For the meatballs, I wanted them to be relatively simple with all of the appropriate spices and aromatics that would make the lamb sing without masking it–such as touches of cumin, allspice, garlic, and parsley. A bit of creme fraiche helped to enrich them and keep the texture light and delicate.

With that out of the way, onto the sauce. I have always thought that lamb pairs wonderfully with fruit, so the idea of a pomegranate-centric barbecue sauce seemed like a fun… click to read more…

1. Lamb Steak over Israeli Cous Cous with Cranberry Sherry Mint Sauce When I found myself with a cut of lamb known...
2. Soutzoukakia Smyrneika with Olives (Greek Lamb Meatballs) I discovered this dish at one of my favorite Greek...
3. Pomegranate Glazed Stuffed Leg of Lamb Roast I love roasts–there’s something homey and comforting but classy about...

Before summer is over and you can’t find good, fresh peppers, you seriously need to try these. Note, this is a fridge pickle and not a leave-it-in-your-pantry-for-months pickle–the salt & vinegar… click to read more…

1. Bean and Quinoa Chili After having finally tried my hands at making beans the...
2. Spiced Brandied Cherries I’m not sure if I’ve been living in a cave,...
3. Chili Molé I absolutely love chili. Honestly though, who doesn’t? A meaty...

This is a simple meal to prepare, and its really big on flavor. The brats are parboiled in a mixture of beer, shallots, and spices (think the sweet but savory, clean flavors of juniper and caraway) before they get crisped up with the smoky flavor of the grill, leaving the beer mixture to reduce to a thick sauce. These are served alongside… click to read more…

1. Pork Steak with Dijon Apple Sauce If I had to pick one fruit/vegetable that represents autumn...
2. Grilled Pork Chops with Chipotle Mustard and Swiss Cheese Sauce…and a giveaway! A while back, I was contacted by the folks behind...
3. Grilled Swordfish with Tomatillo Corn Relish Swordfish is more steaky than fishy (that dense, meaty, heartiness),...

Honestly, the actual inspiration for this came from another direction. The side dish was what planted the seed for this in my head. I had seen a curious recipe for something called elote, that I had to try. Honestly, the idea of mayo + corn sounded….bizarre…to say the least, but I’d heard of it on more than one occasion (and for those who are skeptical, I have to say, this is probably one of the most incredible ways to eat corn. I will preach the gospel of elote to anyone who will listen from now on. Its tangy, bright, zippy, and somehow, cornier than plain corn). So with elote on the menu, I figured Mexican was in order… click to read more…

1. Carne Asada Tacos with Watermelon Mango Avocado Salsa Watermelon salsa. Sounds different, right? But not in a bad...
2. Seco de Carne con Tamarindo (South American Tamarind Beef Stew) During the later parts of pregnancy, my wife has had...
3. Chili con Carne Chili is one of those dishes that can incite some...

Somewhat to my surprise, this soup reminded me of red Thai curries I’ve had before. The sweet potato base of the soup gave a great heartiness while the mix of ginger, peppers, peanut, and coconut added that creamy/tangy/spicy blend of flavors that so strongly evoked thoughts of Thai for me. Was it precisely what I intended? No. Was I disappointed? Definitely not. I would describe this as a sweet potato version of panang… click to read more…

1. Cream of Sweet Potato Soup This soup is a great autumn/winter dish to warm your...
2. Sweet potato fries (which are ironically, not fried) Fries are about as common-place a food as can be...
3. Moroccan Beef Stew After the last Moroccan dish I made, I simply had...

I really enjoyed this soup. It was simple in flavor, but surprisingly interesting. You might think you have garlic nailed down, but the soup showcases it in such a way that you really get to appreciate a fuller profile of garlic than you might otherwise. There’s a combination of lightly sautéed cloves of garlic as well… click to read more…

1. Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with White Beans and Sausage Aside from cinnamony apple desserts, I think there’s another dish...
2. Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes Mashed potatoes are a really easy side dish that always...
3. Pan Fried Grouper with Roasted Garlic Cream Sauce My ongoing quest to more regularly eat fish continues, but...

I have a hard time pitching this mix of flavors to people because it doesn’t really sound all that sexy. Carrots, potatoes, fennel, and bacon. Individually, they’re all great. But all together at once? Its strange, but you get this perfect combination of salty, smoky, and savory where each component… click to read more…

1. Roasted Italian-style potatoes My wife and I absolutely loved our honeymoon in Italy....
2. Red Grouper with Tomato Braised Fennel I love the produce of summer–for me, the challenge becomes...
3. Veal Shoulder Steak with Port Fennel Mushroom Sauce Like most braises, this isn’t quite hot-summer-day food, but if...

These biscuits had everything you could want in a biscuit. They were tender, flaky, buttery, nicely layered, and really tasty. The butter gives a nice richness, the buttermilk a bit of tang, and the cheddar/chive combo adds a delicious, sharper flavor. And did I mention biscuits are awesome? Another flavor I strongly considered adding into the biscuits (but laziness won, so forgive me): crumbled bacon! I throw it out there for any motivated would-be biscuit makers. I made these to go with my Thanksgiving dinner.

• 4 cups flour
• 4 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 stick butter
• 1 cup shredded cheddar (~4 oz)

… click to read more…

1. Buttermilk Pancakes A great breakfast for a sleepy weekend morning that will...
2. Strawberry Shortcakes Strawberries are a really versatile fruit–I mean how many amazing...
3. Jalapeño Cornbread Who doesn’t like cornbread, especially as a starter during Thanksgiving?...

Also, something worth mentioning: Foodbuzz. I’ve been a member with Foodbuzz for a while now, and they have been nothing but good to me, so imagine my delight when I was selected as one of the… click to read more…

1. Thanksgiving: the plan I had originally hoped to have the majority of my...
2. Happy Thanksgiving! Some last minute ideas Its that time of year again! Thanksgiving is when we...
3. Thanksgiving Risotto So, why am I posting about Thanksgiving in February? The...

As you can see, the brilliant plating I had in mind looked a little silly when all put together, but ah well, you win some, you lose some. Flavor-wise though, I was delighted–I cooked some bacon, crumbled it on top, and then sautéed some fresh, local shrimp in the bacon fat (shelled, deveined, and cooked for 3-4 minutes) to go along with this soup and make it more of a self-contained meal. Plus, both the sweet flavor of the shrimp the… click to read more…

1. Crab Quesadillas with Mango Avocado Salsa Something about the oppressively hot and humid Florida weather has...
2. Carne Asada Tacos with Watermelon Mango Avocado Salsa Watermelon salsa. Sounds different, right? But not in a bad...
3. Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with White Beans and Sausage Aside from cinnamony apple desserts, I think there’s another dish...