I'm waiting for the gift of Sound and Vision...

What's the best chocolate chip cookie you've ever had?

For me, I really don't know. Cookies in any form reached perfection with my mom's Cereal Cookies. It's a scientific fact...

But a chocolate chip cookie... The most basic, universally revered of all cookies - What's the best one I've ever had? I can't honestly say.

See, I recently realized I haven't had a great earth-shaking Chocolate Chip Cookie. Bakemark makes a pretty good product, but they dry out way too fast after baking. English Bay has a reasonably consistent cookie dough, but they use dark chocolate and they are nauseatingly greasy.

So what goes into making a good chocolate chip cookie then? Well, I like mine to be chewy -not soft- with a clean feel to them. I shouldn't have to scrub the grease from my fingers in between each bite. I also don't want to bust my jaw trying to bite through a piece of plaster board. Also, I really don't like walnuts. BUT... I don't mind peanuts or macadamia nuts. Plus, if the nuts are salted - all the better.

This past week I spent a reasonable amount of time trying to find a good recipe for the elusive "perfect" chocolate chip cookie. I found one, slightly reminiscent of the Urban Legend Cookie, that had a few extra steps and needed a little extra attention.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

3 Cups Flour
1 1/2 t Baking Powder
1 1/2 t Baking Soda
3/4 t Kosher Salt
1 1/2 Cup Oats
1 3.5oz Milk Chocolate Bar

1 1/2 Cups Softened Butter
1 1/2 Cups Sugar
1 1/2 Cups Brown Sugar
3 Eggs
1 1/2 t Vanilla

2 Cups Mini Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
1 Cup Chopped Salted Peanuts

Preheat Oven to 350F.

Begin by mixing Flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl.
Next, place oats in a food processor and grind into a fine powder. Add to Flour mix.
Using a microplane or box grater, finely grate milk chocolate bar into flour/oat mixture. Set Aside.

In a Large Bowl, mix Butter, and Sugars together using a hand mixer.
Add Eggs, one at a time until thoroughly combined. Add Vanilla.

Add Flour Mixture to Egg Mixture, and stir until dough comes together.
Add Chocolate Chips and Peanuts and mix into dough.

Portion cookies on to sheet tray and Bake for 17 minutes.
(They may be soft when you pull them from the oven, but they WILL set up.)

Note: I used a 2oz ice cream scoop to portion the dough onto the sheet trays.







In the end, I got 52 two-ounce cookies out of this recipe. Were they the perfect chocolate chip cookie? No... But there was something oddly gratifying out making my own and they were damned yummy. Kerrie and I sat around with our glasses of milk, nibbling away contentedly enjoying the abundant pile of cookies which, while not perfect, were very satisfying.

Hello, Dad? I'm in jail...

I found this on a case of celery at work. I wonder if I should throw it out...



Hmmm... For those a little lost, google Steve-O and try not to hate me for what you see.

grosscelerygroove:
Was not Was - Dad, I'm in jail
David Bowie - Sound & Vision
Andrew WK - We Want Fun
Iggy Pop - Success

Once in a lifetime...

There has been a lot to celebrate over the past few weeks. On Saturday the 20'th of September, My cousin gave birth to her daughter Charlotte. The next day, Sunday the 21'st, we surprised my mom with a cookout at my brothers house for her birthday. On Thursday of this past week, Kerrie and I celebrated 4 years together. Yesterday started the 1-year countdown to the wedding.

Yup, in 364 days Kerrie and I will be married and all of you will be judged on how good of a gift you get us. Stop laughing, I'm not being funny.

Okay, yes I am.

To celebrate our anniversary, which fell on a week night, I made a fairly elaborate dessert of Vanilla Panna Cotta. I prepared a Chocolate biscuit, raspberry sauce, and even a little bubble sugar for flair.





Charlotte


Mom and Gramma


Kerrie and I

"It's a celebration bitches!"
- Rick James

celebratorygroove:
Talking Heads - Once in a lifetime
Bar Kays - Too Hot To Stop
Fatboy Slim - Yamama
MC Chris - Fett's Vett
Bobby Bland - Turn on your love light

So whatchawhatchawhatcha want?

I've come to realize that I'm not all that into haute cuisine. I've always found myself most fascinated with the food and cooking principles of Diners, Bistros and Taverns. Gastropubs are a current interest to me, as are tapas bars.

Simply put, I love the classics. I loved working at the Corner Grill for no reason other than the Down-to-Earth, Everyman type of food served there. It was always something simple, from scratch, utterly devoid of all pretension... and sometimes a little bit stabby.

So in the end, I've found myself making less fancy stuff and more durable stuff. The kind of easy grilling or slow braising that many generations before mine relied on. And, to be honest, what's more classic than Meat Loaf?

I know, I know. Meat Loaf is just... Meat. In loaf form. But, stay with me here, what about a good meat loaf? No, wait... A GREAT meat loaf. One that's dressed up with all the right compliments? How about a Meat Loaf with Frizzled Onions and an Irish Stout BBQ sauce on a slab of Foccacia Bread?



To be honest, I skanked this idea from The Claddagh Irish Pub. Kerrie and I have really found a love for this place, even though it's a little too expensive for frequent visits. They serve a meat loaf sammich with a Guinness BBQ sauce. Being that I'm me, I realized I could quite easily emulate this dish with only one failing - Those damn Irish pub "chips". Theirs are pretty awesome, and mine were shit. But the main focus of the meal, the meat loaf, was incredible. For all intents and purposes, any meat loaf recipe will do as long as it's not some jazzed up version that will conflict with the BBQ sauce. The Irish Stout BBQ sauce is where the bulk of the work is, and it's totally worth it.

Irish Stout BBQ Sauce
4 oz. Sliced Bacon
1 small Onion, coarsely chopped
2 Garlic Cloves, smashed then chopped
1/2 T Cracked Black Pepper
1 T Worcestershire Sauce
1 12 oz. can or bottle of Irish Stout
1 C Ketchup
1 Dash Hot Pepper Sauce
Juice from 1 Lemon, roughly 2 oz.
1 t Kosher Salt

In a sauce pan set over medium heat, cook bacon until crisp.
Add onion and garlic and saute until translucent.
Add cracked black pepper and deglaze pan with Stout and Worcestershire sauce.
Reduce until slightly thickened, then add Ketchup and reduce heat to Low.
Cook for 15 minutes, then season with Hot Pepper Sauce, Lemon Juice and Salt.
Strain sauce into a bowl, reserving the solids if needed.

The solids can be placed on top of the meat loaf with some of the sauce before it is placed in the oven for baking.

---

Sammich Assembly

On a tray lined with foil, place one slice of Foccacia. Top with two thin slices of meat loaf, one slice of Swiss cheese, and some BBQ sauce. Place in a 350F oven until the cheese is melted.
Meanwhile, slice an onion thinly and dredge in season flour. Fry in oil at 375F until crisp, drain on paper towels and reserve.
When the cheese on the meat loaf is melted, remove from the oven and top with a generous pile of frizzled onions.

---

This is really one of my new favorite meals ever. Not quite a death row meal yet, but when I figure out those Pub Chips it'll be in my Top-5...


meatloafgroove:
Beastie Boys - So Whatcha Want?
David Shire - The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3
Muse - Supermassive Black Hole
Parliament - We Want The Funk
Bobby Darin covered by Danny Aiello - Chubby Clementine

Hit me again Ike! And this time put some STANK on it!

As the Commodore pointed out to me today, I haven't posted recently...

A lot has happened in the past three weeks, most specifically the ass-spanking the tri-state took last week. Lots of wind folks, lots of wind... The damage cause by the remnants of Hurricane Ike was interestingly devastating. Kerrie and I lost the contents of our freezer, but managed to save everything in the fridge with a shload of ice from work.

Kerrie and I witnessed a whole lot of asshattery from our neighbors and the community in general, but overall we came away with very few scars. Aside from being without power for 48 hours, it was an alright experience. In fact, the food was pretty damned good, come to think of it. We picked up a new propane tank and grilled Hamburgers and steaks. I feel a little guilty knowing our painintheass neighbors were cooking beans on a makeshift firepit while I was grilling sirloin steaks and drinking Malbec.

Plus, there were some good moments at work too, like the fat-friggen-plate of Calamari I fried up during the peak of hysteria in Cinncinasty.



Served up with a few lemon wedges and a little garlic mayo, I was in my own corner of Heaven for a few short minutes.

Back in the real world, the damage was pretty impressive. Even now, almost two weeks later, there are still big piles of tree limbs everywhere and gas prices are sky-high. Here, lookie...







All in all, it wasn't too bad looking back. It sucks being without power, but it also put me into a very simple state of mind. Plus, there is something very comfortable about playing Uno by candle light, drinking wine, and making Ike Turner jokes about the damage cause by what was left of Hurricane Ike.

Dammit Anna Mae! These are sustained winds dammit!

Over the past few weeks, things have been crazy. The summer is winding down and work started winding up. It's not like being a kid anymore, where I could just goof off all summer until the very last minute, THEN get back into work mode. But that's for different post...

Just because I've been busy, doesn't mean I haven't been cooking. Some of the highlights recently include:



Braised Pork Belly



Pasta Bolognese



Chef's Salad



Cinnamon Chipotle Grilled Chicken



Profiteroles with Coffee Ice Cream



Lemon Cream Cake

With Labor Day upon us it's time for one last all-out BBQ bash. Food, grilled lovingly, and drinks, mostly of the Rum persuasion... That's what it's all about.

"There used to be a time when we took a guy like you out back and beat you with a rubber hose. Now you got your DAMNED Unions..."
- Brian Cox, Super Troopers

Burbank's Real Barbeque

Kerrie and I had dinner at Burbank's Real Barbeque last night.

It was a lazy, early dinner too. The place was pretty dead, which is usually the sign of death, but the food was impressive.

Kerrie had the Pulled Pork sandwich. I had the Hickory Smoked Brisket, and I have to say that I was seriously happy after tasting it. Last year, Kerrie and I ate at another local BBQ joint and I had the brisket. The smoked brisket... It was sub-par at best. The smoke was, very obviously, Liquid Smoke. While I'm not offended by the use of liquid smoke in general cooking, to try and pass it off as authentic BBQ and charge out the ass for it is despicable. So last night, when I bit into that perfectly tender Brisket, the smoke flavor filled me with joy. It was real...







The meal was reasonably priced, the service was good, and the food was excellent. I certainly look forward to going back, possibly on a night when they do live music. Overall, I couldn't have asked for a much better meal.

Goodbye Children...

Isaac Hayes is dead. That, to me, is very sad.

In a weird sort of way, I kind of grew up on Isaac Hayes. Looking back, he was involved with so many of the things I found entertaining as a kid...

As a performer, Hayes was an impeccable musician and had a knack for choosing "cool" movies to star in.



I love the theme from "Shaft". It's iconic in it's sound and it's outlasted so many other pieces of crap from that period. And let's not forget that he WAS A-Number 1, The duke of New York in what was undeniably John Carpenter's best film evar, Escape from New York. But really, who didn't love his character Hammer in the film I'm Gonna Git You Sucka?




Being that this is a food blog, no Isaac Hayes memoriam would be complete without a South Park mention. Isaac Hayes played Chef, and despite the hypocrisy surrounding his leaving the show, he was just as impressive at voicing a cartoon character as he was at performing music.



One of the most comical South Park bits was when Chef sang the song Chocolate Salty Balls. Yeah, the song is nothing but sleazy double entendres, but get this: There really is a recipe for Chocolate Salty Balls...

Featured in his 2000 cookbook, Cooking with Heart & Soul, Hayes gives a small back story about how he had once made them for Matt Stone and Trey Parker and how it ultimately became one of their funniest segments.

So in honor of Mr. Hayes, I present to you: Chocolate Salty Balls

1 C Graham Cracker Crumbs
1/4 Corn Syrup
1 Cup Milk Chocolate Bits

1/4 t Salt (not Kosher)
3 T Confectioners Sugar

In a bowl, mix the Graham Cracker crumbs and Corn Syrup.
Using a Spoon or Melon Baller, shape into balls and set on wax paper. Hold in refrigerator.
Using a double boiler, slowly melt the chocolate.
Gently dip the Graham Cracker balls into the chocolate and place on the wax paper to allow to set.
In a small bowl, mix the Salt and the Confectioners Sugar.
Once the chocolate has set, rolls the balls in the Salt\Sugar mix.

---




Isaac Hayes' goofy-assed association with Scientology notwithstanding, he was a gifted performer on so many levels. He is one performer I will miss. Also, if I find out that his death was due to one of those Purification Rundown things, I'll make it my life's work to meet Tom Cruise solely for the purpose of kicking him in the nuts.

One of my favorite meals, without any doubt, is Penne with a homemade Ragu sauce.

This is the meal to end all meals. An intensely flavored tomato sauce laden with obscene amounts of beef and pork, this meal is surprisingly easy to make so long as you're patient and have the time to devote to it.

First, a little back-story... One of the defining moments in my wanting to become a cook (and who would one day evolve into a chef) was after the first time I saw the movie Goodfellas. Gritty and violent, this movie largely revolved around food. One of the many sequences was dedicated to Henry Hill trying to get a coke deal together while cooking an elaborate meal for his family and the babysitter\drug mule.

With the release of Henry Hill's cookbook in 2002, I was finally given a little insight to what that meal actually consisted of. Interestingly enough, I used the basic structure of the recipe but was reluctant to follow it to the letter. The original recipe called for Pork Butt and Veal shank, but I prefer a more modest version using Italian Sausage and Beef Shank. Additionally, I use my own meatball recipe and, of course, had to use wine.

Penne with Ragu (Meat Sauce)

Olive Oil
1 lb. Italian Sausage, cut into 1" pieces
1 lb. Beef Shank
I medium Onion, Minced
6 cloves Garlic, smashed and chopped
1 T Flour
1 C Dry Red Wine
Two 28oz cans Crushed Tomatoes
Meatballs (Recipe follows)
12 Leaves Basil, chopped
1/4 Parsley, chopped
Cooked Penne, generally 3oz per person

Meatballs
8 oz. Ground Beef
1 Shallot, minced
1 Egg
1/4 Cup breadcrumbs
1 t Salt
1 t Pepper

---

Begin by mixing Meatball ingredients in a bowl and portioning into 8 small balls.
Cook Meatballs in a pan until browned on all sides. (It's okay if their not done all the way through, they'll be in the pot with the sauce for hours...)
Set Meatballs aside.

Heat olive oil in a heavy pot over medium heat and sear the Beef Shank on Both sides.
Remove from pan and set aside.
Saute onions in the same pot until translucent and add garlic and Flour.
Quickly stir Onions, Garlic and Flour together making sure not to burn Garlic.
Add wine and allow to reduce by 2/3.
While wine is reducing, chop Beef Shank into chunks reserving the bone.
When Wine is reduced, add the two cans of Tomatoes, stirring to mix with wine thoroughly.
When Tomato sauce begins to bubble reduce heat to LOW and add Meat Balls, Beef Shank and Bone, and Italian Sausage.
Allow to simmer over LOW heat for 4 hours. skimming any foam that rises to the top.
During the last 15 minutes of the previously mentioned 4 hours, add the chopped Basil and Parsley. Also, check the sauce for seasoning adding salt and pepper if needed, and\or 1 T Sugar if to acidic.
Serve over Penne with shredded Parmesan.

---










One thing to note, is that I throw that piece of bone in for two reasons. The most obvious being that the meat will simply fall off the bone before the end of the cooking. The second reason is because I love marrow. The marrow will "melt" into the sauce over the course of those 4 hours. (Wow, even as I type this I am craving marrow with Sea Salt and cracked Pepper...)

Kerrie and I had this meal with a Crane Lake Zinfandel and a loaf of freshly baked Italian Bread. Several thanks to the Commodore for the fresh Basil.

I'm huntin' down Jimmy Page...

My goal of searching out great BBQ restaurants has taken the usual backseat to various other adventures. Working, sleeping, paying bills... Nonetheless, the notion that there is some truly great Bar-B-Q out there is always in the back of my head, and the real problem is that I just need to get motivated.

Recently, our travels took us to an interesting place called Raydell's Redneck Bar-B-Q.



Seeing the trailer on the back end of this place, admittedly, gave me a bad feeling. Entering the place, however, was a different experience all together. It wasn't a dumpy assed dive like I had anticipated, but it was a cozy and nice looking family restaurant.

The food was first class Bar-B-Q all the way. The portions were huge, they tasted great, and the prices were extremely reasonable.



Kerrie had a pulled pork sandwich with baked beans and french fries. I went straight for the ribs. The food was really good. For the price I had expected less, so you can imagine my delight when they brought out a plate with so much pork that my side items came out separately.




It was a great meal, and very reasonably priced. Not at all what I was expecting, but hey... I like being wrong in these instances.

Thanks to Claire, Sue and Greg for recommending it!



redneckbbqgroove:
Mojo Nixon - Redneck Rampage
Jerry Reed - Westbound & Down
Dean Martin - Walk the like
Ween - Piss up a rope