We love pizza around here. I can remember several family gatherings when I was growing up where all of the adults would hang around the kitchen sipping wine which came from jugs pretending to have something to do with Burgundy. They would be discussing the day’s going-ons, spilling cornmeal, laughing, and assembling handmade pizzas. Those pizzas were the best!…
Category: Main Dish
Gyozas
While I realize that I have placed this in the ‘appetizer’ section, we have been known to make an entire meal of these Japanese style potstickers. In fact, we are known to plan entire parties and get-togethers around this simple food. Over time, we have established quite an efficient system for cranking out hundreds of…
Roasted butternut squash soup
Unfortunately, there were no butternuts emerging from the garden during this growing season. With all the garden items, I just didn’t make room this year. However, this squash is plentiful and easy to grow. Thankfully, I have access to the farmers markets and a decent selection at the local grocery as well. This recipe is…
Boeuf à la Bourguignonne
Boeuf à la Bourguignonne, Beef Bourguignon, beef burgundy, or just beef in wine sauce. For me, few dishes invoke thoughts of cool weather, friends and hearty meals like beef Bourguignon. Many credit Julia Child with bringing this dish to the forefront. As a result, Americans often envision this dish when they think of French cuisine. Several…
Chicken and Dumplings
I don’t think it would be possible for me to talk about chicken and dumplings without also talking about the Vineyard House. Also, considering that we’re in the Halloween season, I think this will be the appropriate discussion. Growing up in the Sierra foothills I remember family trips to Coloma. Coloma is where gold was…
TX Brisket
If you ever travel to Texas and you go to a BBQ joint, you will inevitably end up with some brisket. That giant slob o’ tough meat from the lower front part of the animal. A packer brisket (whole, untrimmed) usually comes in at 10-20 pounds. It consists of the flat, the point, the…
Pulled Pork
I see quite a few recipes online for various ways to make the best pulled pork. These posts are usually followed by a slow cooker recipe or some kind of dutch oven braising technique and so forth. I understand that in today’s society, convenience is a factor. You get home from work and you either…
Fajitas
This is one of those easy to put together, weeknight meals we often enjoy when we’re not sure what else to make. If we have the time, we will go ahead and throw together some nice homemade tortillas, or alternatively pick up our favorite local tortillas. There are a couple things to consider when…
Salmon cakes
I had a pound of salmon in the fridge I had purchased locally the day before. The salmon was wild caught Soho from up north and it was expensive. Of course I understand that a nice salmon filet can be incredible when prepared simply on the grill and some folks might consider it blasphemous to…
Cassoulet
Cassoulet, that famous dish from the south of France. Not from the more familiar Provence, Marseille, Nimes part of the country, but more toward the Western portions of Southern France such as Carcassonne, Toulouse, and Narbonne. I am referring to the Languedoc area of France where once lived a peaceful religious order named the Cathars….