Our dinner group on Saturday was a southern success. We said things like ya’ll. And ate many foods fried in oil. And licked our sticky fingers, lacquered in barbecue sauce. And filled our bellies until we couldn’t move. Honestly, I think my food is still digesting. 
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Continue reading Southern Grilled Baby Back Ribs

A few weeks ago, I got a fat package from the lovely people at OXO. (And when I say lovely, I mean killer, fantastic, and all around sensational.) I don’t remember the day or time, what I was wearing…had I even showered yet? Don’t know. Don’t care. I just remember the box had an OXO sticker on it, which immediately triggered a squeal so loud that dogs could hear me from the next county over.

The box included a large amount of products to try out and review. Somebody pinch me.

There, right at the top, was this tool – a Corn Peeler. Since corn is at it’s peak right now, and our weekly trip to the Farmer’s Market includes a batch, I got right to it.

If you’re grilling corn to simply eat it right off the cob (dental floss stand by), clearly there’s no use for this. But, if you’re grilling corn because you want those pretty kernels in a bowl, or need them for a recipe, then this handy dandy tool is, well, handy. And dandy.

It felt sturdy, comfortable in my hand with it’s non-slip grip, and cut the kernels with ease. Also, they designed it so that the blade is positioned at the perfect angle, making sure you can’t cut to shallow or too deep. I like that it’s dishwasher safe, and an added bonus is the clear plastic cover that protects the blade.

Sure, you can just use a knife…and run the risk of cutting yourself. And having uneven kernels. Where’s the fun in that?

The Giveaway
Two lucky readers have a chance to win one. And there are two ways to enter: (1) leave a comment on this blog or (2) become a fan on Facebook by clicking the “like” button, then leave a comment on The Wall, so I know that you did.

The drawing closes on Friday, September 3rd at 8pm PST.

To get you in the mood, try this grilled corn with Feta and Lime. Oh me, oh my.

Print this recipe (cooking method adapted slightly, but ingredients unchanged, from Greg at Sippity Sup!)

UPDATE 9/3/10:
Random.org came up with Kelly Furlong-Rezac (FaceBook) and Tanya (blog.) Throw away that dental floss, ladies – you are the lucky winners of this great tool.

For me, there’s no such thing as a grilling “season.” I grill all year round. I’ve been known – and mocked – for standing out in the snow…5 below, thermal underwear on, fingers numb…flipping burgers and what not. Thankfully, I don’t have to worry about sub-zero temperatures anymore. Although, I seem to have traded that for dry desert type heat. Why is there no in between?!

Anyway, even though I grill all the time, I don’t post about it often, because I realize that most of you are sane individuals and only break out the coals in the summertime.

So here we are. June. Warm. Sunny. Fabulous. And what most would consider grilling season. Don’t have a grill? WHY OH WHY??? You must get one. Must, must, must. I implore you.

That way you can make all your food taste terrific. And try this featured recipe. It’s one of my favorites in June because Bing cherries are plentiful and call my name, loudly, whenever I enter the market. Don’t like fish? (I can already hear a joke forming from my Dad…) Fine. You can still buy the cherries and bake a cobbler. You won’t make use of a grill, but you’ll still be happy.

But only if you have a cherry pitter. It’s also a must. If you can’t afford to buy a grill, the least you can do is buy a cherry pitter. It will cut your prep time in half.

Last year all the stores were out of cherry pitters…during cherry season. Maddening. Let’s make sure that doesn’t happen to you, okay?

Two lucky readers have the chance to win one.

To enter the giveaway, leave a comment on this post by Friday, the 11th at 9pm EST. One entry per person, U.S. residents only, winners will be chosen at random and announced next week. (And don’t forget to include your e-mail so I can contact you!)

UPDATE 6/12/10:
Julie Sullivan and Jenn, courtesy of Random.org. Congratulations ladies! Cherry season+cherry pitter=happy.

I put the kibosh on meat for approximately ten years. I can’t say that I missed it during that time (although the smell of bacon would always send me into a frenzy), and I certainly learned a lot more about food in general. It was a significant experience for me and I have an enormous amount of respect for others who follow this path (well, except the preachy ones…I sort of want to run them over with my car.)

My life changed quite a bit in 2002, and for various reasons I started incorporating chicken back into my eating habits. I never gave up fish, so what was the big deal about eating chicken again? (At least that’s how I justified it.) Then pig soon followed. Then cow. It wasn’t really a conscience thing, more like a natural progression.

I began to cook a lot when I started a family, and I discovered two things: meat is easy and I had been missing out on a lot of fabulous meals.

Other than the recent Pork with Orange Marmalade, my impression of recipes requiring so few ingredients has not been very favorable. The pork dish was such a nice surprise and I couldn’t imagine having the same success twice in a row. So, I put my expectations in check. Here I am, surprised again. This was not only as good, it was even better.

I haven’t made anything with teriyaki sauce in a long time and was reminded how much I like it. Of course I do – it’s sweet. I also love the shiny glaze it adds to the meat when basted on. This makes sense considering “teri,” the first part of teriyaki, means “luster.” If you’re feeling ambitious, you can make your own basic teriyaki sauce; all you need is soy sauce, mirin, and sugar.

As for the filling, it was so simple. The combination of fresh spinach and crunchy water chestnuts was perfect, and any bitterness you might think spinach has, was completely masked by the sugary sauce. This was absolutely delicious; one of those dishes that your mouth wants more of, even though your belly says “no more vacancy.”

Every now and then I consider saying good-bye to meat again, but then along comes a recipe that jolts me back to reality. Like this one.

Print this recipe.

Whenever Paul sees me marinating a steak, I usually get an inquisitive look that says, “what did I do to deserve this?” Truth is, I wasn’t even thinking of him when I put this together. I found sirloin on sale and had a mango that was ripe – like any more ripening and it would go bad.

Nothing says summer like an outdoor grill and fruit. So, why not marry the two and enjoy the best of both worlds?

This was TASTY.

Ah, the things you can come up with when the sun is out and you’ve had enough sleep.

Print this recipe.