Crispy Butcher’s Nuggets – Parts is Parts

While our homemade butcher’s nuggets won’t feature the same diversity of meat parts as the butcher shop, at least they won’t feature the same diversity of meat parts. Seriously, those folks will put anything into a sausage or meatball. All kidding aside, these crispy fried meatballs will have you wondering why non-chicken nuggets aren’t more popular.

I went with a fairly restrained combo of just beef and lamb, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be a little more adventurous. Using pork is an obvious choice, and as I mentioned in the video, I think chicken livers would be amazing in this. Above and beyond the meat choices, you also have lots of artistic freedom when it comes to the shape, and what dipping sauce you pair them with.

At Fern Bar in Sebastopol, where I stole the idea, they’ll switch up the ingredients depending on what’s around, as well as change the sauce underneath, although it’s almost always something a little bit on the sweet side. Of course, our “secret sauce” (shhhhhh) goes with everything, but deciding how to tweak that to match your meats is half the fun. The rest of the fun is eating these butcher’s nuggets, and lots of them, which I hope you do very soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 18 to 20 Butcher’s Nuggets:

Note: the scoop I used to portion holds about 1 1/2 tablespoons of mixture.

For the nuggets:

3 tablespoons panko breadcrumbs

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

cayenne to taste

1 teaspoon finely minced rosemary

1 clove crushed garlic

1/4 cup milk

dash of Worcestershire sauce

1/2 pound ground lamb

1/2 pound ground beef

For the breading (amounts as needed):

all-purpose flour

beaten eggs (I used 2 large eggs)

panko breadcrumbs

For the secret sauce:

1/4 cup mayo

1/4 cup mustard

1/4 cup ketchup

1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle

- Fry nuggets at 375 F. for about 3 minutes, then let rest 3 minutes before serving.

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Cherry Tomato & Cheese Galette – Perfect for First Time Growers

When people grow cherry tomatoes for the first time, they often make the mistake of planting more than one or two bushes, which a few short months later usually means a ridiculously large harvest, as in more cherry tomatoes than you can possibly use. Well, this cherry tomato and cheese galette might help, a little.

While “galette” sounds a little fancy, they’re actually one of the easier type of pies to make, and above and beyond the simple technique, they are incredibly adaptable to whatever is in season. Whether that’s sweet fruit, or savory vegetables, there are very few things you can’t galette.

Just be sure to bake them long enough, since the bottom needs to brown, as well as you want whatever filling you’re using to dry out a bit. Your oven time will vary depending on the exact size and shape of your galette, so once you take it out, peak underneath to make sure it’s browned. Basically, you should bake this as long as you possibly can, without it burning, so be brave.

This will also work with larger, sliced tomatoes, but just be careful you let them drain on some towels first. Other than that, there’s not much else to worry about, except what to do with those other 5 pints of cherry tomatoes. Even if you have to go to the store to buy yours, I think this is well worth the trip, and I really do hope you give this cherry tomato galette a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for one 12-inch pizza pan sized galette:

For the dough:

1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons corn meal

1/2 teaspoon fine salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, cubed, frozen

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

1/4 cup ice water

For the filling:

8 ounces soft goat cheese or other fresh cheese

1 egg yolk

1/2 teaspoon fine salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

pinch of cayenne

2 tablespoons sliced basil

For the rest:

3 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon Dijon

sea salt to sprinkle over the top once cooled, optional

- Bake at 425 F. for 30-35 minutes or until well browned. To be safe, place a foil-lined pan on rack under galette to catch any possible drips.

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Crispy “Bloomed” Onion – Better Than Bloomin’

This no-fry version of Outback’s famous “Bloomin’ Onion” is way easier to make, way less messy, and yet tastes every bit as good. Maybe better, since every bite is perfectly cooked, and crispy. In fact, this came out so well, I didn’t even think about making a sauce to go with it, although that might be a nice addition.

Over the years, I’ve received many food wishes for a copycat bloomin’ onion video, but I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. First of all, you need a special cutting device to really get it right, but mostly it’s the deep-frying part that turned me off. This is one of those things that’s easy to make using a giant, restaurant deep fryer, but in the home kitchen setting, not so much. Which is why I loved this approach so much.

We really do get an extremely similar experience here, and the doneness of the onion is almost identical to what comes out of a deep fryer. The “petals” are sweet, and tender, but not soft, as well as each and every one contains the perfect amount of crispy crumbs. I was also going to say this version is way less greasy, but not everyone would consider that an advantage.

Regarding my “onion nachos” comment in the video, I think this recipe would go beautifully with all sorts of additions. Basically, if it’s good with onions, it would be good scattered over the top of this. Either way, whether you make these as shown, or come up with your own variation, I really do hope you give them a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients to make two 10-12 inch round pans:

4 large red onions, quartered, boiled in heavily salted water as shown

For the crumbs:

1 cup panko bread crumbs

1/4 cup olive oil, plus a drizzle for the top

2 cloves finely crushed garlic

salt, freshly ground black pepper, and cayenne to taste

1/2 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for the top

chopped parsley to garnish

- To finish, brown under the broiler, or in a 450 F. oven until crispy and heated through

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Summer Sausage – Winter Isn’t Coming

Traditionally, summer sausage is made, and cured in the winter, so that it’s ready to enjoy during the summer, but unless you have some sort of time machine, we’re going to have to settle on this easy, and much faster, shortcut method. Despite only taking a few days, this really is very close in taste and texture to everybody’s favorite gift-basket sausage.

The method is very simple, but just be sure to test for doneness with a thermometer, ideally a probe thermometer, which will alert you when the center of your sausage has reached your target temperature of 150 F. This will ensure we achieve a smooth, salami-like texture.

As far as the taste goes, feel free to spice this anyway you want. With just a little bit of research you could use this simple technique to make many similarly styled sausages, like your own personalized pepperoni, or signature salami. No matter how you flavor this, it will help if you do include a pinch of pink curing salt (aka Insta Cure #1), which you hopefully have leftover from our homemade ham recipe.  

If not, it’s easy to find online, but for the record, the recipe will work without it, just not maybe quite as spectacularly. By the way, if you’re not sure about using nitrites, check out this great article by Michael Ruhlman. Curing salts aside, I really do hope you give this great summer sausage recipe a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for One 2-pound Summer Sausage:

1/4 cup diced celery, minced or smashed into juicy bits

2 pounds freshly ground beef (85/15 lean to fat ratio)

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 rounded tablespoon smoked paprika

2 tablespoons whole mustard seeds

20 grams kosher salt (2 tablespoons if you use Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt. This is best done by weight.)

1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

pinch of cayenne

1/4 teaspoon pink curing salt (Insta Cure #1)

1 tablespoon white sugar

For the “smoking” wash:

1 tablespoon liquid smoke mixed with 1 tablespoon cold water

- Cook at 275 F. for 1 hour and 30 minutes, or to an internal temp of 150 F.

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Ba’corn Cheese Corn –Korean Bar Food at its Finest

I would not have guessed this bacon-studded “cheese corn” is a popular bar snack in Korea, although it does make sense, since this really would be amazing with a cold beer. I’m guessing that American soldiers might have had something to do with the creation of this amazing amalgamation, but nevertheless, this stuff is pure bacon-y, creamy, cheesy, corny decadence…and this is the light version.

The original recipe uses a combination of mayonnaise and sweetened condensed milk (which I still can’t fully wrap my head around), but we’re going with heavy cream here, for a less sweet, less oily approach. This may be the first time in my career that I’ve “lightened up” a recipe by adding a cup of heavy cream.

I used frozen corn with great success, but if you did want to use fresh corn, be sure to blanch it, or panfry it first, to take off the raw edge. The broiling step really doesn’t cook the casserole, but rather just browns the cheese on top, and so we want everything nicely cooked by that point. Either way, I really do hope you give this delicious, and apparently Korean twist on creamed corn a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for one 10-inch skillet:

8 ounces bacon

2 pounds sweet corn, very well drained

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 bunch green onion, sliced

2 or 3 jalapeno peppers, diced

salt, freshly ground black pepper, and cayenne to taste

1 cup heavy cream

2 ounces mozzarella cheese

4 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, or cheddar

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Million Dollar Dip – Worth Every Penny

When I heard there was a recipe called million dollar dip, I knew it was something I had to try, especially since it was invented by a fellow upstate New Yorker, named Helen Corbitt. Apparently, the original name was Neiman Marcus dip, which at some point evolved into million dollar dip, although I’m not exactly sure when, or why. I’m guessing Pinterest had something to do with it.

Whatever the reason, I do like the new name better, and not just because recipes shouldn’t be named for department stores, but also because million dollar dip is so darn accurate. I’ve had more than a few cheese-based dips in my day, but this is, by far, the richest one I’ve ever enjoyed. I mostly credit the semi surprising addition of almonds, which makes sense, since that’s the best part of any holiday cheese ball. Yes, I’m that guy at the party who whittles off all the crushed nuts it was rolled in.

By the way, I wanted to expand on a cryptic tip I gave during the video, when I said to use a sharp knife for the green onions, so they taste better. The reason is, if you use a dull knife to slice or chop onions, you’ll be crushing instead of cutting, which releases volatile sulfuric compounds, and makes the flavor much harsher.

In fact, I have a theory that most people who don’t like onions, had parents who used dull knives to cut onions when they were kids. If that’s you, go buy a sharp knife, and give them another try. That aside, this dip is extremely simple to make, profoundly satisfying, extremely addictive, and sure to be a huge hit at your next party, which is why I really do hope you give it a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for about 3 cups of Million Dollar Dip:

1/2 cup chopped crisp-cooked bacon (6 to 8 slices)

1 1/2 cups mayonnaise

8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese

1/2 cup slivered almonds, very lightly toasted

1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions

pinch of cayenne

Peruvian Potato & Chicken Salad (Causa Rellena) – Behold the “Giver of Life”

There’s nothing very unusual, or interesting about serving a chicken or potato salad at a cookout, which is why this truly unique, Peruvian potato and chicken salad will cause such a stir. Or should I say, “causa” a stir, since in Peru that’s what this gorgeous dish is called. I’m told the name comes from the Inca word for “giver of life,” which is exactly what this will do to your summer picnic table.

Above and beyond the bold, vibrant flavors, this is unlike any other potato-based salad, in that we’re using mashed potatoes instead of cubes, or chunks, but it really does work beautifully, and the smooth, silky texture makes this even more refreshing to eat. Keep all that in mind the next time a heat wave rolls through your area.

I went very minimal with the cherry tomato garnish, but my Peruvian friends are letting me know that olives are a very traditional garnish, as are hardboiled eggs. If you do an image search, you’ll see all kinds of elaborate presentations, and that’s half the fun of making something like this, so go nuts. Regardless of how you dress yours up, or what ends up in your salad, I really do hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 Appetizer-Sized Portions (in 6-oz ramekins):

For the potato mixture:

1 1/4 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, or russet

2 tablespoons Aji Amarillo chili paste, or to taste (see note below)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 or 2 limes, juiced, or to taste

salt and cayenne to taste

For the chicken salad:

1 large cooked chicken breast, diced or shredded

1/4 cup green peas

1/4 cup cooked diced carrots

2 tablespoons finely diced roasted red pepper

1 teaspoon minced shallot, or red onion

2 tablespoons freshly chopped cilantro

1 teaspoon lime juice

1/4 to 1/3 cup mayo, or as needed

salt and cayenne to taste
1 ripe avocado for layering with the salad

For the sauce:

1/3 cup mayo

1 tablespoon sour cream, optional
1 small crushed garlic clove
2 teaspoons Aji Amarillo chili paste, or to taste
a splash of water to adjust the thickness

Please Note: If you can’t find Aji Amarillo, you can make a paste from some fire-roasted and peeled orange or red bell peppers, and red Fresno chilies for some heat. While this does get you close, you should definitely try to find a jar of the real stuff, since it does have such a unique flavor.

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Sweet Potato “Hummus” – So Close

One of my all-time favorite things to do is take an iconic recipe, and somehow tweak it to maybe make it easier, healthier, or tastier; which was definitely not what happened here. This was simply a case of me wanting hummus, not having garbanzo beans, and making it anyway with sweet potatoes, which, much to my amazement, came out remarkably well.

I don’t blame you if you're skeptical, but this stuff really does have almost the same taste and texture as hummus. It has a little bit of a sweeter finish, which reminded me of a red pepper hummus, but all in all, it’s very close. In fact, my wife Michele, who has a much more discerning palate than I do, said that if she were blindfolded, she’d have trouble identifying this as not being actual hummus.

However, to get this close to what you think hummus tastes like, please be prepared to adjust the ingredient amounts to your liking. Some folks like just a hint of garlic and lemon, while others like to be crushed by it. Same goes for the tahini, and other seasonings, so taste, and adjust accordingly.

Of course, since the name, “hummus” comes from the Arabic word for chickpeas, one can make a strong argument that this isn’t hummus, and therefore shouldn’t be called hummus. But those people don’t have to worry about search engine results, which is why I just worked the word “hummus” into this paragraph four times. Actually, let’s make it five, as I say I really do hope you give this easy, and delicious alternative hummus a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for about 2 cups of Sweet Potato Hummus:

2 cups mashed, roasted sweet potatoes

1/3 cup tahini

2 cloves crushed garlic

1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

1 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon chipotle

pinch cayenne

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 lemon, juiced, plus more to taste

2 tablespoons cold fresh water whipped in to lighten texture, optional

freshly chopped parsley to garnish

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Khachapuri – Georgia (Cheese Bread) On My Mind

There’s no way to prove that corporate pizza chain restaurants got the idea for stuffing their crusts with cheese from Khachapuri, but that’s definitely the story I’m going with. 

Nevertheless, this Georgian cheese bread is such an amazing treat, it’s probably only a matter of time before these things are being delivered all over the country, right along side the usual pizza, garlic knots, and chicken wings.

While they do take a little bit of finesse to pull off at home, the dough is very simple, and the pay off is well worth the effort. You can obviously customize the cheese blend, but I strongly suggest that feta be part of the equation. The stretchy mozzarella, and creamy Jack are nice, but they’re not the most flavorful cheeses ever, which is why the sharper bite the feta brings works so well.

Besides working with the wet, sticky dough, the only real challenge here is not over cooking your eggs. In fact, I have it on good authority that some folks don’t even place these back in the oven after the eggs are introduced, but rather just stir the raw egg into the molten hot, cheesy center, and “cook” it that way. That’s up to you, but the point is, we want…we need, a runny yolk here. Anyway, since you can’t get this delivered quite yet, I really do hope you give these gorgeous Khachapuri a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 2 Khachapuri:

For the dough:

1/2 cup warm milk

1/3 cup warm water

1 package dry active yeast (2 teaspoons)

1 1/2 teaspoons sugar

2 teaspoons olive oil

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus about 1/4 to 1/2 cup extra for final kneading

1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (3/4 teaspoon fine salt)

For the cheese blend:

4 ounces mozzarella cheese

4 ounces Monterey Jack cheese

8 ounces feta cheese

For the rest:

1 tablespoon butter, cut in 4 slices

2 large eggs

sea salt for the top

cayenne, optional

- Bake at 475 F. for 15 minutes, fill with egg, and bake another 3 or 4 minutes, until the egg is almost, but not quite set.

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Coney Island Knishes – St. Patrick’s Day Leftovers Edition

One of my earliest “exotic” food experiences was eating potato knishes with my Dad when we’d visit Coney Island. There were the square variety, and we’d buy them from a hot dog cart, and since potatoes were my favorite food growing up, I was in heaven. I mean, mashed potatoes in a warm, flaky pastry? I’ll have two, please.

Back then they were still made with copious amounts of chicken fat, also know as “schmaltz,” which was the real secret behind their awesomeness, but you can make a perfectly fine version without that, especially if you have some leftover corned beef around. Regardless of how you fill these, the technique seen herein will work, and half the fun is trying new versions. As long as the base is mashed potato, spiked with onions fried in lots of fat, anything goes.

I think the baked version is the easiest, but if you feel so inclined, these can also be deep-fried, or pan-fried. No matter how you cook them, one of the keys is getting the dough nice and thin, so your finished product is mostly filling. Other than that, these are relatively simple to make, and the kind of snack that fills more than just an empty stomach, which is why I really hope you give these a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 16 Knishes:

(Please Note: I only used half the dough in the video, and only made enough filling for 8 knishes, but the following ingredients will make 16 total)

For the dough:

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more as needed

1 teaspoon kosher salt (or 1/2 teaspoon fine salt)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 large egg, beaten

1 teaspoon white vinegar

1/2 cup canola oil

1/2 cup warm water

For the filling (might make extra):

2 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled, quartered, and boiled in salted water until tender

1/2 cup melted butter, and/or rendered chicken fat

2 cups diced yellow onion

2 teaspoons kosher salt (or 1 teaspoon fine salt), plus more to taste

freshly ground black pepper and cayenne to taste

8 ounces diced corned beef

1 cup finely chopped cooked cabbage

- Bake at 375 F. for about 40 minutes, or until golden-brown

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Queso Dip – Less is More, Again

I used to make something very similar to this queso dip at the Mexican restaurant I worked at in college, and when I first started, it took me a little while to fully understand the real secret to its addictive irresistibility. We called it “chili con queso,” and served it hot, and I loved everything about it, except I thought it should be thicker, so you could get more on the chip with each dip.

But, eventually I realized the saucy texture was the key, and that making it thicker would’ve ruined everything. Instead of too much cheese piled up on your chip, we just get a beautiful, silky coating, and as soon as you finish one, you can’t wait to dip another, and another, and another, until there are no chips left.

Just be careful not to cook the mixture for too long after adding the cheese. I turn the heat off a few seconds after the cheese melts, but you can cook it for another minute or so if you do want it little thicker. However, there’s a danger that your cheese will get grainy, and you’ll lose that luxurious, smooth mouthfeel.

Since this doesn’t get completely firm, even after cooling down, you can make this ahead of time, and just leave it out, although that can be a risky maneuver, as there may not be a lot left when your guests arrive. Either way, whether you’re making this for a Super Bowl party, or any other kind of party, including parties of one, I really do hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 12 Portions:

1/2 pound sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (about 2 1/2 to 3 cups)

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 tablespoon butter

2 minced garlic cloves

1 bunch green onion, light parts only, sliced (save green tops for garnish)

1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

1/4 teaspoon ground chipotle

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1 can (4-oz) fire-roasted diced green chilies

1/2 cup diced seeded Roma tomatoes

1 can (12-oz) evaporated milk

1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro

pinch of cayenne

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Ram Wings (Rosemary, Ancho, Molasses Glazed Chicken Wings) – Acronymically Delicious

Overly contrived recipes are usually a bad idea, but these rosemary, ancho, and molasses glazed chicken wings really did come out very well, despite the fact that those ingredients were only chosen because they spelled out the word, “ram.” 

In case you’re not from around here, there's a big football game coming up, and the Los Angeles Rams are one of the teams involved. The other team shall not be named.

In addition to serving as this year's Super Bowl snack idea video, it’s also a great tutorial for the easiest of all chicken wing methods, and that would be the crowd pleasing, finger-messing “sticky wings.” The technique simply involves soaking them in a sweet, spicy marinade, baking them wet, and then tossing them with a finishing glaze.

That’s all there is to it, and this method will work no matter which spices, or sweeteners you go with. The sky’s the limits, and it just depending on what you like, and/or what you want to spell out. No matter what goes into yours, I really do hope you give them a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 large portions:

2 1/2 pounds chicken wing sections

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

3 teaspoons kosher salt

1 tablespoon finely minced rosemary

2 or 3 tablespoons ground ancho chili powder, or other chili powder*

1/2 teaspoon cayenne
3 tablespoons white distilled vinegar

1 or 2 tablespoons molasses (can substitute maple syrup, honey, or brown sugar)

- Bake at 400 F. for 45 minutes or until the bones come out clean

For the finishing glaze (use a clean bowl):

2 teaspoons molasses

1 tablespoon honey

1 teaspoon ancho chili powder

pinch of cayenne

pinch of salt

1 fresh juiced lime

* If you can't find ancho chili powder, you can use 4 parts paprika mixed with 1 part ground chipotle.

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Tuscan Onion Soup (Carabaccia) – French Onion Soup Before It Was French

I’ve wanted to make carabaccia ever since I found out it was the ancient ancestor of French onion soup. Not only is that an interesting fact, but it’s also a great addition to your dinner party conversation repertoire, especially where there are French chefs involved.

Okay, now let’s talk cinnamon. The safe play is to not add any, and live happily ever after. However, in very, very small amounts, it really does add a mysterious, wonderfully warming background note that you actually might enjoy. There’s only one way to find out, but please proceed with caution. Too much will render the soup inedible, and there’s really no way to know what “too much” is.

As I mentioned in the video, if you want to cut down on the stirring, you can cook the onions in a roasting pan. Just pop them in a 325 F. oven until they’re done, stirring a few times along the way. How long exactly is anyone’s guess, but just like the stove-top method, take your time, and wait until they are very soft.

So, whether you’re a culinary history buff like me, and want to taste what French onion soup tasted like 500 years ago, or it’s freezing outside, and a steaming bowl of something delicious sounds good, or both, I really do hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 6 Portions:

4 pounds red onions, sliced

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon kosher salt

3 sage leaves, plus more for toast

1/4 cup finely ground almonds

very tiny pinch of cinnamon*

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar, or to taste

5-6 cups beef, chicken, or vegetable broth

freshly ground black pepper

freshly grated pecorino or parmesan cheese

For the toast:

3 thick slices Italian bread, halved

dress with olive oil, sage and grated Pecorino or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

- Toast in a 400 F. oven for 15 minutes or until browned.

* While traditional, many people don’t enjoy the effect cinnamon has on the sweetness of the soup, so you may want to omit it, or add an extremely small amount, and then adjust from there. You can also make the soup without any, and then experiment by adding a trace amount to a small sample cup, and see what you think.

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