, Recipes, Uncategorized
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Years ago, I created an all-purpose sauce that worked with a variety of dishes. Because it has a base of mayo, mustard and ketchup, it’s awesome on burgers and fish…on lobster and crab salads and shrimp cocktail…and just about anything else you can think of. So…I called it Awesomesauce. And though I got tired of the name I gave it very quickly, I didn’t get tired of the sauce!

I made a batch of the sauce for taco night at the house, and decided to use the leftovers the next day to coat pieces of chicken before roasting. The chicken came out moist and delicious. And because I sprinkled some breadcrumbs on them, they had a nice added crunch.

I like to use gluten-free breadcrumbs, because some folks in my family live a GF lifestyle. But it’s easy to make them. I buy a frozen loaf of Udi’s bread, toast it, and then put the slices of bread in a food processor. Instant GF breadcrumbs that taste as good, by the way, as any bread with gluten. You’d never know the difference.

 

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1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 tablespoon mustard (I like Gulden’s)
1 tablespoon dill pickle relish
1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic
1/4 teaspoon paprika
Pinch cayenne pepper
4 lbs. organic pastured chicken pieces
plain breadcrumbs (I use gluten-free)

In a bowl, combine the mayo, ketchup, mustard, dill pickle relish, garlic, paprika and cayenne. Mix it thoroughly and keep it in the fridge until you’re ready to use it.

Pre-heat the oven to 325°.

Rub the sauce all over the chicken pieces and lay them in a sheet pan lined with non-stick aluminum foil or parchment paper. Lightly sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the top of the chicken.

Bake until the chicken is cooked all the way through, and brown and crispy.

 

 

 

 

 

COCKTAIL SAUCE WITH A KICK

Posted: October 3, 2025 in Food, Recipes, seafood, shrimp, Uncategorized
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I’m old school. When a cold seafood tray, filled with oysters, shrimp, clams and lobster arrives at the table, I always choose the cocktail sauce to go with it. Mignonettes are OK, but nothing makes me happier than a cocktail sauce with enough horseradish in it to curl my nose hairs!

We slurp down more clams and oysters here in New England than just about anywhere else in the country. Freshly shucked oysters and clams–or in this case–beautiful boiled wild-caught American shrimp, call for an equally amazing cocktail sauce…and this sauce kicks butt! And it features a key ingredient that you might not expect: vodka. The small amount of vodka in the mix keeps the cocktail sauce from freezing solid when stored in the freezer. Just scoop out what you need, let it thaw, and put the rest back in the freezer.

 

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2 cups ketchup
4 tablespoons prepared horseradish
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon Frank’s Red Hot, or other hot pepper sauce
5 grinds of fresh black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon good quality vodka, like Tito’s

Combine all the ingredients. Store in a tight plastic container in the freezer. Scoop and thaw whenever you need it!

SWEET POTATO CORNED BEEF HASH

Posted: September 28, 2025 in Uncategorized
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Corned beef hash is actually a very simple thing to make. The most difficult part is the corned beef, especially if you’re curing it yourself. That process takes about three weeks…a long time to wait for a plate of hash!

 

 

If you have a package of already prepared corn beef that you bought at the supermarket, thaw it, and rinse it in clean, cold water.

I post my corned beef recipe every year around St. Patty’s Day. If you want to make your own, just use the search button on my blog to find the recipe.

 

A beautiful slab of corned beef, after 3 weeks of curing. I trim large pieces of fat and gristle off before cooking.

 

At this point, many people choose to boil the corned beef, but I don’t. Instead, I place the piece of brisket in a container large enough to hold it covered with more cold, clean water. I let it sit in this cold water for about 12 hours. I dump some ice into it to keep everything cold.  I change the water a couple of times over the 12 hours. Much of the salt will be washed away by this process. I pat the meat dry with paper towels.

I preheat the oven to 325°.

 

 

I lay a couple of sheets of foil down on a baking pan, and then add chopped carrots, celery and onions to it. I place the brisket on top of the veggies.

 

 

 

I wrap the brisket tightly in the foil, and place the pan on the center rack of the oven.

 

 

 

I let it cook for about 3 1/2 hours for a 8-pound piece of meat. Cook it less if yours is smaller.

 

 

I let the meat cool to room temperature in the foil, then unwrap it, and cut it into manageable sized pieces for future use. I wrap each piece tightly in plastic wrap once it has cooled, and I place the wrapped pieces in a sealed bag and into the freezer. 

 

Of course, you have to slice off a few pieces to taste your masterpiece!

 

Once the corned beef has cooked, it’s ready for sandwiches, and of course, hash! (Pastrami is another series of steps, discussed in another blog.)

 

A piece of cooked corned beef, about 1 lb., cubed
1 medium onion
2 lbs. sweet potatoes 
olive oil
salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 350°. If the corned beef is frozen, remove it from the freezer an hour earlier, letting it come to room temperature.

 

 

Peel and cube the sweet potatoes. Make the cubes about a half-inch around. Placed them in a single layer on a large sheet pan, sprinkling them with olive oil, and seasoning them with salt and pepper. Toss the sweet potatoes to coat them with the seasonings and then place the sheet pan in the oven, baking for about 25 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are fork-tender and have tasty caramelized, slightly charred edges.

 

 

A few minutes before the sweet potatoes are done cooking, finely chop the onion and sauté it in a large pan with some olive oil.

Cut the corned beef into small cubes, about a quarter-inch in size.

 

 

Once the onions are translucent, add the cubed corned beef to the pan, and warm it through.

Now add the sweet potatoes to the pan and mix thoroughly to combine. Season with salt and pepper.

 

Your sweet potato corned beef hash is ready to serve! It also freezes well, so don’t be afraid to make extra!

EASY FRIED GULF SHRIMP

Posted: September 26, 2025 in Uncategorized
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I love fried shrimp. It’s like seafood candy. And I’ve got a really easy method of making it.

For me, the secret to great fried shrimp is a light batter. I’m not crazy about the heavy, almost pancake mix-like batter that is used in some restaurants for shrimp or onion rings.

As I looked through many recipes, I found that the secret to a lighter batter is rice flour. I didn’t have any in my cupboard per se, but then I found a bag of Bob’ Red Mill Gluten_free 1 to 1 Baking Flour, which turns out to be mostly rice flour. I decided I would use that, scooping a couple of cups of it into a bowl.

My go-to seafood seasoning is Chef Paul Prudhomme Seafood Magic. I added a couple of tablespoons of that to the flour, and mixed it well.

In a separate bowl, I scrambled two eggs.

I use only wild-caught American shrimp, never the nasty stuff from Asia. Thawing the shrimp is simply a matter of placing the frozen shrimp in a bowl, and covering them with cold water (never warm) and in a couple of hours, they’ve thawed out. Then I drain the bowl, and dry the shrimp with paper towels.

In a pan on the stove, I have about an inch of a high smoke point oil, like avocado oil, heating it to about 325°, using a thermometer to check.

Cooking in batches, I put about a dozen shrimp into the eggs, coating them well, then transferring them to the flour mixture, coating them well again, and shaking off the excess. Then I carefully put them in the hot oil. About 30 to 45 seconds on each side is all the shrimp needs to be perfectly cooked. I drain them on paper towels, and they are ready to eat!

I love a little remoulade sauce to go with my fried shrimp, so I grab some mayo and Dijon mustard, and mix them in a bowl to my desired ratio. (Sometimes I like a lot of mustard…other times, not so much.) To this, I add another great “cheat:” Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning–again–to taste.

Now I’m ready to eat!

FRIED GREEN TOMATOES

Posted: September 24, 2025 in Uncategorized
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Every year, I still have a lot of green tomatoes on the vine as the summer comes to an end. Fried green tomatoes are the tasty solution to the problem.

It’s a really simple process of slicing the tomatoes, seasoning them with salt and pepper, dusting them with flour, dipping them in egg, and then rolling them in some flavored breadcrumbs before frying.

Good news for those that need it all gluten-free! It can happen if you follow my instructions below.

Green tomatoes, sliced
Salt and pepper
All-purpose flour (I use Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour)
2 eggs, beaten
Seasoned breadcrumbs (I make them gluten-free…see below)

At first, I sliced my tomatoes at about 1/4″ thick, but I found that if I could make them just a bit thinner, they would come out even crispier. So now I go with about a 1/8″ thickness.

I place the tomatoes on a cutting board, and season them with the salt and pepper.

I then set up my 3 bowls for adding the breading. In the first bowl, the all-purpose flour. (I like using the Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour because it’s mostly rice flour and it makes the coating lighter.)

In the second bowl, I whisk a couple of eggs.

In the third bowl, I place my seasoned breadcrumbs. (You can buy Italian seasoned breadcrumbs, but I make my own by toasting a loaf of Udi GF bread, tossing the pieces into a blender to mill them down to a powder. I add oregano, basil, parsley, salt and pepper, granulated garlic and granulated onion, then whiz the blender for just a few seconds to combine everything. I place this in the third bowl.)

Then it’s time to do the one-handed method of dipping the tomato slices one-by-one into the egg, then dropping it into the breadcrumbs, where the other hand takes over to cover the tomato with a light layer of breadcrumb. Do the same for all the tomatoes.

I fry the tomatoes at 350° in a non-seed oil with a high smoke point, like avocado oil, until golden.

I place the tomato slices on a wire rack to cool, seasoning them immediately out of the fryer with some sea salt.

A dipping sauce, like marinara sauce, goes well with these tasty bites!

ASIAN DIPPING SAUCE FOR DUMPLINGS

Posted: September 22, 2025 in Uncategorized
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A great dipping sauce for Chinese dumplings, known as Jao-Tze, needs to be more than just a bowl of soy sauce. Sure, if you’re having sushi-grade raw fish, you may want to keep it simple with a gentle dip of high-quality soy sauce to preserve the subtle flavors of the fish, but sometimes you want more.

If you’re having dumplings, chunks of pork, beef on a skewer, or grilled chicken, a dipping sauce with more flavor is essential.

Inspired by what I call my Bible of Chinese cooking, “The Chinese Cookbook,” by Craig Claiborne and Virginia Lee (printed in 1972), I tweaked the recipe to fit my own tastes.

You don’t usually find maple syrup in Asian cooking, but I found that it added just the right amount of sweetness needed, and I prefer it over the more commonly used honey.

1/4 cup dark soy sauce
1/4 cup white vinegar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon maple syrup
2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
1 teaspoon finely minced garlic
3/4 teaspoon Chinese chili garlic sauce
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon rice vinegar
1 green onion, finely chopped

I combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well.

I store it in the fridge in a container with a lid, and give it a good shake right before using, to re-mix the ingredients.

I used this dipping sauce as part of a meal I made with beef skewers (posted recently), stir-fried veggies, dumplings, and lo mein with a peanut-chili sauce.

ASIAN BACON

Posted: September 14, 2025 in bacon, Carnivore!, Food, frying, pork, Recipes, Uncategorized
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Sometimes the happiest of cooking accidents happen with bacon. My original plan was to make Chinese-style honey ribs for dinner. But instead of pulling a nice rack of ribs out of the freezer, I accidentally took out a slab of pork belly. I only realized my mistake after I thawed it, so I decided to use it! The results were pretty damn tasty.

I like maple syrup instead of honey, but use what you like!

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Marinade:
¾ cup light soy sauce
6 Tablespoons hoisin sauce
5 lbs. pork belly
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 whole star anise
2 cinnamon sticks (3”)
1/2 cup honey or maple syrup
4 cups chicken broth (preferably homemade)
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Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.
Mix the marinade ingredients. Set them aside.
Cut the pork belly into pieces that are about 2 inches square. Place them in a large pot. Cover them with water and bring the pot to a boil. Boil it for 5 minutes. Drain the water.
Place the warm pork belly pieces on a sheet pan lined with non-stick aluminum foil. Coat them with the marinade. Let them sit for 10 minutes.
Bake the pork belly pieces on the sheet pan in the oven for 30 minutes.
While the pork belly is baking, start the sauce in a large non-stick pan or pot: combine the lemon zest and juice, star anise, cinnamon sticks, maple syrup or honey, and chicken broth. Bring it to a boil, then reduce it to a simmer.
When the pork belly pieces have finished baking, add them to the sauce pot, lowering the heat to a simmer. Simmer (covered) for about 15 minutes or until meat is tender.
Turn the heat back on high, uncover the pot and cook until the sauce has reduced to a glaze that coats the meat. Reduce the heat as the sauce thickens to avoid the sugars in the syrup or honey from burning. When the pieces are sticky and gooey, they are ready!
Devour them just like that!
If you have leftovers, let the pork belly cool, then slice the pieces it to your desired thickness and fry them like regular bacon. They’re great with eggs!
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TRAVELING WITH CHILDREN: A BIG THUMBS UP

Posted: September 12, 2025 in Uncategorized
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Before our daughter was born, my wife and I traveled the world. We got engaged in Paris. We honeymooned in Thailand. We swam with dolphins in Moorea. We rode camels along the Mediterranean in Morocco. So when our daughter was born, many of our friends thought our traveling days would be over.

 

At the Kaikoura Lavender Farm, South Island, New Zealand

 

One of the biggest sources of inspiration for me, personally, was a moment on our honeymoon in Thailand. We left our luxurious resort on Koh Samui to spend a few days on a remote island called Koh Nang Yuan, a destination for adventurers and serious scuba divers.

While waiting for our ferry to arrive, a bunch of us were packed like sardines in a small area. Around the corner came a young man, carrying 2 very large duffel bags–clearly a scuba diver with all his gear. But a moment later, his wife appeared from around the corner, and she was pushing a baby in a stroller. She whispered something to her husband, and he unzipped one of the large duffel bags to reveal a huge stash of diapers! He pulled one out, handed it to his wife, and she headed toward the restroom.

In that moment I realized: you can travel with a kid…and you can still have the adventure of a lifetime! It changed my attitude toward travel forever.

 

Snorkeling in St. John, USVI

 

It’s understood that not everyone can do this. Traveling is expensive. We gladly trade material things (that fancy SUV will have to wait) so that we can share some amazing memories.

 

In the crown of the Statue of Liberty, NYC

 

By the age of 12, my daughter had traveled to France, Italy, Spain, Greece, Lithuania, England, New Zealand, Iceland, Canada and the Caribbean. She’s now 18 and off to college this fall, but she got to go to Egypt with her mom this year, and Poland and Lithuania with me this summer. She also added Ireland to her list last summer. Recent travels were mostly in the US, as we looked at colleges in Washington DC, Pittsburgh and Chicago.

 

London, England…

 

…and more recently in London, England. (Tea time at the Ritz.)

 

The first time our daughter’s feet touched salt water, it was as an infant in the Adriatic Sea in Puglia, Italy. The first time she had a steak, it was steak frites in Paris.

 

Mercado de San Miguel in Madrid, Spain

 

Though she didn’t always realize it, her travels gave her an incredible education. The people she met, the foods she (sometimes) ate, the places she saw that her friends would only read about. It has made her wise in ways we never could have expected.

 

A mountain top view of San Sebastian, Spain

 

Swimming with stingrays at Stingray City in the Cayman Islands

 

To see the world through our daughter’s eyes has been a real joy, especially now when I can share my love for music with her.

 

Hard Rock Cafe, Paris (She’s been to over a dozen Hard Rocks.)

 

Hot dogs in Reykjavik, Iceland

 

We have friends that tell us they can’t afford to travel the way we do. Then they blow thousands on a Disney vacation or cruise.

 

 

Everyone needs to make that choice on their own, but we decided a long time ago that we’d skip places like Disney World for the real world.

 

Sharing an artsy moment with Mom in Santorini, Greece

 

…and a silly moment with Dad in Vilnius, Lithuania (many years ago!)

 

 

Even local trips can make a tremendous difference in a child’s life.

Block Island, RI

 

Fishing off the coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

 

Camping in the Berkshires, Massachusetts.

 

Rafting on the Kennebec River in The Forks, Maine

 

Athens, Greece

 

A walk across Abbey Road.

 

It’s always a party in New Orleans!

Never underestimate the power of travel! It’s not just great for the kid…it’s great for the whole family!

 

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