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photo - duke lickin' his chops

A warm summer evening presents an interesting dilemma. Do I go out looking for pictures, or do I stay home and fire up the grill? At least there is no wrong answer! My passion from cooking is a direct descendent of my passion for eating. Food is so much more than just sustenance. It can be an adventurous way to experience new lands and cultures. It can remind you of home on a cold, lonely day. Or, it can be a simple pleasure during a busy day.

My inspiration for cooking comes from several sources. My mother's home cooked pasties, apple pies, and oatmeal raisin cookies are legendary among our family. My oldest brother's love of all things fired on a grill and his uncanny ability to have 7pm supper on the table at 10pm are summer vacation cornerstones for my family.

These days, cooking for Sarah and our friends is a wonderful escape from my day job. The following list of recipes is by no means original. I will give credit to ideas where credit is due. It should be pointed out that I rarely follow a cookbook exactly... I'm a mad scientist, and the kitchen is yet another experimental lab for me to play around. Some things work great, others not so great. If I have taken the time to list it, that means I liked it - even if no one else did! As a measure of full disclosure, I should mention that I like my food hotter than most people. When it comes to food, I'm into excess, especially when it comes to spices. My poor bride... Certainly, you should play as around as well. Start here and then take your own path.

Titles can refer to specific recipes, or more often, entire meals. This is admittedly a journal more that it is a cookbook. I don't always specify the quantities either. PLAY AROUND!

Schmoogy Soup
While it's beyond the scope of this page to explain why, Sarah and I were coined with the nicknames Schmoogy and Schmoopy while we were dating. She had a bad day at work, was sick, and needed some comfort food. I scoured the pantry, and this is what I came up with. It's one of her favorites, and it's ridiculously simple to make.

6 or so slices of sandwich ham, preferably the honey-cured deli style
O&G - onion and garlic (finely chopped)
red pepper (roasted and chopped)
tomato soup
white wine (just a little more than needed to deglaze - be sure to sample the wine for quality first)
paprika
soya
basil (freshly chopped, plus a full leaf or two for garnish)
brown sugar
dry mustard
milk
S&P
rice
baby spinach
heat if you like... I like my favorite hot sauce, "the chicken" - Sarah prefers red curry or something else a little less intense

Brown the ham in the bottom of a soup pot (I usually use 1/2 butter and 1/2 EVOO, but you can skip the butter if you prefer to die bland) over medium-high heat. Toss in the onion and caramelize a bit - just don't turn the ham into bacon bits... reduce the heat to medium, add the garlic and red pepper, stir around a bit until the aroma fills the room. Add the wine, deglaze. Add the soup, paprika, soya, brown sugar, mustard, milk, S&P. Reduce heat to simmer and cook until everything heats through. Stir in the basil at the last second.

Layer a couple of bowls with baby spinach, then rice. Pour the soup on top, garnish, and eat up!

Mike and Lisa's Engagement Dinner
When our good friends, Mike and Lisa, announced their engagement, Sarah and I knew we wanted to host a dinner for them. In the house we lived in at the time, the kitchen was off the main living and dining spaces, so while cooking you were quite isolated from the rest of the happenings. Fortunately, this menu was easy to prepare, leaving plenty of time to share in the celebrations of the day. The steak dish is taken straight from Steve Rachlin, the twice-baked from mom, the rum salmon from Robert Rainford, the campfire salmon from Michael Smith, and Schmoogy salad from me. Contrary to my usual self, I don't ever mess with the first two of these recipes - never tempt perfection... you just end up looking like a fool.

Tuscan Style Steak
The trick here is to grill any type of steak you like to any temp you want, but let it rest up in EVOO and fresh basil leaves. You got to taste it to believe it. (ok, I do mess with this and and garlic cloves from time to time, but only when no one is looking)

Twice Baked Potatoes
This dish is good for the soul, and the body therefor. Points be damned!

Mix together...

six undercooked large potatoes pealed and chopped (whatever kind you like, as long as they mash well)
1/4 cup melted butter
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (get the real stuff and shred yourself)

Stir in the following...

S&P
1/3 cup chopped green onion
2 cups sour cream (no, you can't use light here... if you are even considering it, you're reading the wrong blog)

Spread all that in a baking dish, top it with paprika, and bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes. Remove, enjoy, and run an extra mile tomorrow.

Rum Smoked Salmon
Simple... take your favorite salmon and soak it in rum for 15 minutes, drain and dry. Dry rub with brown sugar and S&P. Cure 4 hours and smoke 1.5-2 hours at 225, give or take.

Camp Fire Salmon
Also simple... toss bean sprouts and green onion with soya, lime zest and juice, honey, sesame oil (do over do that one...trust me), and coriander. Spread the mixture in foil pouches, laying a filet of salmon on top. Seal, and cook on a grill or over open flame until steam rises out of the pouch and the fish is done.

Schmoogy Salad
Sarah's favorite salad. Peal and quarter a some beats, toss with EVOO and S&P and grill over medium high heat until soft (get some good char marks on those puppies). Toss with a mix of baby spinach and arugula, toasted walnuts, cranberries, goat cheese. Toss with your favorite dressing, but something balsamic seems to work best.

Valentine's Dinner 2006
Nothings to good for my wife! (Translation - she doesn't count the calories I am eating personally during meals like this!) We did a little surf and turf this v-day, plus a sushi appetizer, veggies, salad, and, of course, champagne! (Don't go cheap on the champagne, boys. Most women can't tell the difference between an ale and a lager, but they all know when you've served them cheap champagne... they have special powers like that.) Credits to Steve Rachlin for the steak, Robert Rainford for the lobster, and Michael Smith for the sushi recipes.

Tuna Sushi (appetizer)
Take two pieces of sashimi grade tuna (minced) and toss with soya, a hint of sesame oil, chopped green onion tops, lime zest, mint, and granted ginger (all to taste). Enjoy!

Grilled Lobster with Basil Mayonnaise
Take basil infused oil (store bought or homemade) and mix with mayo, Dijon mustard and lemon juice. Spread the mixture (reserve some for serving) on lobster tails (with the pleopods and soft shell on the bottom removed), grilling cut side down until cooked through (but not tough)... 8 minutes or so at 350 degrees depending on the size of the tail. (You can vary this to use a whole lobster if you like.)

Serve the surf and turf with a grilled veggie of your choice (some type of veggie cabob with red peppers, zukes, etc, for color works very well) and a salad of your choice.

Memorial Day 2006
Perhaps my favorite Monday of the year (no work, party on Garth!), and a day that must be reserved for grilling. I almost always slow smoke a boatload of salmon for snacking, and serve veggie skewers with the main meal. Credits to my brother Andy for the chuck roast recipe, and our friend Stacy for the salad.

Brother Andrew's Smoked Chuck Roast
Take a chuck roast, and dry rub it with equal parts cyanne pepper, garlic salt, and paprika, letting it set overnight. Hickory smoke 2 hours or so, remove and char on a hot grill for ten minutes each side, and then place in a 300 degree oven until medium rare. You've gotta taste it to believe it.

Stacy's Fiesta Salad
Mix together one can of rinsed black beans, 2 ears worth of sweet corn kernals, quarter cup of diced red pepper, quarter cup diced red onion, and the following to taste: red win vinegar, EVOO, parsley, cilantro, dill, S&P, and lime zest.