Really LAME nerd jokes aside (oh god, stop), the culinary transition between winter and Spring has been a combination of the old and new. Some recipes I’ve developed from scratch and others I’ve simply borrowed from my library of awesome. I didn’t record much of these past few months in detail, but here are some of the menu items I’ve concocted:

1. Strawberry-mayonnaise in a turkey bacon wrap with fresh basil, mint, romaine, escarole, thinly sliced red onion, toasted slivered almonds, balsamic vinegar, and goat cheese (optional).

   Continue reading »

Making fantastic ribs isn’t all that complicated. The purists will say you only need two components: a great cut of meat and the right cooking method. The meat is usually pork (either spareribs or baby backs) but I’ve heard glowing reviews about beef ribs as well. For this dish, as well as others where meat is the central ingredient, I recommend visiting a good butcher; nothing will ruin ribs faster than starting out cheap. My personal favorite butcher’s shop, Marconda’s Meats, is a little far away, but well worth the trip. In the future I may also try Manhattan Meats.

How do you prepare your newly purchased prize beauty for consumption? First, pat in a spice rub. You can use whatever combination suits you best, but I like to go with salt, pepper, cayenne powder, onion powder, garlic powder, thyme, paprika, cumin, and maybe a little ancho chili powder or chipotle powder.

Continue reading »

2 poblano chiles
2 anaheim chiles
4 sesame seed buns
4 slices of provolone cheese
1.32 lbs 82% lean ground beef formed into 4 patties, with a small indentation in the middle of each patty
kosher salt
garlic powder
onion powder
fresh black pepper

The Procedure:

1. Season the patties with salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder to taste.

   Continue reading »