Oui, Chef

Basil-Vodka Gimlet

This is not a recipe I make with my kids, and no, I'm not encouraging you to whip up a pitcher of this elixer with your ankle biters either.  

Let's be honest, our kids are going to try their hands at mixology soon enough, at ages we will likely find horrifying, they won't need any help from us here.

As a blog dedicated to sharing family friendly recipes you can make with your own young ones, we are not in the habit of posting tasty alcoholic treats, but if its half as hot where you are today as it is here, then you could probably use a refreshing adult beverage. 

Aren't you glad you know me?

Guinness Burgers

 

Prior to leaving for Paris, my boys and I had a few days away "just us guys".  It is a trip we do every year right at the end of school, and as luck would have it, we get to celebrate Father's Day while we are off having a blast together....it is absolutely perfect.  This year, the boys bought me a few books in celebration of the big day, one, written by Justin Halpern is called Sh*t My Dad Says  and is riotously funny, I can highly recommend it.  The other is entitled Guinness: Celebrating 250 Remarkable Years and is a wonderful history (complete with some scrumptious recipes) of one of my favorite libations.  My boys always know just what to get me, thanks guys.

As we flipped through the pages of the Guinness book we found a number of recipes that were immediately deemed blog worthy, from Guinness Bread, to Shepard's Pie, to Bangers and Mash with Guinness Sauce, but the one that stood-out above all others, the one we wanted to cook first, was this one, Guinness Burgers.

The Chef's Table - Richard Garcia of Tastings Wine Bar and Bistro

I had the pleasure of making Chef Richard Garcia's acquaintance through a friend of mine at the Chef's Collaborative, and I am so glad that she recommend I give him a call.  Not only is Richard a terrific chef, but he is very engaged in the food world outside of his restaurant, with a particular interest in making sure our kids have access to high quality, healthy food at school, and that they all learn about cooking and making good food choices from an early age.  He's my kind of guy.

We met a couple of Fridays ago on a snowy (can you believe it?) morning at Patriot Place in Foxboro, where his restaurant is located.  It was early and he was working alone, putting time into the dish that he would be serving at the Chef's Collaborative fund raiser that we attended that Sunday.  He is a very approachable guy, and immediately made me feel at home as we sat at a table nestled among his restaurant's outstanding wine collection.