Delicious Things to Eat, Drink, Cook, Bake, Read, Etc. Roundup July 2017


Episode 027- In this episode, I will let you know what I am up to food-wise and drink-wise.  It’s my thinking that you might be interested or inspired to try some of these things.  Note:  I do not receive any compensation for you clicking on any of these links. They are for your knowledge, use, and enjoyment.

If you enjoy Guys and Food, it would mean a lot if you could tell your friends and neighbors about it, or send them a link for the website or a specific podcast or blog post.

 

My Food Projects-  In the last month, “Baking with Joe” featured the Chocolate Beet Cake and the Fresh Mint Oreo Cheesecake from “The Harvest Baker.”  Also, we made ciabatta from Paul Hollywood’s “100 Great Breads” and Nutella stuffed cookies from Sugar Spun Run.

In the garden, my cucumbers and hot peppers are coming from the garden.  The tomatoes are “meh.”

What I’m Baking- I made the Blueberry Crisp from King Arthur Flour Baker’s Companion twice, Sour Cherry Crumb Pie, Bumble Berry Pie, and Chocolate Cherry Almond Hand Pies.

What I’m Cooking- For Independence Day, I made pickled potato salad.  

Kitchen Tools I’m Using- OXO 9 x 9 baking pan, Kitchen Aid kitchen scissors.

What I’m Drinking-  Manger’s Irish Cider

What I’m Eating-  Tayto’s Crisps which I learned about from an  episode of Conan O’Brien, Turkey Hill All Natural Mango Ice Cream, and The Cheese Dream from The Good Steer.

What Cookbook I’m Reading-  I Still did not get to finish “The President’s Kitchen Cabinet” by Adrian Miller.  However, I did read “The Harvest Baker” by Ken Haedrich, Mary Berry’s Favourite French Recipes, and “The Potato Cookbook” by Janet Reeves.

Where I’m Going-  Sato Ramen where we ate spring rolls, pork buns, pork cutlet, and of course, ramen.

At Uncle Giuseppe’s Marketplace where I ate Mortadella and Provolone sandwiches.  I bought Saucy Susan, Sabrett’s Onions in  Sauce, pesto, sausage, and other things.

Not only do I do the podcast, there are also blog posts associated with guys and food.  A recent one has to do with the summer baking project that I am doing with my son, Joe.  There is another that covers the benefits of using an instant read thermometer over the way many professional cooks still judge if their meat is properly cooked.  Hint: It involves touching various parts of one’s body.

Please feel free to reach out and let me what you’re doing in these categories.  You can do that by clicking on the Contact button, email me at gabe@ guysandfood.com, or call the listener line at 716-427-GUYS (4897).

The Guys and Food newsletter gives you delicious recipes, helpful kitchen hacks, and other things that any food guy will find useful. Some of the things in the newsletter will be exclusive, which means it won’t make it on the podcast or blog. Sign up for the newsletter, you’ll be glad that you did! (Don’t worry, your contact information will never be sold or made available to any other person or organization.)

Remember to subscribe to the Guys and Food podcast in Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, GooglePlay, and Tunein Radio.  In social media you can find us on Facebook and Twitter!

Please feel free to reach out with your questions or comments.  You can do that by clicking on the Contact button, email me at gabe@ guysandfood.com, or call the listener line at 716-427-GUYS (4897).

Six Sauces and Relishes for Grilled Meat Success!


Episode 026- As we’re knee deep into grilling season, you’ve probably run through your tried and true favorite ways to serve grilled meat.

Today, I will offer six suggestions of sauces and relishes that will bring moisture, taste, and accentuate the flavors that come with grilled meats.

Normally, I studiously avoid discussing grilling (and barbecuing for that matter) because it seems that when most people talk about “guys and food”, they go straight to grilling and barbecuing.   I try to cover the other aspects of guys and food but here we are in the middle of July and, if we’re talking about cooking during this time of year, it simply can’t be avoided.

For the purposes of clarification, this show we are not going to talk about barbecuing, low and slow cooking indirectly usually over coals or wood.  That is a totally different discipline and the topic of another program.  When I talk about grilling, I mean cooking over a high heat, directly from the bottom of the grill with the cover off.

If you’re thinking of trying something different, here are a few things that you can make and have at the ready to help make your grilled meat or fish something to remember.

Mumbo Sauce- This is a sauce that is popular around the Baltimore and Washington D.C. area.  I had never heard of it, but saw reference to it on Facebook.  When I asked what it was and an old Marine Corps pal set me straight.  He said it was just ketchup and hot sauce mixed together.  I’ve mixed up ketchup and hot sauce plenty of times and I even bought a bottle of Heinz ketchup with Tabasco.  Upon further inspection, it is something a little bit more than that.  I have not cooked this recipe, but here is a version from Epicurious and it seems straight forward.  

Pesto-  With pesto you get a sauce that uses up the fresh basil in your garden.  You can store it in the fridge or freeze it to use during the wintertime.  Since pignoli nuts (also known as pine nuts) can be super expensive, consider using chopped walnuts as a substitute.  If you omit the nuts altogether and you can call it pistou which is the French version of the sauce.  This garlicky sauce is great on beef or fish but equally good in pasta or potato salad. The recipe I use is from Fabio Viviani’s cookbook, “Fabio’s Italian Kitchen.”

Chimichurri-  This Argentinian sauce, so you know it goes well with beef!  It’s like pistou but made with fresh parsley and oregano instead of basil.  There are many different ways to make this.  I’ve seen recipes that include cilantro and cumin and many other herbs and spices.  The recipe that I have is from “Fire in My Belly: Real Cooking” by Kevin Gillespie and David Joachim.  This is straight forward with the exception of esplette pepper which is described in the book as “hotter than paprika and milder than cayenne, and more aromatic than both. ”  So use either depending on your heat tolerance.

Red Onion Marmalade (also known as a onion confit)-  What is great about this is that it adds the onion flavor but also sweet and sour taste that counter balances the char that comes with grilled meat. You’ll recall in Episode 022, the burger episode, it was recommended as an an accompaniment to a burger but works well with any meat.  It is also good on grilled cheese sandwiches.  The recipe that I use come from “The Joy of Cooking” and stays for about a month in your fridge.

Fresh Mint Chutney- If you have mint in your garden, you know how quickly it can take over.  Here is a recipe that will help you use up that mint, and take your fish or lamb to a higher level.  This recipe is also from “The Joy of Cooking”.

Caponata- This is the chunky sweet and sour eggplant relish of my youth!  Along with the eggplant, it’s got celery, raisins, pignoli, tomatoes, capers and olives.  This recipe has anchovies in it too.  Do not omit them.  Be a man, not a mouse! It adds a depth to the flavor and you won’t even be able to sense that it is anchovies.  The recipe that I use most often is from “The Frugal Gourmet Cooks Italian” which Epicurious has on its website.  

Two non alcoholic drinks to enjoy during the summertime:

Switchel- Also known as “Old Haymaker’s Punch”, this is a drink that was the thirst quencher in colonial times before soda or Gatorade. This recipe is from “The Old Farmer’s Almanac” and includes water, molasses, fresh ginger, and apple cider vinegar.

Hurricane Punch- There is certainly an alcoholic version of this drink that you know about if you spent three minutes in New Orleans.  However, I came across this non-alcoholic version recently when I was reading “International Night” by Mark and Talia Kurlansky. It is a delightful combination of citrus juices, ginger ale, and water.


The Guys and Food newsletter give you delicious recipes, helpful kitchen hacks, and other things that any food guy will find useful. Sign up for the newsletter, you’ll be glad that you did! (Don’t worry, your contact information will never be sold or made available to any other person or organization.)

Remember to subscribe to the Guys and Food podcast in Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, GooglePlay, and Tunein Radio.  In social media you can find us on Facebook and Twitter!

Please feel free to reach out with your questions or comments.  You can do that by clicking on the Contact button, email me at gabe@ guysandfood.com, or call the listener line at 716-427-GUYS (4897).

Dan Pashman: Reintroducing a Favorite Food Guy


Episode 025-  In this encore presentation, I reintroduce you to Dan Pashman who is my kind of food guy.  He is smart, thoughtful, and funny! He also knows his food.  Once you listen to his podcast called The Sporkful you’ll understand why it is not only my favorite food-related podcasts, but my favorite podcasts in general.  You may also see Dan on You’re Eating It Wrong on the Cooking Channel.  Maybe you caught him recently with Guy Fieri on the Food Network.

He was very gracious of him to come on the show.  While I admit that I am a bit of a Sporkful fanboy, that doesn’t mean that I didn’t take Dan to task for his approach to my hometown food, the chicken wing (aka Buffalo wings by rookies) during our talk. Here is video demonstrating his (and other) wing eating techniques.

Incidentally, this is not the first time that Dan and I have been on a podcast together.  Dan interviewed me for The Sporkful’s Veterans Day show. Take a listen!

An update:

  • Since our conversation, Dan has moved production of his show from WNYC to Stitcher Radio.
  • Also, I did get to interview Matt Reynolds of the The Great Chicken Wing Hunt film.  That is coming up on a future episode of Guys and Food.

The Guys and Food newsletter gives you delicious recipes, helpful kitchen hacks, and other things that any food guy will find useful. Some of the things in the newsletter will be exclusive, which means it won’t make it on the podcast or blog.  Sign up for the newsletter, you’ll be glad that you did! (Don’t worry, your contact information will never be sold or made available to any other person or organization.)

Remember to subscribe to the Guys and Food podcast in Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, GooglePlay, and Tunein Radio.  In social media you can find us on Facebook and Twitter!

Please feel free to reach out with your questions or comments.  You can do that by clicking on the Contact button, email me at gabe@ guysandfood.com, or call the listener line at 716-427-GUYS (4897).