Things go missing in Mexico--pale skin, iPods, drugs, people. You leave something out in the open, unattended, and the next thing you know it's gone. People just take shit.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
A Thief Among Us
Things go missing in Mexico--pale skin, iPods, drugs, people. You leave something out in the open, unattended, and the next thing you know it's gone. People just take shit.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
That's Not My Name
At work the other day Joe says to me, "Ryan how long have we known each other? Over a year, right?"
Spinach and Artichoke Dip
Makes 4 to 6 servings
2-1 lb. bags (1 kg.) spinach
3 Tbsp. (45 mL) butter
2 Tbsp. (30 mL) finely chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup (50 mL) all-purpose flour
2 cups (500 mL) heavy cream (35%)
2 tsp (10 mL) fresh lime juice
1 tsp (5 mL) Tobasco sauce
1 tsp (5 mL) salt
3/4 cup (175 mL) grated parmesan cheese
2/3 cup (150 mL) grated Gouda cheese
1/2 cup (125 mL) sour cream
1 jar artichoke hearts, chopped
Tortilla chips for serving
Preheat oven to 400˚F (205˚C).
Remove large stems from spinach and steam for 1 to 2 minutes. When cool enough to handle bunch spinach into balls and squeeze out excess water (spinach must be very dry). Chop and set aside.
Melt butter in a large sauté pan. Add garlic and onion and cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until onion softens. Sprinkle flour over onions and stir with a wooden spoon, cooking flour mixture for about 1 minute.
Slowly whisk in heavy cream, a little at a time, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Bring slowly to a boil to thicken mixture, then add lime juice, Tobasco, salt and parmesan cheese. Remove from heat and add Gouda, sour cream, artichokes and reserved spinach, stirring to combine.
Pour spinach mixture into an oven-proof dish and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until dip is hot and bubbly. Serve with tortilla chips.
Friday, January 14, 2011
Un Chingo of Work to Do
1 orange
4 cups (1 L) whole milk
1/2 cup (125 mL) heavy cream (35%)
1/4 cup (50 mL) granulated sugar
1 Tbsp. (15 mL) whole cloves
1/4 tsp (1 mL) black peppercorns
1 lb. (500 g) bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup (125 mL) cocoa
1 1/2 tsp (7 mL) vanilla
Peel rind from orange with a vegetable peeler and add to a large stockpot with milk, cream, chilies, cinnamon, cloves, peppercorns and sugar. Slowly bring mixture to a boil then remove from heat.
Place chocolate in a bowl and pour cream mixture through a mesh sieve to catch spices. Stir mixture until chocolate melts and all the cream is incorporated. Stir in cocoa and vanilla. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Heat about 1/4 cup (50 mL) of the chocolate mixture per person in a nonstick pot or sauté pan, stirring constantly to prevent it from scorching. Pour chocolate mixture into small cups and serve with a spoon.
Monday, January 3, 2011
Mean Joe's Greens
Sunday, January 2, 2011
The Cookbook Chronicles
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Tell Santa To Bring Scotch
When someone sends you free whisky you accept it. Then you drink it, write about it and plug the nice folks at MasterOfMalt.com for sending it in the first place.
Friday, August 6, 2010
With Friends Like These
Carrie and I have been friends since high school and when she learned I was in Ptown she decided to ditch her husband and two kids for a few days of freedom. She became a "townie" on her first night. We were riding back from the A House and she crashed her two-wheeler on Commercial Street, falling off onto the sidewalk outside Shop Therapy.
Bike accidents are a right of passage in this town.
Here we are at Herring Cove before hiking across the moors and dunes to get to the beach. In three days Carrie accomplished a lot; lost on the bike trails; saw Showgirls--her first drag show ever; danced surrounded by shirtless men at the A House, witnessed a dead skunk being removed from under my deck; and ate an oyster for the first time.
Where else on earth?
A week later Stacey dropped in for her first trip to the Cape and we met for drinks at Pepe's. It was a weekend jaunt for her and her friends Amy and Kristy who drove up from Brooklyn. (Stacey and I became friends one summer schlepping 99-stamped burgers at Wayne Gretzky's in Toronto.) Kristy snapped this pic with Amy's iPhone using an app that casts this fantastic glow.
Any photographer will tell you, lighting is everything.
This morning I bid farewell to my folks who arrived Monday. They came down for my birthday, which officially was yesterday but celebrated all week. Wednesday morning a gaggle of us sipped mimosas and wolfed down lobster Benedict at Edwige where Louise (mom) snapped this photo.
L-R, William, Kelly, Eric, me, Hunter and Will.
Later Wednesday afternoon the Eastland boys threw me a little Cape Cod-style backyard party. We slugged back potent Rose Kennedy's (vodka, cranberry, lime and soda) and slurped down oysters on the half shell. Instead of cake Eric whipped together a lemon-tequila meringue pie. Soon-to-be a new Cape tradition. Amaze-balls.
The best lemon pie I've ever eaten and a recipe the world needs. Stay tuned, it'll show up here at some point.
If you read one of my earlier blogs you'll know my summer is unofficially sponsored by Rolling Rock, the delicious lager from Pennsylvania. Hunter found me this bucket at the Unitarian Church bazaar. Best $2 birthday gift I've ever received.
My 35th year on this planet is off to an incredible start. With friends and family like I have, getting older only means I appreciate them more.
Drinking more is merely a coincidence.