Thursday, January 29, 2015

making and living it.....

I think that I should have really made some sort of chicken soup as a restorative to shoveling snow, I made Orzo with tomatoes, peas, and cheese.  First off, it was delicious.  Second, it was cake to make and life is good when you have that.  I have to remember to make it in the summer when I have fresh tomatoes, I will still use frozen peas, unless we grow some this year....mmm......that is a thought.








For the last couple of years I have been going to the Acme for our Christmas Eve dinner pork.  The best part of going there is that they remember me from year to year.  In truth I really don't shop there at all.  I find the store to be expensive on just about everything.  That all changed a few months ago, I found that isn't true anymore.  They seem to have lowered the prices, well their sale prices anyway.  They also have some pretty great meat at the butcher counter.  They had a sale on their NY Strip Steak, so of course, we bought some.  While I was making the orzo, Andrew was working his magic on the steaks.  He seasoned them and grilled them perfectly.







Oh, la, la they were absolutely fantastic.  Grilled perfection. 

I can't wait for the next grill....






Tuesday, January 27, 2015

pulled pork out

I love pork, I said it, yes I love pork.  It does not matter what it is, I just love all kinds of pork.  I take that back, I will not eat pigs feet, ears, any kind of pork guts except maybe casings, but that is it for the most part.  There was never any question about what I wanted for birthday dinner, bone-in pork chaps.  I love to order them when we are out, Andrew tells me not to because I will be disappointed, but I do it anyway, and 99 percent of the time he is right, disappointment.  So the only one I trust making me pork chops is Andrew, he always grills them to perfection.  Which brings me to my latest creation, Pulled Pork.  I love pulled pork more than you can imagine.  I love, love, love pulled pork.  One of the best things about going to Bike Week in Daytona is the pulled pork.  The other is the seafood, namely JB's Fish Camp in New Smyrna.  Their rock shrimp is to die for, but I digress.  it was all about Pulled Pork on Sunday.  I just can't stop making it.  Right now all I want to do is to go to the butcher and buy another piece of pork.  I need an intervention.

We picked up a nice pork shoulder at the grocery, came home, trimmed it up, removed the fat/skin, and rubbed it with Butt Rub.  This is one of my favorite rubs, I got the first jar in Tennessee a few years ago, I was able to get it online because I have yet to see it here.  I then covered it with plastic wrap and put it in the fridge to chill for a few days.


Sunday morning I took the pork out of the fridge, heated up the cast iron dutch oven, and seared the pork on all the sides in a little pork fat and duck fat, then deglazed the pot with Laird's AppleJack.  I covered the pot, then put it in a 275 degree oven for 4.5 hours. 

When the pork was finished, I left it to rest on top of the stove for about an hour.  Andrew then pulled it out and pulled it. 
We served it with it's own juices, Dinosaur Sauce(simply the best), coleslaw, crunchy veg salad, and fries.  I could not get corn bread, so we had challah bread. 
What a great Sunday it turned out to be.



Monday, January 19, 2015

the little one's favorite

While I was at the lunch meat counter with Gabs, Andrew was perusing the fish, he had us look at the cost of the cooked lobster, $54.00.  That is just nuts.  We decided on soup and sandwiches earlier for dinner.  I saw the clams just hanging out on the ice and decided they would be dinner the next day.  Clam sauce and macaroni is Gab's favorite.

Andrew did the hard part, cleaning the clams, while I got off easy making the sauce.  I started with butter, shallots. and garlic.  I used a few frozen clams and Maine Clam juice.  We reduced the liquid and finally added the clams, then covered the pan.  When the macaroni was almost done, we drained it, added it to the clams.   All the clams opened and macaroni finished in that wonderful sauce.  Next added some grated cheese.









It was pretty amazing.

Thursday, January 8, 2015

too early?????

I braved the bitter cold, ok so today is colder, yesterday afternoon and went to the market to pick up a few basic items.  I am trying to make it sound far more glorious than it was, I went to Super Walmart to pick up coffee crap, half & half, and bread.   I was shocked to see almost all of the Christmas stuff gone, they had a half aisle, and it was mostly empty.  They had all the seeds out for spring planting, I was taken aback, but then I said I guess it is time.  I was pressed for time so I could not peruse the aisle for all kinds of goodies, but it made me want to be outside with the warmth of the sun on my face tending, I use that term loosely, to our little garden. 

Should have gotten that window....