best bbq sauce ever

best bbq sauce ever and i made it. adapted from the Bromberg Brother’s cookbook: Blue Ribbon Cookbook, make it in a slow cooker with the lid ajar. sweet & spicy with no pesky preservatives or high fructose corn syrup. whip up a big batch - it’ll keep in the fridge for 3 months. you can do it! here’s how:

3 cups ketchup (sans HFCS, buy ketchup at whole foods)
1 cup real maple syrup (did you read the word “real”? again, it’s in the bulk section of whole foods)
¾ cup light beer (stella!)
½ cup honey
¼ cup cola (omg, not diet, you fool)
2 teaspoons bottled hot sauce
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 serrano chile, slit a couple times, de~seeded and thrown in whole
 
whisk all ingredients in a slow cooker set to high. put the lid on. when you can see the mixture bubbling around the edges, stir, and adjust slow cooker to low & place lid on crooked so steam will escape. this will allow the bbq sauce to thicken up. stir every 30 minutes, slow cook for 4-6 hours. it will thicken and darken. the best bbq sauce you’ll ever eat...

restaurant style hamburger meat at home

restaurant style hamburger meat. have you ever wondered why beef tacos at home never taste like they do at a restaurant? i figured out how to make fine, tender, hamburger meat at home. this is not that big chunk fatty crap your mom makes. this is seasoned perfectly, sweet and tender. this recipe gives way to many options; i’ve eaten it loose meat sammy style and added mustard and pickle to a griddled bun, and, soft taco style with shredded cheese and avocado pico. make enough to freeze. the options are limitless: enchiladas, sloppy joes, burritos, come on, get creative. here’s how;

you’ll need:

2 lbs hamburger meat (i used 91% lean, antibiotic & hormone free)
1 cup water
1 tablespoon butter
potato masher

you’ll do:

in a large heavy pan on medium heat, add butter and hamburger meat. add 1 cup water. use potato masher to break up meat into fine pieces. this entire process takes less than 4 minutes. do no over-cook or brown the meat. just cook until the pink is gone. drain in a colander.

now, season it.

you’ll need:

2 cups finely diced of each: onion, red pepper, green pepper.
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
1 tablespoon brown sugar
½ can of coke (not diet, u igmo)
2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
1 tablespoon vinegar (any kind, i used apple cider)

you’ll do:

add olive oil to a dutch oven over medium heat and sauté veg until soft, not browned. add paprika and brown sugar and cook for a couple minutes. do not let burn. stir often. add meat and the rest of ingredients. cover and simmer on low for at least 1 hour. let cool. refrigerate over night. the next day; eat as a taco, burrito, enchilada, sloppy joe, loose meat sammy...

crispy tortilla pizza!

i am still on my sprouted tortilla kick. here’s an über-crispy, gourmet pizza that will impress your friends, if you have any. use any kind of tortilla or wrap that you have on hand. this is a yummy meal or a fantastic party finger food. CRISPY! preheat your oven!

you’ll need:

2 teaspoons olive oil
2 tortillas (12-inch)
1 mozzarella ball, sliced or torn
2 small tomatoes, sliced
6-8 mushrooms, sliced
1-2 green onions, sliced
salt
red pepper flakes
tasty olive oil for drizzling
basil leaves

you’ll do:

preheat oven to 475°. line a baking sheet with parchment paper. place tortillas on lined baking sheet. brush tortillas with olive oil.

add cheese to pizza, either in rounds or torn into pieces. sprinkle tortillas with sliced mushrooms, tomato, onion and sprinkle with salt & red pepper flakes.

bake pizzas until crust is crisp and very brown all over, 15 to 20 minutes, rotating sheet pan once during baking.

top with a drizzle of good quality olive oil and add basil leaves. eat.

mushroom potato soup!

mushroom soup. remember the potato guts left over from the potato skins? well, this is how to use those up. thick, creamy, garlicy mushroom soup. i love me. here’s how;

you’ll need:
4 tablespoons butter - divided into 2 tablespoons each
1 leek, washed well & sliced (yes, you can use an onion)
1 lb mushrooms, sliced (any type or a mix is a-ok)
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup white wine
potato guts
1 box of chicken stock (yes, you can use veg stock)

you’ll do:
place 2 tablespoons butter in a dutch oven on low heat. wash & slice the leek, toss in with the butter.

while slicing mushrooms, throw the stems in with the leeks. doesn’t matter how they look as they will be puréed.

when the leeks are tender, add garlic and saute for 1 minute then add wine.

after wine cooks down, add chicken stock, stir & simmer on low for 20 minutes. purée with an immersion blender. add potato and simmer on low.

while you are doing the other, add 2 tablespoons butter to skillet on high heat. slice mushroom caps. stir and brown.

after the soup simmers for at least 10 minutes, mash potato chunks so they will dissolve & thicken soup. it you want it smoother, you can use the immersion blender. be careful not to over blend. that will turn the potato gluey.

add browned sliced mushrooms to soup pot, heat through. that’s it. mmmm.

another spaghetti & meatballs meal!

spaghetti & meatballs. this recipe is adapted from the recipe given on the martha stewart show. these meatballs are ultra tender and they had a green hue to them due to the large amount of basil & parsley - i liked that. i used ground turkey that is sold in the freezer section of whole foods, it’s a mix of white & dark meat. i used ½ cup less of the parm cheese and quinoa spaghetti. this is a memorable meal. make it!
 

Grandma Maroni's Meatballs and Sauce
 

you'll need:

Olive oil
1 pound ground beef chuck (i used ground turkey)
1 ½ cups finely grated Pecorino Romano cheese (i used 1 cup)
1 ½ cups fresh breadcrumbs (i used sprouted bread to make crumbs)
3 large eggs
¼ cup milk
½ cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
¼ cup chopped fresh basil
½ small onion, grated
3 tablespoons minced garlic
coarse salt
1 pound spaghetti (i used quinoa spaghetti)

½ cup fresh basil leaves, julienned
Freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese, for serving

you'll do:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
In a large bowl, mix together beef (turkey), cheese, 1 cup breadcrumbs, eggs, milk, herbs, onion, and garlic; season with salt. If mixture seems too loose, mix in remaining 1/2 cup breadcrumbs as necessary.

Roll meat mixture into 2 ½-ounce balls; transfer to prepared baking sheet. Transfer to oven and bake until beef is cooked through and lightly browned, 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Generously salt water and return to a boil. Add spaghetti and cook until al dente, according to package directions; Drain.

Heat sauce in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Transfer meatballs to sauce and cook for at least 15 minutes. Transfer meat balls and 1 cup of sauce to a bowl and set aside. Remove remaining sauce from heat. Stir in basil and add drained spaghetti; toss to combine. Transfer spaghetti to a large serving platter; top with meatballs and reserved sauce. Serve immediately, sprinkled with cheese.

Maroni's Tomato Sauce

you'll need:

⅓ cup olive oil
12 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 (28-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
1 teaspoon coarse salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground white or black pepper
½ cup fresh basil leaves, julienned

you'll do:

Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly browned.
Add tomatoes, salt, and pepper; stir to combine. Bring sauce to a simmer; let simmer for 20 minutes.

andrew

andrew knowlton. restaurant editor of bon appetit mag recently doled out a few restaurant tips. a few were interesting. informed consumers get better meals. here’s how:

• the not so special, special. the ingredients used in the special may not be very fresh. “specials” are items the kitchen needs to move. keep away from chowders, stews or sauces. steer clear of shellfish specials.

• icky seafood. dont buy or order tiger shrimp. these are imported from thailand & vietnam. grown in nasty water pools and they eat their own feces.

• contaminated kitchens. get a vibe when you go into the restaurant. if the tables are dirty or the staff is dirty, that is a bad sign, move on. same goes for the bathroom; if it’s clean, the kitchen probably is too.

• restaurant menu markups. items in a box. menu items that have a box drawn around them is a restaurant trick to draw your eye to a more expensive item. another restaurant trick: menu items placed at the top right of a menu. these are menu items that restaurants want you to order. the eye naturally goes to the top right of the menu and restaurants know that.

• words like “signature”, “encrusted” or “fine” are there to lure you to order a more expensive item.

• wine: when it comes to wine, the 2nd cheapest wine is the wine you want to avoid. restaurants know you don’t want to appear cheap, so they will mark the cheapest quality wine 2nd to the cheapest and mark up the price of that wine. fact; you may not be getting a better quality of wine than the wine the restaurant has listed as the cheapest on the wine menu. you probably are getting the cheapest quality wine by ordering the 2nd cheapest. got it? good.

watch a video to see what Andrew predicts as the 2010 food trends:
meatballs
cuisine of the year: new austrian foods to go with artisanal beer
ingredient of the year: sriracha 

party food: vegetarian
dessert of the year: homey comfort

potato skins!

potato skins. didn’t think i was a fan, but, i got a special request and took on the challenge. OMG! these were delicious! a bit time consuming (small baking potatoes take 45 minutes in oven), but, you can break it down into steps if you must. watch the salt, the coarse salt on the outside of the skin is pretty and tasty - no need to add more. on a lazy day, these really hit the spot! do it! here’s how:

you’ll need:
6 small baking potatoes (like 4” long)
olive oil
veg oil
coarse salt
coarse ground pepper
4-6 strips of bacon
grated cheddar cheese
sour cream
2 green onions or chives, finely chopped

you’ll do:
scrub the potatoes clean. pierce each potato with a fork about 4 times. rub with olive oil, sprinkle with coarse salt and place on a rack over a sheet pan. bake in a 400°F oven for about 45 minutes. the potatoes should be cooked through and give a little when pressed.

while the potatoes are baking, dice bacon and crisp in a frying pan on medium-low heat for about 15 minutes, or until crispy delicious. drain on a paper towel lined plate.

remove the potatoes from the oven and let cool enough to handle. cut in half horizontally. use a spoon to carefully scoop out the insides (i used a metal measuring teaspoon, the edges are sharper than a regular flatware spoon). leave about ¼ of an inch of potato all around edges and on the bottom of potato. keep potato scoopings and use to thicken soup or make a side dish. any salt that falls off skin, just toss inside scooped out potato.

increase the oven heat to 450°F.

brush inside of potato with veg oil - paying special attention to hit the edges of the potato. this will help 'em brown, you want that. place potatoes back onto baking rack, skin side down and rack on a sheet pan (a cookie sheet will warp with the high heat) bake for 15 minutes, edges will brown. remove from oven.

turn oven to broil.
 

sprinkle the insides of potato with coarse ground black pepper, cheddar cheese and bacon. return to the oven. broil for 2 minutes. remove from oven. use tongs to place skins on a serving plate. add a dollop of sour cream to each skin and sprinkle with green onions or chives.

eat. 

endless feast

endless feast. sorry, i forgot to remind you to set your dvr. the second season of endless feast began today and in two weeks, the show that will air was filmed in arkansas at whitton farms. endless feast is a 30 minute show about sustainable farming and culminates with a farm to table meal using all local ingredients. see below for additional info on the arkansas show. some interesting up coming locations are greenwood, ms & new orleans. it’s a fab show, tune in and learn something.

Endless Feast
PBS/AETN
3pm Saturdays


Whitton Farms
5157 W. State Highway 118
Tyronza, AR
72386
870-815-9519
whittonfarms.com

Chef Lisa Godsey
Godsey’s Grill
226 S Main St
Jonesboro, AR 72401-2907
(870) 336-1988

Peace Bee Farm
37 Peace Farm Road
Proctor, AR 72376
870-702-7976
www.peacebeefarm.com
 
Delta Sol Farms
Brandon Pugh
P.O. Box 37
Proctor, AR 72376
deltasolfarm.com
 
Nine Oaks Farm
1044 CR 762
Brookland, AR 72417
chhead@hughes.net
paslay1@yahoo.com
David (870) 273-2733
Chris (870) 530-1554
 
HWES Edible Schoolyard
Health, Wellness and Environmental Studies Magnet School
1001 Rosemond
Jonesboro, AR 72401
 
Chateau Aux Arc 
Vineyards & Winery
8045 Champagne Drive
HWY 186
Altus, Arkansas 72821
Toll free: 800-558-WINE (9463)
chateauauxarc.com

are you an asshole?

if you are buying meat originating from feedlots - that is, meat that is sold at wal-mart, kroger, fresh market and yes, even at the new argenta corner market; YOU ARE AN ASSHOLE. make a choice and spend your money on cruelty-free meats. yes, this means you will have to ask where the meat originates, this means your meals make take a bit more planning, you may spend a little more on quality meat. so what? pasture-raised, quality meats are accessible, you just have to ask the questions. start by shopping with Farm Girl stand at the saturday morning CAFM Argenta farmers market, buy from Falling Sky Farm, shop at whole foods, purchase online with the CAFM (certified arkansas farmers market). Eat at restaurants that buy with a conscience; Ashely’s, the Capitol Bar and Grill, Ya Ya’s Euro Bistro, Brave New Restaurant, Boulevard Bread Co., Za Za Fine Salad & Wood Oven Pizza to name a few. this is something you can do. now, do it.