Albequreque International Balloon Festival 2022
October in Albequreque is all about the launching of hundreds of hot air balloons. It’s a wonderous thing to see. It was amazing to see the logistics of getting 500 balloons airborne in the early morning. If you have an open spot on your bucket list, put this on...
Tikka fish with spinach and braised leeks
Our standing Saturday Night Dinner Date was virtual last week, and my kitchen partner and loving fiance, Carolyn Flynn suggested a couple NYTs recipes, Sheet-Pan Fish Tikka with Spinach, and for a side, Braised Leeks with Parmesan. It was a wonderful, tasty meal and the leeks surprised me by how tender and full of flavor they were. They absolutely will show up as a side-dish on future meals at my table. Here are the links. A subscription is required, but I find they $5 a month subscription well worth the cost. https://cooking.nytimes.com/…/1023493-sheet-pan-fish… https://cooking.nytimes.com/…/12667-braised-leeks-with… FISH TIKKA Ingredients Yield: 4 servings 1½ pounds firm, white-fleshed fish (such as cod, basa or halibut, cut into chunks)...
Don’s Chili
I have been fine-tuning my chili for decades. And next month (one assumes) the local brewery will be hosting their annual Chili Cook-Off. And I have every intention of participating. Yet…I’m about to post my recipe. I really don’t care about anyone copying it, I just want to share it. Tonight I made up my ‘small batch’ and had a good friend over to enjoy the meal on a cold night. Don’s Chili Grill 4 chicken thighs. Don’t worry about cooking them completely. Put on some wood chips to get a smokey flavor. Burn them a bit on the outside…it’s OK. Just don’t over-cook. Dice them in 1/2 to 3/4 inch cubes. Heat up some olive oil, a few tablespoons. Dice up and onion and toss it in so it gets caramelized. Toss in a couple tablespoons on minced garlic and swirl, don’t let...
Spinakopita Pie
For our Saturday Dinner Date we created a meal that I had never prepared before, Spinakopita Pie. My fellow weekend chef partner and full-time fiancé suggested a recipe from Bonappetit (https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/spanakopita-pie). As there was no phyllo dough to be found in Colonial Beach, I took a different route and used Puff Pastry, thus I created more of a Spinakopita casserole. But I’d like to think the final flavors were very much spot-on. Three other deviations included using a bag of baby spinach and cooking the meal in a glass baking dish instead of a spring pan. My biggest moment of going rouge involved the addition of a couple handfuls of finely chopped smoked chicken. Because…well…why not. Also, instead of using feta...
Roast Chicken with Fresh Thyme and Honey Jus.
This week’s Saturday night dinner date once again draws from My Wild Atlantic Kitchen, a great cookbook that my fiancé, Carolyn Flynn and I picked up while vacationing in Ireland this Summer. This time we enjoyed Roast Chicken with Fresh Thyme and Honey Jus. This reminded me a bit of my favorite meal when I was growing up, Honey Fried Chicken. Ingredients Serves 4 Roast Chicken: • 1 organic whole chicken (4 1/2 lb) • 3/oz butter • Bunch of fresh thyme • Cracked black pepper Fresh Thyme & Honey Jus: • 2 tbsp white wine vinegar • 2fl oz chicken stock (p370) • 2 tbsp Vermouth • 1/2 tsp flour or starch mixed with 1 tbsp water (optional) • 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves • 1-3 tsp honey • Sea salt and cracked black pepper Directions Preheat the oven to 400F. Pat...