Southern Pot Roast

"Southern Pot Roast" with "Collard Greens" and "Cheesy Bacon Grits" .. Slow braised beefy goodness with Onions, Garlic, House Made Beef Stock and Red Wine. I strained the braise and reduced it into a thick rich "demi glace". 

My grits are super creamy because I combine Semolina Flour to regular corn meal and cook it super slow and low. The result is a deep rich flavor on it's own. Next, I add a mixture of Cheddar, Asiago and Jarlsburg Cheese and finish it with crispy bacon. 

My Collards are slow braised in a sauce of Bacon Fat, House Made Chicken Stock, Onions, Brown Sugar and Apple Cider Vinegar.

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My Award Winning "Osso Buco"

My award winning signature dish .. "Osso Buco" with puree of cauliflower and smoked apple gremolata.

Tagliatelle e Ragù di Pollo di Funghi e Rucola

Springtime and Mushrooms .. What could be a better combination? How about "Springtime and Mushrooms .. What could be a better combination? How about "Tagliatelle e Ragù di Pollo di Funghi e Rucola" or "Chicken with pasta in a ragu of mushrooms and arugula". 

Fresh flavors of springtime mushrooms, onions, tomatoes and peppery baby arugula cooked into a thick sauce and married with house made tagliatelle pasta and served with slow roasted chicken thigh quarters.

If this isn't a staple in your springtime Italian menu .. make it so!" or "Chicken with pasta in a ragu of mushrooms and arugula". 

Fresh flavors of springtime mushrooms, onions, tomatoes and peppery baby arugula cooked into a thick sauce and married with house made tagliatelle pasta and served with slow roasted chicken thigh quarters.

If this isn't a staple in your springtime Italian menu .. make it so!

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Campanelle alla Arrabbiata

"Thatsa spicy saucea" .. and I wanted a spicy pasta dish tonight and that's exactly what I got with my "Campanelle alla Arrabbiata" or "Campanelle Pasta with Angry Sauce".

Arrabbiata is a rich "Roman" sauce made of garlic, tomatoes, and red chili cooked in olive oil. Basil is sometimes used in this recipe. Tradition calls for penne pasta .. but I like "Campanelle" or "Little Bells" pasta which offers more of that sauce grabbing power. 

"alla Arrabbiata" means "angry style", named so for the those little red hot Italian chili peppers. You can find several different variations of this famous dish all across southern Italy due in part to the various regional cooking traditions.

If you like spicy food .. this is your meal .. "Get Angry"!

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Banana Toffee dessert with Espresso Whipped Cream

As promised .. My "Banana Toffee" dessert with "Espresso Whipped Cream".

Cooking the cream is the hardest part of this dessert. The sweetened cream must be sealed tight, water bathed and cooked for nearly 4 hours. The result a thick, pudding like texture with a rich toffee flavor.

Bitter chocolate crumb .. bright banana flavor .. the rich cream and topped with an espresso whipped cream.

One of my all time favorite sweets.

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Apricot Glazed Ham Loaf

What to do with all your leftover Easter ham? Whelp .. I followed my family tradition and turned it into "Apricot Glazed Ham Loaf" with "Thyme Perfumed Scalloped Potatoes" and "Roasted Asparagus".

Ham loaf is a Pennsylvania Dutch .. Eastern Ohio Appalachian dish that has been in my family for centuries. I just kicked mine up a knotch using flavors that pair well.

Simply grind your ham in your food processor then add an equal amount of ground pork, eggs, dry mustard, diced apricot, bread crumbs, pineapple juice, onion then bake .. baste with my signature apricot glaze then last 15 minutes of roasting. I kid you not .. this will make traditional meatloaf a thing of the past.

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Tagliatelle Alfredo

After a nice glass of wine at Powell Village Winery, I came home and whipped up "Tagliatelle Alfredo" .. My interpretation of this popular Italian dish .. Heavy cream, butter, shallots, garlic, nutmeg and parmigiano reggiano with my "house-made" Tagliatelle Pasta I made earlier in the day!

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Pommes Anna

Easter dinner at my sister's place this year. I took the French classic .. "Pommes Anna" .. Thin sliced potatoes soaked in cream perfumed with thyme then layered with a prune & shallot compote and then topped with (not shown) "Wild Mushroom Cream".

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Farfalle con Piselli e Pancetta

It's "Farfalle con Piselli e Pancetta" tonight or "Bowtie Pasta and Peas with Pancetta".

Despite the snow on the ground, I wanted something bright and flavorful .. What better a way to thumb your nose at Mother Nature than a bowl of "bow ties" with fresh peas, pancetta and a hint of lemon?

The dish is super easy to make and takes very little time once the pasta is cooked.

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Red Wine Braised Beef with Roasted Potatoes and Steamed Broccoli

Comfort food at it's core tonight with my "Red Wine Braised Beef with Roasted Potatoes and Steamed Broccoli".

What do you get when you cross a nice bottle of "Cameron Hughes 2009 Lot 248 Cabernet Sauvignon" and a Chuck Roast? Dinner at my house on a Monday evening!

Sometimes it's the simplest things that make me smile!

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A Little Sumpin' Sumpin' Ale

What's a sunny Sunday better for than trying a new brew. Today was no different. I had the chance to try Lagunitas Brewing Company's "A Little Sumpin' Sumpin' Ale" (an American Pale White Ale) at one of my favorite watering holes.

On first impressions, it poured golden in color with a clear body. The nose was quite pronounced .. featuring scents of citrus (mainly orange and tangerine) with tropical and floral notes. The white foam featured some lacing, not as much as I expected.

On the palate, a combination of tropical fruit, oranges, pineapple, honey and wheat. The beer has a refreshing crispness and the bitterness, while being well balanced for this style.

I think it's a good ale. The nose and flavor gets better as it warms and with each passing sip. The combination of tropical fruit combines to create a flavor that most will find acceptable, including those who are not normally American Pale White Ale fans.

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Pappardelle al Ragù di Cinghiale

Took my sister Cheryl and her family on an authentic culinary trip to Tuscany tonight with my "Pappardelle al Ragù di Cinghiale" or "Pappardelle Pasta with Wild Boar Ragu" and "Crostini with Eggplant Caponata".

This traditional dish was a tricky to pull off here in Ohio .. but with searching and hard work, I was able to get Wild Boar Shoulder Roast which I turned into a velvety Ragu.

Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale

I had the opportunity to try Alltech’s Lexington Brewing and Distilling Company's "Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale" (KBBA) at one of my favorite watering holes the other night! 

KBBA pours a golden color with creamy, off white head. The nose has lots of bourbon and wispy, yeasty notes and seems a tad thin and one dimensional.

On the palate you'll notice light bread (that yeast), vanilla with noticeable bourbon .. but not overwhelming. I'd say it's medium bodied with ample carbonation.

KBBA is a unique sipping beer with the distinctive nose of a well-crafted bourbon. The company says the ale is aged up to 6 weeks in freshly decanted bourbon barrels from some of Kentucky’s finest distilleries.

Overall .. I enjoyed it .. but only one or two in an evening.

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Poulet braisé à Dijon sauce à la crème

I went "classic" French tonight with "Poulet braisé à Dijon sauce à la crème" which is "Braised Chicken in Dijon Cream Sauce". 

For sides I made another French Classic .. "Lyonnaise Potatoes" and "Pan-Seared Garlic Brussels".

The star was of course the classic "Dijon Mustard, White Wine and Cream Sauce".

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