4.15.2011

Sticky Sexy Smokey Grilled Pineapple

Produce
Fresh Pineapple
1 Banana (very ripe)

Spices
Dark Brown Sugar
Pure Vanilla Extract
All Spice Berry

Booze

Spiced Rum

Start your glaze by adding your very ripe banana and some spiced rum into a blender and puree until it is the consistency of baby food, add some pure vanilla extract and one small freshly ground allspice berry while blending. Add more rum as needed, especially to you.

Now place 2 cups of dark brown sugar into a sauce pan with enough water to cover it and bring to a boil and reduce the heat to medium. Now add the banana/rum mixture, stirring frequently, reduce the liquid volume by about a third. After this cools to room temperature place it in a squirt bottle, it should be about the same viscosity as room temp maple syrup.

I like to cut my pineapple into planks about the size of an ice cream sandwich, this size seems to hold up better to the grill and lets you get some good char on the outside while keeping the center al dente.

Now with your well seasoned grill preheated to 500º carefully lay down the plank and let it sizzle for about two minutes, then flip and drizzle some of the glaze on, grilling for another two minutes. Reduce the heat to 300º and continue turning and applying glaze to build up a nice sticky, smoky, sexy glaze. Remove when your happy.

Serve with anything... Especially homemade vanilla ice cream... (drool)

4.04.2011

Making Fresh Butter

I haven't done this since I was in kindergarten! But I did it today and man! What a difference!!

Blackened Fish Tacos w/ Awesome Sauce!

Meat
Any mild whitefish: Monk, Swai, Roughy, Cod, Halibut, etc.

Bakery
Tortillas (burrito style)

Dairy
Plain Greek Style Yogurt

Spices
EVOO
Rice Wine Vinegar
Old Bay 'Blackened' Seasoning
Sea Salt
Coarse Ground Black Pepper
Fines Herbs (parsley, chives, tarragon and chervil)

Produce
Limes
Red, Green & Nappa Cabbage
Carrots
Fresh Cilantro
Fresh Jalapeno


The Sauce of Awsomeness

Avocados: Mashed / Limes: Juiced / Jalapeno: Finely Chopped

Add your avocados and an equal amount of yogurt along with your lime juice into a blender and pulse until smoothish. Add your jalapeno and a touch of sea salt to taste and blend very smooth, add a little milk if it's too thick. Transfer into a squirt bottle and refrigerate.

Slawsome

Shred up equal amounts of your cabbages and some carrots, toss with sweetened rice wine vinegar, ample black pepper and Fines Herbs.

Oh Fishy Fishy Fishy Fish...

Thaw your fillets and dry, liberally season both sides with Old Bay Blackened and a touch of sea salt. Heat your well oiled, cast iron skillet to 350º. I used a pepper infused oil myself but any cooking oil will do, now place the fish in the hot skillet, cover and cook until you are sure you've cooked it too long.. I'm serious, get some fonde built up, don't worry about it sticking. When you are ready to flip it, get the spatch under the tail end and scratch it up lengthwise, then give it a flip. Cover and cook for two more minutes. Kill the heat, remove the cover and roughly chop up the fish, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pan for all that charliciousness in the bottom, cover and set aside.


Warm your tortillas and add what and how much of what you like and poke it down your neck!