Sunday, November 26, 2006



Sad true culinary confession: I'm not a huge fan of seafood.

On the other hand, I love Calamari, I think Pulpo is almost perfectly delicious, and for some fuck-reason I like the taste of Squid Ink in pasta. And, like almost any other human being on the planet, I really dig shrimp.

A while back I brought home a bunch of shrimp from work and threw it in the freezer. Skip forward a few weeks and there I was trying to come up with some ideas for dinner last week. I had seen a recipe in some trade magazine and thought it sounded good, so I tweeked it a bit and... ta da!

Scampi with Cilantro Cashew Pesto over Linguini






Cilnatro Cashew Pesto
1 bunch fresh Cilantro
1/4 Cup Cashews
5 cloves Garlic, crushed
2-3 Sun Dried Tomato Slices, chopped
1 T Lemon Juice
Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper

Scampi
16-20 Shrimp
Olive Oil
3 cloves Garlic, minced
White Wine for deglazing

For Pesto, combine first five ingredients in a mini-processor and work until chunky. Add Olive Oil a little at a time to form a loose paste. Season with Salt and Pepper.

For Scampi, Prepare Shrimp and wash under cold water. Heat Olive Oil in a saute pan over medium high heat. Add Shrimp and cook for 1 minute. Add Garlic and toss well, then deglaze with White Wine. Add Pesto and toss until heated through.

Divide Shrimp\Pesto mix into two portions and serve over Linguini.

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scampigroove:
Ann-Margret - There'll Be Some Changes Made
Eartha Kitt - If I Love Ya, Then I Need Ya
Dean Martin - Baby it's cold outside
Sammy Davis Jr. & Count Basie - She's a W-O-M-A-N

Saturday, November 25, 2006



Every week Kerrie and I go to Jungle Jim's to do our grocery shopping, and a sign posted outside makes me laugh.



I can't help but be taken back to that night in Vegas... or, rather, that morning after where Edwards was standing over McCaan just waiting for him to wake up.

Good times man, goooood times...


Fruit Basket

Sunday, November 19, 2006

Bourbon Style Ribs with Baked Apples







BBQgroove
Beastie Boys - Three MC's & One DJ
Tom Jones - She's a Lady
Barenaked Ladies - Wind it Up
P.O.D. - Boom (Crystal Method Remix)

Tuesday, November 14, 2006

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Kerrie and I enjoyed a nice 2003 Monte Antico Italian Red wine this past week. For dinner, I had made a nice mixed grill with a rosemary demi-glace and this wine paired nicely. Later we had Brownies with a Chocolate Butter sauce and it still held up well without becoming bitter or overly strong. I did not, however, sense much of anything while sniffing. Maybe a hint of basil? Hmmm...

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Thursday, November 09, 2006

All the people stared as if we were both quite insane...

Baxter recently wrote an interesting post about music influencing his work.

I'm listening to Herbie Hancock, the Complete Blue Note Sessions. This is Fabulous music. It's music that speaks to your soul. The kind of groove that can reach in to those deep dark places and pull out the most intricate thought.

I too, not to be too bandwagonesque, am frequently inspired and driven by music. So much so that I have 5 very specific mixes dedicated to daily toil in any given kitchen.

Prep001 - Daily
Prep002 - Weeds
Prep003 - The Bakery Tape
Prep004 - Pastry Chef
Prep005 - Southern Fried Prep


Sometimes though, I need to dig into the stacks of vinyl I have compiled for something truly inspiring. Tonight, for instance, I felt more mellow. So I'm listening to The Hollies' "Greatest Hits", the Velvet Underground's "Andy Warhol", and Tricky's "Blowback".

Earlier this evening, during dinner, Kerrie and I listening to Van Morrison's "Tupelo Honey", Leonard Cohen's "Anthem" and the Fun Lovin' Criminals near-perfect rendering of the classic "We Have All The Time In The World".

In the end, it's gratifying to know I'm not the only borderline-obsessive individual consumed by the need for sound and rhythm to be at my creative peak.



foodiegroove:
The Hollies - Bus Stop
Brooke Benton & Dinah Washington - Baby, You've got what it takes
The O'Kaysions - Girl Watcher
Portishead - Strangers (Live in New York)
Bobby & Jimmy Purify - I'm Your Puppet
The Staple Singers - Let's Do It Again

Sunday, November 05, 2006

I'm not a fire starter, 'cuz I'm a bit smarter...

For all the times I've said how glad I am to be out of Bowling Green, there are a few things that I miss from there. One of those things I miss is The Corner Grill. I know, I know... But, it's "a thing". Once you eat there, work there, and practically live there, it's hard to let go of it all.

Not so much of a problem any more.

Many of you have heard me rant about the food at The Grand Finale in Glendale, right? Well, there is this dinky-assed-nasty dive bar directly across the street from GF called The Friendly Stop. Well, it WAS a dive bar until the people who owned the GF bought it and turned it into a pub\diner.

Don't get me wrong, this place is nothing spectacular. But it IS pretty amazing. Good food, a full bar, and a very liberal smoking policy. Basically, I've found my new Corner Grill...






We started with a half order of Fried Mozzarella ($2.95). Sure, not all that classy, but most certainly one of my favorite bar foods.



Kerrie had the Cajun Burger with a generous portion of french fries ($4.50) while I had their "Meat Loaf 2 Die 4" ($5.50) which Kerrie described as "A wall of meat". The food, and I'd like to be very clear about this, was very good.





To finish things off, Kerrie had a Guinness and I had a cup of coffee. As we sat back in our rickety wooden chairs and watched the blue-collar grunts and the old yuppie ladies eating their meals, we took in all the memorabilia on the walls: Post Cards, License Plates, Ancient posters from before I was born... With the final bill totaling $20.03, it was a perfect meal for a perfect fall day.

Friday, November 03, 2006

Got to give it up...

OMFG! This is probably one of the best things that could ever happen to the internets.




First, I owe thanks to Kristy and Tom for turning me on to Fark a few years back. For those of you unfamiliar with it, it's considered "useless news". To be honest though, it's the ONLY site I visit to read the news. And now we have the TFkitchen. Sweeeet...