The Independence Day 2013 Feast

This is a simple journey in to my Independence Day dinner. I am one who appreciates the importance of Jul;y 4th, the day the United States of America declared itself a free, independent republic. I enjoy those freedoms and realize how easily these freedoms can be lost. Not to mention those who want to enjoy the same freedoms we do, but can't. I'm thankful that I'm free.

Now, I'll share the meal I had with my family. It starts like this:

Brats, anyone? They were amazing!!!

                                             

Green beans. My cousin actually started these but I wound up watching them (the dinner was at my mom & dad's house). 15 minute boil. Add salt and ground pepper. No pork this time (some family members don't eat pork). Perfect. I decided against adding garlic as well. 

Cupcakes for the sweet tooth. These were made by my aunt!!

Now 2 things need to see here. First is the spaghetti, made by my cousin. She said she simmered the sauce for about an hour. Tomatoes, herbs cut fresh for the sauce. Outstanding. The potato salad was store bought but do you notice anything? Notice how the potato salad is resting on a bed of ice. The covers for both were close by. That way it won't go bad and no one will get sick (from the dairy going warm). 

The brats & hot dogs revisited, alone with BBQ baby back ribs. Maybe next time, I'll do St Louis spare ribs instead. Dad did the ribs over about a 4 hour period (and did it the day prior).  

Chicken and baked beans. Mom did the chicken in a smoker. She cooked them for about 2 hours at 275. She didn't like how they looked (skin wise) so she finished the chicken in the over. Absolute tenderness. Everyone like the chicken very much. Baked beans also made for a nice compliment. 

Green beans (finished) and more chicken. Needless to say, no one went hungry that day. In fact, we had food left over for a few days. It was nice to enjoy a nice dinner with family. 

This is my plate. The first of a few!!!!

I'll end this post in a way I feel is best. This post is a celebration of America's Independence so I think there's a perfect way to end this post. Below are the words of John Adams, taken partially from a letter to his wife, Abigail, prior to the Declaration of Independence:

"But on the other Hand, the Delay of this Declaration to this Time, has many great Advantages attending it. -- The Hopes of Reconciliation, which were fondly entertained by Multitudes of honest and well meaning tho weak and mistaken People, have been gradually and at last totally extinguished. -- Time has been given for the whole People, maturely to consider the great Question of Independence and to ripen their judgments, dissipate their Fears, and allure their Hopes, by discussing it in News Papers and Pamphletts, by debating it, in Assemblies, Conventions, Committees of Safety and Inspection, in Town and County Meetings, as well as in private Conversations, so that the whole People in every Colony of the 13, have now adopted it, as their own Act. -- This will cement the Union, and avoid those Heats and perhaps Convulsions which might have been occasioned, by such a Declaration Six Months ago.

But the Day is past. The Second Day of July 1776, will be the most memorable Epocha, in the History of America.

I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival. It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more.

You will think me transported with Enthusiasm but I am not. -- I am well aware of the Toil and Blood and Treasure, that it will cost Us to maintain this Declaration, and support and defend these States. -- Yet through all the Gloom I can see the Rays of ravishing Light and Glory. I can see that the End is more than worth all the Means. And that Posterity will triumph in that Days Transaction, even although We should rue it, which I trust in God We shall not."

Happy 237th Birthday, America!! I'm proud to be an America........ God Bless the USA!!!!!! 

Nachos on the Fly

I'm a big fan of Mexican and Tex-Mex food and nachos are very high on my list. Think about it for a second. They're VERY easy to make. You can put just about anything on a nacho platter. Did I mention how good they taste? This is a sample of how easily a plate of nachos can be built. You can do all of it fresh or, as I did here, using leftovers. Really. It works like a charm. As you see by the pictures below, you'll see what I mean.  This will be a pretty short and sweet post. 

First things first. You obviously need tortilla chips. I found these at a local store. The problem is that sometimes a chip can be either too thick, over flavored or just too thin. When I make nachos, I prefer using plain tortilla chips. I think with the toppings you don't really need the extra flavoring. I placed these in the microwave for about 1 minute. I just wanted to warm them up a bit. You'll be amazed what a bad chip can do to a nacho platter. 

Now the next obvious thing is what will you top them with? For this exercise, I used leftovers from a recent lunch. Chicken chili verde and refried beans make the initial layer. I also added some cilantro, garlic and some onions as I put this together. The chicken came from a local market Hot Bar (that's gone up in price almost $1.50/lbs in the last year, but that's another story). Instead of just heating and eating the chicken and beans,  I took this perfect opportunity to make some nachos. 

The finish. I topped it with some sour cream, guacamole (a must in my opinion) and some chopped tomatoes. All done in under 10 minutes and I took my time doing this. Only one mistake here. I forgot to add olives and shredded cheese (actually, the cheese melted in the chili). The olives might have made for some more color on the plate. For this man, no lettuce on this day. That was intentional. One, the lettuce can wilt pretty easily and nothing worse than eating soggy lettuce. This doesn't have to be a rewrite of "War & Peace" at all. See what you can do with some leftovers? You can create a feast fit for a king!! Yes, these turned out perfectly.

This was not a Super Bowl food I ate but I could have used a good nacho platter. If you have some guest pop in or maybe you want a quick snack, a plate of nachos is your answer

The Grilling Fool: Dad's Birthday Dinner

So, as usual in our family, whoever has a birthday gets to choose what they want for dinner. Years ago, we would go out for dinner. Sometimes, my Mom would want some seafood. Dad might want steak or something of the like. When I was young, my choice was pizza (being in the Chicago area, that shouldn't be a shock). But as the years went by, we decided to do whatever meal ourselves. Think about this. We know EXACTLY where the items are from (since we have to go out and buy them). We make it to our liking (and if it get messed up, that's on us, which has never happened in our case). This past weekend was no exception and Dad got his choice of meal. So now, as we go forward, you can observe the blow by blow of this fantastic dinner we got to enjoy.


This was the meat of the matter is below- one filet mignon, about 8 oz and cooked medium/medium-rare. I did this with the direct grilling method. Times will vary by the temperature of the grill. I had my grill to a 1,1000...2,1000 count (my hand over the grill to measure the coal's heat levels. I went about 8-10 minutes for each side. I turned these only once. My Mom decided to marinate them with a certain marinade (which was good) but I also added a few tricks to it. First, I embraced my inner-Bridget Lancaster while I cooked this. First, I let the meat come to room temperature, which makes for easier cooking for about 30 minutes. After that, I patted the meat dry with a paper towel. And then seasoned them. It's really a matter of choice what you season it with, especially with a cut like this one. So I decide to take some of the meal's flavors and added them to the meat and I did it in this order- black pepper (if it's fine coarse, do it here), then some Spanish paprika, oregano and finally Kosher salt. I used to Kosher salt on the gristle as well so it would char and easily come off. This was one of the 4 steaks we did. The other pieces had a bit more of a crust to it.  

Now if you take nothing from this post, take this and run with it. I can testify how WOWED I was once I got to eat them. I am a bigger fan of white asparagus, since it's not as bitter as its green sibling. Now this was also too easy. I cut off the lower 1-1/2" to 2" of the asparagus since you really can't cook (or for that matter eat) it. How easy was it? You take the oil of your choice (I used canola since that's what we had) + salt + pepper= that's it!!!! Take a veggie grill basket and grill for about 10 minutes. I tried this on a hunch and it turned out MUCH better than I even expected. Below is the success story. I had the perfect texture of crunch and softness. It also had a nice bite from the pepper. Yes, it tasted as good as it looks!! Look below if you have any questions. For the record, I didn't grill the green beans this time around. For those who had kids, you may consider trying this to get them to eat a vegetable. The asparagus I managed to get were shipped in from Peru.

This is the incredible cheese and garlic potatoes, made by my Mom. That's the beauty of potatoes au gratin. It gives you so much leeway on how you want to season them. I wasn't home when she did this but if history repeated itself (which I think it did), take the potatoes au gratin recipe of your choosing and add some garlic. This dish really complimented the entire meal. I think Mom used Velveeta and parm-reggiano cheese (this time around), also mixing the potatoes and cheese with egg. Bottom line- use what cheese you want but I would suggest using a cheese that melts easily. You could also do a contradiction like Swiss or Provolone with cheddar, colby or an old reliable for many, Velveeta. If you really want to step it up, chop some tomato, onion, bell peppers with some duck fat- done!!! Bake time was about 90 minutes. Here's the payoff (and what was left) shown below. I'm glad I paid attention to when she makes this.

So now the dinner is done. I still had a pretty nice fire going (as I was doing bbq-ing a ham as well; that turned out pretty well but there was some fine tuning I want to do before sharing). They had a package of chicken thighs just asking to be grilled. My folks knew I had been on the grill for some time and didn't want to keep me from my evening. My Dad basically said that all I need to do is guide what he needed to do to prep the chicken. I said I didn't mind staying, which is what I did. Now, I made one mistake and it wasn't something I couldn't recover from. I took some coals from my ham fire and used them to cook the chicken (using a kettle grill). Now with poultry, it's a bit different because unlike meat, there's a bit more at stake if chicken isn't cooked to its proper internal temperature (my thermometer suggests 190 degrees Fahrenheit or 87.5 degrees Celsius). Depending on how hot your fire is, that will determine the cook time. This wasn't part of Dad's birthday dinner. This was more ad lb than anything else. As I said before. it would be a shame to let a good fire go to waste.  

As I said, I did make a mistake. I didn't make the fire hot enough when I transferred coals. It's not a deal breaker since my Dad and I caught it in time. So we took some new coals, placed hot coals over them and the day was saved. The onion I also threw on the grill. I left the skin on the onion and placed them on top of the grill (I didn't use a basket for this you can if you wish). The cook time was about 25-30 minutes to grill the entire onion. I'm using the onion for other things (e.g., a topping on a sandwich, mix them with some guacamole I had in the fridge, use in a salad of some sort, etc). This also depends on how hot your fire is. The point is to make sure the onion is somewhat soft to the touch, unless you're going to use them in something like a soup, where you can cook them as you would garlic.

Guilty as charged. I was the Grilling Fool this weekend. It was a ton of fun to do though. Sure it was some work involved but the reward is worth the work. Always remember a couple of things while bbq-ing. First, is patience. Once you get this "P" word I just used, bbq-ing will be MUCH more fun to do. If you're going to cook this way, you will need to block off time to do it right. Just concentrate on what you're cooking. Don't rush it and while I'm at it, DO NOT USE LIGHTER FLUID!!! None!!! You will destroy not only the food you made but that smell stays in the grill. 5 hours of grill time and a bunch of good food as my payoff. Not to mention my Dad was very happy with the meal sealed the deal for me. Another successful grilling venture for me. I always look forward to doing this. Now for those of you who might be generous in nature and want to see my grilling to a new level, below is my dream grill/smoker. Below is "The Marshall" from Good Ones Grill and Smokers. Send one my way if you want to waste $2500. Trust me, it will get PLENTY of use!!! OK. It never hurts to put it out there though I doubt there will be any takers.

Photo taken www.thegood-one.com Internet site.  Good-One Grill is the creator of this grill and photo belongs to them.

Chicken Wings at Last

I wrote a chicken wing post not long ago so now I decided to add some pictures. This is how I do them, although the spices may vary. First are the spices (here I used garlic powder, cayanne, sage, rosemary, kosher salt, ground black pepper, onion powder, oregano and parsley (I was out of hot papaprika):

Next, I coated each side with the spices I used. I may not use the same spices every time but this gives you an idea of how I liked them. Rosemary works VERY well with wings. Normally, I would line the bottom with aluminum foil to provide easier post-cook cleaning. This particular day, I was out of foil to but decided to keep moving forward (I was REALLY in a wing mood that day). Since the wings were frozen (slightly), I cooked them for about 40 minutes (unthawed would normally take 20-25 minutes) at 350 degrees. This could vary by size of the wings and the producer's suggestions on the instructions. The time and temperature I used were based off the cooking instructions on the chicken wings bag. PLEASE follow all normal handling instructions as it relates to chicken (e.g., it's handling, placing raw chicken on surfaces, etc).

Third, is the wet sauces I used to coat the wings once they finished cooking. You can get your sauce of choice or make one up as I did. I took 2 of my favorite BBQ sauces, hababero sauce, and a touch more oregano, parsley, garlic powder and cayanne. I used enough where I could coat the wings as needed.

After I cooked the wings, I took cooked wings and coated them in my sauce on the fly. Notice I used a metal bowl. You will have better success coating the wings using a metal bowl (especially once the wings come out of the over) because the metal conducts heat. My experiences have shown me that the coating stays on best that way. By the way, I forgot to metion that I placed some sour cream and pecorino- romano cheese in this mixture as well. Toss the wings until each side of the wings are coated.

Finally, the finished product!!!!! Did I mention that style points don't count here!?!? As you could imagine, I ate pretty well that evening (there were more wings , but only some made it to this picture).

Baked-Grilled-Roasted Chicken Wing Heaven

OK. I admit it. I am a huge fan of chicken wings. Grilled, baked, fried, roasted, slow cooker. If you want to see an empty plate at your home, put these on the table and see what happens. Now in this economy, I wouldn't mind being a chicken wing salesman. Think about this when you go shopping next time. You can buy wings for $2.00-$2.50/lbs. Yet the entire bird might cost half of that on a given week. So go figure!!

Now lets get to the bottom of this issue. How do I make them? I would like to share that and I will try to explain why I do it the way I do.

- Clean the wings with water and dry with a paper towel or air dry on a plate. I do this to wash away any blood that may be in the packaging.

- Once the wings are cleaned, I prepare my own little seasoning but I do in in two stages. In stage one, I will combine equal amounts of the following spices in a shaker. I'll fill it so I can use the spice combination for future use. Which spices do I use the most? They're listed below and in no particular order, and will not include salt and pepper unless I can really get it fine (I prefer to salt and pepper and not mix with the other spices. I see that as two small extra steps= 5 seconds if I take my time):
a. cayenne- nice for color flavor. Also good for your circulation among other things as well (1). See. You kill two birds with one stone.
b. paprika- this is where I get most of my heat because I use hot paprika. Use sweet paprika otherwise.
c. oregano- this provides a nice herby flavor and is also a good antioxidant.
d. garlic powder- you still get the same healthy benefits as well as the potent flavor as well. I prefer using garlic powder because the other spices are all dried and keeps w/ consitancy (2).
e. if you have a store bought mix of all spices, feel free to use that (that is if you like it). You're the one eating the wings so make them to your liking.
f. I will not use flour unless I am going to fry them. This is just my personal preference and I would not create a spice mix with flour because I don't presently fry that often.

- These I prefer to add if I don't decided to grind the spices. I tried to uses these in a shaker and didn't work very well. So I didn't do it going forward.
a. ginger- another nice flavor and beneficial to your health (3).
b. rosemary- not so much if you will fry the wings but if you cook them any other way, this will give a nice aroma, especially if you roast or bake them. This is an herb that if you have an epileptic seisures or a friend who is pregnant or nursing, some adverse reaction could occur. Studies are being done to see any connection between using rosemary and those who experienced strokes or other neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimers and ALS (4).

- You can cover the wings with olive oil, especially if you're baking them. Should you do this, make sure that cover them enough where all parts are well covered. Smooth flavor and heart healthy.

- IF you decide to use a marinade (which I will not address now), make sure that you place them wing on a bowl or plastic bag. Make sure the marinade gets on all parts of the chicken. If you don't, you just defeated your purpose of marinating. As how the sauce relates to this, I'll will address that later.

- Now that you've prepared everything, follow the instructions on the bag as cooking times relate. Otherwise for every 12 wings, you would bake them for about 25-30 minutes.

- Now as it relates to the sauce, I'll admit it. I have not invented one yet because there are several I like alot. Some are wing specific but I also use some of my favorite bbq sauces. Most people make the mistake of putting the sauce on while they cook and that is a mistake. What you want to do is when the wings are done, make sure you have a metal bowl. This is key in the process. I don't suggest not using a metal bowl. Take the wings while they are still warm and place them in the bowl. Then add the sauce of your choosing. The reason for this is that the metal conducts heat and the sauce will coat best that way. Then place the newly-well-sauced wing on a plate. Keep an eye on them because unless you're alone, they may vanish.

- Blue cheese or ranch? If I'm really drifing in my mind, I make the following:
a. take 3/4 of a cup and mix the two.
b. take a spoonful of sour cream, chopped or grilled onions, fresh garlic and take part of the mixture from "a" for a different taste.
c. celery is not mandatory to have so if you like them, chop some up and enjoy to your hearts desire.

Works cited:
1. "5 Ways to Stay Young with Dr. Oz Anti-Aging Checklist on Oprah": WXYZ.com television, Detroit: http://www.wxyz.com/content/news/health/story/5-Ways-to-Stay-Young-with-Dr-Oz-Anti-Aging/Vq88SN4xgEunNvLwhQCaTA.cspx

2.  "Garlic Benefit"by Amy Thomas, MD, healthcentral.com :http://www.healthcentral.com/diet-exercise/h/garlic-benefits.html; http://www.healthcentral.com/diet-exercise/c/26240/38443/benefits;

3. "The Benefits of the Use of Ginger in Herbal Preparations", Martha Whitney, herballegacy.com : http://www.herballegacy.com/Whitney_Medicinal.html

4. "Rosemary Chicken Protects Your Brain From Free Radicals", ScienceDaily (Nov. 2, 2007)  http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071030102210.html