From Mom

QUICK BURGER

This is how I did it: chopped some garlic & jalapeno pepper & mixed in with the meat.
Fried some mushrooms & sweet red pepper, separately, in good Cretan olive oil - put in toaster oven to keep warm.
Cooked hamburger; just before done put some sliced mozzarella cheese on top & covered w. a pot lid till melted.
Served on bread (roll would have been even better) with a little mustard, mushrooms & sweet pepper both on top, and as a side.
Perfect!

Easy, quick, delicious meal!

Superbowl Chili cook off...

Okay we are putting out the call:

The First Annual Chili Cook Off is starting this weekend. We all are gonna cook up some Chili, watch a slice of american (The Superbowl) and get spicy! Holla

...Salmon Bites

Easy to make bites. This version uses a Lays type 'thick' potato chip, salmon, sour cream, a shot of Sirachi and a garnish of Dill...you can also make it with small rounds of Dark Rye...bam!

...Argentine Wine and Steak

An Oakland hills BBQ, complete with chicken kabobs, steak and a "hybrid" (not really but I just like using that term) Argentinian White Wine...not sure what type of wine it was but it had a crisp, fruity, tangy palette to it (does that even sound like I know what Im talking about?) Anyway not a big wine guy but this one hit the spot.

...a.m. goodness

I can't tell you how good this donut was. It was so good that I actually had to take a bite before I could even take a photo of it...anyway needless to say even at 5pm it was fresh, soft and delicious...

...Vietnamese Superstar

This is a Pork Sandwich from a Cafe off Market Street, where you can get the sandwich, a donut and an Orange soda for around 4 bucks. The sandwich comes with green chilis, carrots and a sweet sauce. Awesome...

...Rebel with a cause

Czech Rebel on a saturday afternoon. I mean "forget about it". In the background you will notice a Ten dollar "wine vodka" Lemon Drop...questionable to say the least. Courtesy of The Occidental Pub.

Tri Tip Final Four Sando...

There's something to be said for the Sandwich. It takes on many shapes and forms. It can be simple yet complicated. Saturday was a sandwich day. Final Four Basketball, Friends and Good Food. This is a Tri Tip sandwich consisting of: Soft roll spread with Everitt and Jones BBQ sauce, a dab of Horseradish, Mustard and Mayo. Add thinly sliced Tri Tip and toast for 2 minutes, then add avacado, onion and tomato. A solid saturday Final Four Sando...

Habenero Madness

A friend of ours in Cloverdale who grows Chilies for the local farmers market gave me about 5 pounds of Habenero Chilies on Christmas day. Now what to do with all of them? I usually use about 1-2 in my Salsa and I've tried a Habenero Salsa which is actually pretty mild. But after all of that I still have a mountain of Chilies...If you have any good ideas, please send them my way!
Thanks.

Grilled Portebelo Mushrooms with Asiago & Basil

An easy side dish with whatever else your grilling is a Portebelo. Marinate your mushrooms with Soy Sauce or even Italian Dressing for at least one hour. Grill the open side first until tender. For the last couple of minutes grill the top of the mushroom. During this time place grated or sliced Asiago or Blue Cheese on mushroom until melted. Once plated add 2-3 sprigs of Fresh Basil. Slice into strips or serve whole.

Pork Tenderloin with a Coffee encrusted dry rub...

A delicious meat which is easy to BBQ is Pork Tenderloin which can be found at your local meat counter for under $10. The secret to a good, flavorful Tenderloin is to marinate the meat for at least 4 hours and if you have time overnight. What I like to do is add just a little marinade and then apply a healthy amount of dry rub in the A.M. and then stash it in the refrigerator until Dinner. The rub consists of one part salt, one part Cajun Spice, one part chili powder, Spanish Oregano, Rosemary and two parts ground coffee beans. Mix all the ingredients in a small bowl. For the Wet Marinade I like to use Worchester Sauce and/or Soy Sauce, a tablespoon of butter and about 3 cloves minced Garlic. After you marinate the meat the rub should stick to the outside which ends up encrusting your Pork Loins with a nice shell. Once thats been done you're ready to go. I usually wrap the Pork in aluminum foil and then remove it for the last couple of minutes so that you get a nice even grill on the outside which isn't burnt. NEXT ISSUE: Bleu Cheese Portabello Mushrooms and Roasted Zuchinni.

...Some Like It Hot!

One of the first things I learned to make was a basic Salsa used to top Carne asada wrapped in warm tortillas. The great thing about salsa is that you can play around with the basic recipe and each time you get something new and exciting. Due to my propensity for spicy foods I usually get accused of making my salsa too hot, which is a nice problem to have because then there's more for you. However you can always add Cilantro or an Avacado if things really get out of control. Here's the basic recipe for what I like to call Habenero Salsa.
2-3 Large Tomatoes
8-10 Tomatillos
3 cloves of Garlic
6-7 Dried Chili de Arbol
1 Habenero Chili
2 Cerrano Peppers
3 Tablespoons Salt
Cajun Spice
1 Tablespoon Tequila
A splash of Lime

Boil:
Tomatillos and Tomatoes until soft.

Roast:
Chilis and Garlic in a pan.

Combine ingredients in a blender (or if your Old School in a mortar and pestle) and blend together.