Category: cooking

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great butcher shop in the village of arroyo grande

nothing like a breakfast with sausages from Arroyo Grande Meat Company. CLICK to read YELP's review!
nothin' like a breakfast starting with sausages from Arroyo Grande Meat Company. CLICK to read YELP's review!

There is a little butcher shop in the Village of Arroyo Grande, California with the grand name of Arroyo Grande Meat Company! If you are drving up the coast of central California it is worth a stop… they even make sandwiches.

I’ve been shopping here when I really need a quality piece of meat and their sausages are superb… or did you already notice that? From making their own corned beef to marinating tri tips ( in beer among other things) there is something for any carnivore. Although I have been coming here for around 30 years or so, there is something I always learn or discover. Yesterday, I asked if he had any rabbit… and he said they always keep a case or two in the back! Outstanding!

new hat
Must be the economy, but the ol boys have gotten into marketing and so I bought myself a hat!

The meat under the hat above is a special marinated tri-tip that I further amend for a wonderful stroganoff.

bon appetite!

Roger

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twice fried alligator is yummy

twice fried alligator meat

My daughters always ask me to fix something special … and as travelors they are very adventurous. i guess the motto is: “visit the people of the world and break bread — or share their food!”

Have you ever made anything … with say… alligator? Well, Alligator meat has many textures… but it has some unusal qualities that you really have to see to understand. Many restaurants serve alligator ( those that actually serve it) in some sort of fried form and I thought that this was the approach I was going to take.

I fried the alligator as one would fry chicken for a Chinese dish… I ‘twice fried’ the sliced chunks of alligate. Here’s how to do it: roll the alligator in cornstarch, fry, roll again, fry one more time. A little seasoning and some dipping sauces make the experience grand!

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fusion of South Africa and a Japanese Favorite food

the wonder fusion of prawns, soba, curry sauce with peri-peri!
the wonder fusion of prawns, soba, curry sauce with peri-peri!

Okay, sometimes I do cheat a little and I don’t use everything from scratch… but I thought that these were so enjoyable that they deservd to be combined together! Obviously, I buy raw shrimp, boil until pink and sautee in gralic butter before adding the sauce from South Africa. The organic wheat noodles from Japan are gaining popularinty in this county and offer a distinctly different taste and texture to the meal.

the sauce is mild
The curry sauce provides a nice base for whatever you add to it. However, I like a little more zip to my curry sauce and I added a curry mix not too much unlike my own and some peri-peri sauce for just the right warming effect!

My grandmother gave me some great advice as a young person. She said — do what we all do ( chef’s) when caught with a time constraint find a nice mix that gets you close to where you want the recipe to be…. then amend it. Ah, the secret of quick cooking!

The best part? I still have some left for today!

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cookies for the holidays

mushroom cookies
for nearly 40 years, Laura and I bake these at Christmas to share... CLICK on the picture to read all about how to make these wonderful cookies.

The holiday season is a great time to bake cookies! If memory serves, nearly all of the cookies baked today are chocolate chip ( roughly 80%); however, chocolate is grand but there is so much more to try. One of our favorite cookies is this spicey gingerbread style cookies made in the shape of a mushroom that has been a family favorite forever…. and if you hide a few they keep virtually forever!

here is how to make them!

Besides mushroom cookies, we’ll be making some of the basics, sugar, butter, gingerbread, oatmeal, shortbread, lemon squares and a few more that you may have never heard of… but fun! One of my favorite that I enjoyed making in my youth comes by many names: Russian Tea cakes, Sandies or Mexican Wedding cakes. These little powdered sugar dusted nutty canonball shaped delights are wonderful with a frosty glass of milk!

So what will you be making this year?

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bbq ribs for the holidays – step one

Ribs for the Holidays!
Ribs for the Holidays! My daughters have always loved the ribs we make; however, it does take some time and preparation. CLICK on the picture to see what is involved.

 Today is really the start of baking season as folks start putting together what they want to serve their friends and families for Halloween, then comes the truly universal American Holiday of  Thanksgiving and finallyDecember and for us that means Christmas.

As the father of adult children, when we all get together, it calls for something special. Memories of family foods and fun from times gone by for starters. Food is a way of keeping family close and traditions alive. My daughter Kristin, for example, is fixing some  ‘seafood lasagna’  this weekend… it takes a lot of preparation… but it is an impressive dish!

Fortunately for me, I have lots of freezers!