Oxtail Imposter: My New Favorite Oxtail Stand In

I was at the grocer in Lynchburg, which is about 40 minutes from where I live and ran across these gems and I was most pleased with the results.  I was browsing about in the meats section, when I thought about some oxtails.  They can run rather expensive and I was hoping to catch them on sale.  I actually don't think I've ever seen them on sale, reduced yes, on sale, nope...Anywho, since I get them for special comfort meals, a couple times a year, usually in the cooler months, I decided to pass, for another time when they were more in my head than on my mind.
I noticed the cow neck bones nearby and became intrigued.  I couldn't recall a time that I'd seen them for sale, pork, yes, but not beef.  I figured they would be full of flavor because of the lean to bone ratio and would render a lot of collagen goodness when cooked down to the jus.  Best of all, it was only a fraction of the cost of the oxtail. I said to self, 'What the Hell,  let's give it a go'.
I washed the cow necks in cold water and placed them in my Ninja Foodi on pressure cook mode. I made sure I threw in major aromatics like whole garlic cloves, celery and onion . I also added about 1 cup, mini sweet peppers; red, orange and yellow.   I added a bay leaf as well and some bouillon with water, enough to cover.
I pressure cooked the beefy bones for 1 1/2 hours.  After that, I placed them on sear/saute to render the juices down to a sultry broth, composed mostly of  the broken down veggies.
Once reduced, I was left with an amazingly tender and most delicious oxtail contender. There was an unctuous broth filled with beefy flavor and delight.  This is a dish you can cool and refrigerate, then remove the excess fat that has solidified.  Then you will be left with a hearty dish to consume with nice crusty bread or potatoes if you wish.  I used sandwich bread to envelope the goodness, it was most satisfying. The lush chunks of meat slide easily off the bones, bathed in it's own succulent gravy.
My sisters Bonnie, Hollie and Gayle loved it too!  We now have another comfort food dish for our culinary repertoires.
Cow Neck Bones can really stand in for an amazing and rustic meal, full of flavor and high on delivery.  I guess it's just the Country in me, but I think it's most definitely here to stay in my comfort food rolodex.

Great American South Fried Catfish

This is just a little something to make you want to grab a rod and reel, some buddies, maybe beers and go fishing!  There's nothing like some fresh caught fish, fried and piping hot from the oil.  With summer and fishing in its prime, you could go out and snag the Big One, securing your fish tale to tell to all that will listen, from here, to the end of time!  I made this dish for a very special person's lunch.  I filleted and prepared the catfish, but It was his son that brought it in.  I was glad to be a part of the action.  I enjoy fishing too, though I usually take a book! 
Fishing is all inclusive and a relaxing affair, even though you may not like putting bait on your hook. Getting out and enjoying the outdoors is good for you, and a wonderful way to spend time with friends and family. Taking time to throw a line can help you gain your proverbial fish tale, a story to be told to whoever will listen, now and until the end of time! Quit Wishin', Go Fishin'!!!

Surf, Turf and Earth: A Trifecta of Taste Matrimony

Surf and Turf  (seafood and red meat) are on menus all over the world.  I like the combo, but I also love to throw a little Earth in there too.  The Earth is a delicious Portobello mushroom.  It is common to get a steak smothered in onions and mushrooms for a flavorful and amazing bite, time after time.  Not often if ever, do you find a whole portobello topping the steak, which is what I did.  Vegetarians can omit the Turf and have a magnificent Surf and Earth ( portobello and shrimp). Vegans can swap out the Surf and Turf, for Earth and Earth ( portobello and potato).  Keto-Gurus can have it as is, minus the potato, everybody wins.
The above photo is of my dinner of "leftovers" in our hotel room.  It was a lovely room equipped with a cute little kitchenette, so we were able to bring along and store all the provisions we didn't use at the Cabin.  I made it a point to cook all perishables and place them in foil and zip locks to be easily reheated from our cozy and spacious lake view room at Hotel Magnuson.

Our Twilight view from our balcony of Buggs Island Lake, breathtaking!

For dinner, on the eve of our last night, I treated myself to a sit down dinner date meal, party of one, with a view of the gorgeous sunset out of our window.  The meal included a grilled ribeye, sliced and piled high, drizzled with my favorite sauce, Rufus Teague, Honey Sweet,  grilled asparagus, an amazingly flavorful and smoky grilled portobello, topped with some Smoked Gouda w/Bacon cheese, melted down into its woodsy gills.  I popped a potato in the microwave for a quick and pillowy, light side, sprinkled it  with tangy and bold blue cheese and finished it off with some steamed, seasoned shrimp!
I know the disposable plate and "lazy plating" doesn't do it justice, but Hey, it's a leisurely occasion, in a no stress zone and in the end, a little less cleanup for the 'ole gal. I am ole gal. lol

The Power in Flowers

Nature makes the most wonderful things.  The brilliant colors of the rainbow burst with life here, there and everywhere.  Signs of  burgeoning luminescence spread its cheer from house to house, lawn to lawn.   We envelope ourselves with the gardening spirit and wholeheartedly take on the task of being gatekeepers to the fledgling slips and plants, some seeds.  Old, new, borrowed and blue flowers adorn and vine along trellises and walls, little patches of happiness for all to see.  Some of these precious flowers turn into our beloved squashes; zucchini, crooked neck, spaghetti, pattypan, butternut, acorn and even pumpkins! Yes, pumpkins are in the same family as squashes called cucurbits. 
Other flowers bring our salad accessories like tomatoes and cucumbers!  It's such a wonder that flowers bring forth perfect morsels, designed for our bodies, just as it is. Magical. When you see flowers in a garden, you can best believe that there are goodies and delicacies to come.  Some of these gifts are for canning, some for immediate gratification and some for sharing.  There is power there. They can sustain us...if we let them. They have the power to cleanse, mend and heal, they help prevent.
Flowers can show people that we care, brighten our spirits, showing love and condolences, thank yous and welcomes, they bring wishes of well being when we are down.  They mark milestones and special occasions; pruning and caring for them offer respite, therapy and exercise, a gaggle of benefits, just being themselves.
And to think, all of this is happening inside these tiny little seeds, preordained to become its alter ego, edibles or adornments. All that DNA, packed inside vessels, some smaller than a mustard seed, the same one made reference to in the bible.
They already know what to do and how to do it, like magic.  They can grow in the most dire straits, against all odds and still flourish! We could only hope to be as efficient.  

Hoppin'Good: Getting Your Summer Legs Ready

They may not look appetizing, but these legs are some good eatins', for those who dare to try!  Frog legs have their most popularity in the lower portions of the states, namely Louisiana and the bayou area.  I'm glad they made their way up.  Frog Legs have been popular in French, Chinese, as well as other international cuisines for centuries.

I threw in some fresh rosemary for more fresh depth of flavor!

Frog Legs may be baked, broiled,grilled, sauteed or fried.  I like texture and flavor of the fried method, because it enables the protein to be cooked with a protective coating which helps retain moisture.   This past week, I decided to do something a little different with my legs. I cut them apart, for aesthetics and for appetizer appeal.   I marinated them in an egg and milk bath overnight.  I also added a bit of Wye River Seasoning,which is Ah-mazing on your seafood or anywhere you want a taste of the rivers and oceans, try it on popcorn!












The overnight bath helped to develop the flavors of the legs and removed any possible river fishy taste, which I have noticed before and don't particularly prefer.  The meat came out nice, white and not dense.  The crunchy outer crust was a perfect compliment to the supple and juicy interior.  They were very satifying to me and the crew.  Besides,what goes better with a cozy cabin in the woods, with family, on Buggs Island Lake, like some crispy fried critters and catch of the day catfish, steam grilled to flaky perfection, blooming with fresh rosemary (brought from my herb garden) and banana shallot, butter and olive oil! My sister Bonnie really "put her foot in it" Man oh Man!  We tag teamed the menu and entertaining and kicked a$$!  We'll go more into that phrase in a later post, it's actually a pretty interesting one.
 Our spread that day consisted of grilled ribeye steaks, burgers and hotdogs. There was the grilled, whole catfish foil packs, steamed large shrimp, grilled asparagus, yellow rice, whole portobellos, deep fried frog legs, two magnificent cheeses, Champagne and Smoked Gouda with Bacon with crackers, various libations including Tropic Canon IPA which is loaded with citrusy goodness and Summer Shandy, which complimented the menu perfectly.  Ahh, delicious memories of this week past. If only vacations lasted forever...

Pairs deliciously with Summertime and Grilling Seafood!

A Culinarians Retreat: What I Do When I'm Not Cooking, Writing Recipes and Adulting

 When I am not cooking and writing recipes and have the time, I am literally reading material of or pertaining to the culinary world.  I have subscriptions to various magazines including my favorite, Saveur, a fascinating publication covering cuisine from around the world, plus the latest  intel on kitchen gadgets, trends, food origins and much more! The photography is bananas!
I also have a penchant for books with names of food in the title. Just about  every book I purchase, if it isn't a cookbook, contains the name of a food item, for example I Loved, I Lost, I Ate Spaghetti by Guilia Melucci, an entertaining account of a woman searching for love and what she cooks along the way.

This is a lighthearted, laugh out loud book, you won't soon forget.





All or Nothing by Jesse Schenker is a page turning book about a once wayward chef, battling drug addiction and his journey to becoming a guy at the top his game.




The late great Anthony Bourdain left us so soon, but also with a bevy of stories and adventures via his many books and also one of my favorite shows, Parts
Unknown, I even watch it on my computer  before bed, when possible, to fall asleep with visions of travel and the uncharted places I can finally visit virtually, thanks to him.

I have many, many more, but these are a few examples, feel free to check them out!
When we go on vacations, daycations and staycations, I always have a book to read with me, hoping to steal away to grab a few minutes here and there to whet my literary palate.  Of the two books in the above caption, I chose to start reading the one pictured here with the coffee. The other is called Gold, Fame, Citrus. Coffee is my drink of choice when reading, any time of day or night, my "constant companion"!
I finally had time to start it at 5 in the morning, the last day of our vacation.  I am hooked already.  It is the perfect compliment to Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential, as it is an account of the restaurant industry through the eyes of a waiter! I've been both  the cook and the waiter, so these books are relevant and most interesting!  I'd love to get back into Waiter Rant, but our lawn is screaming 'I missed you, look how much I've grown, I'm a good lawn, reward me with a nice haircut' and my gardens never saw the rain we saw on vacation!

Hot Dog Hacker!

Nothing beats a smoky, grilled hotdog in the summertime, especially with a spoon or two of homemade chili.  Of course I include just about any combination of the usual suspects like mustard, ketchup, slaw, kraut, onions, you name it.  Problem is, sometimes we go a little overboard and we end up wearing more toppings than the hotdog. Enter the criss cross.  I find that when I score the hotdogs both ways, several things happen.  It will cook more quickly.  The surface area is increased, so there is more smoke forward flavor throughout.  More nooks and crannies make more opportunities to get some caramelization properties.  Most impotantly,  the cross hatches give the surface texture and the toppings something to hang on to.  I know right. The presentation is a bit more interesting with this effect also.  Next time you want to add a little pep in your hotdog step, score your hotdogs on the diagonal, then diagonal again from the other direction, careful not to cut all the way through. Grill as usual and enjoy the results.