Tartines are open faced sandwiches that are found widely throughout France and are one of the things I miss most about living there. While this is clearly not a very French take on a tartine, it remains true to the soul of the concept in that is a "sandwich" that you eat with a knife and fork.
Sandwiches
The Wichcraft Tuna Melt and a Giveaway
A few months back I was invited by my friends at Share Our Strength to attend the Boston premier of Chef Tom Colicchio's film, A Place at the Table. The film, co-produced by his wife Lori Silverbush, is a riveting tale of hunger in America.
50 Million Americans—1 in 4 children—don’t know where their next meal is coming from. A Place at the Table tells the powerful stories of three such Americans, who maintain their dignity even as they struggle just to eat. In a journey that will change forever how you think about the hungry, A Place at the Table shows how the issue could be solved forever, once the American public decides—as they have in the past—that ending hunger is in the best interests of us all.
Buffalo Chicken Meatball Sub
As we are decidedly a family that drowns its sorrows with sweets and not spice, we didn't fully finish the Buffalo Chicken Meatballs we made for the Patriots v. Ravens AFC Championship Game a few weeks back. As our team went down in flames we turned from our spicy nibbles to something cool and sweet to help ease the burn of our loss. This was devastating news for the few pints of ice cream we had in the freezer, but good news for the few remaining Buffalo Balls that were spared to live another day.
Turkey Sloppy Joes with Hoisin and Cilantro
This quick and delicious weeknight meal was such a hit at our table that I had to share it with you right away. Most dishes we blog here hang around for a week or two before I have the time to finish tweaking a decent photograph, and write the content of a post. Of course, there are also some meals that don't quite make the Oui, Chef grade in the first place, garnering mixed reviews at our table and deemed unworthy of sharing with the wider world.
Not so with this treat. These Joes are so easy and tasty that we wanted to shout-out the recipe right away.
Sloppy Joes
It takes a while, but every summer by about this time we all start suffering from burger fatigue. I don’t know about you, but we definitely get our fill of burgers and dogs around here during grilling season, so much so that by mid-August I start thinking about how to take the idea of a burger in new directions.
One of our favorite alternatives is this Sloppy Joe.
Please don’t tell me you reach for a can of Manwich, or just dump a jar of Ragu in ground beef when you fell the urge, you don’t do you? For years the Sloppy Joe has been sold as just that kind of meal, much like that old chestnut, Tuna Helper, a desperation meal in a can that you keep hidden in the back of the pantry. If that IS the only kind of Joe you’ve ever had, then please keep reading, as you are in for a treat.
Lamb Köfte with Yogurt Sauce and Muhammara
Are your taste buds tired of the same old same old?
Looking to spice up your dinner menu a bit this week?
Good, because this dish is gonna transport you to a brave new culinary world, and will totally rock those bored buds of yours.
I stumbled across this recipe in Bon Appetit some time ago and it immediately caught my eye. It also made me think of my friend Joumana and her awesome blog, Taste of Beirut, because I couldn't help but think that this was the kind of food she grew up on…..lucky girl. Sadly, I never got around to making the dish and sort of forgot about it until Joumana recently posted her own recipe for muhammara, a Syrian red pepper sauce. Hers looked so good that I knew I had to go back and find this recipe and finally give it a try…I am SO GLAD I did.
Lobster Rolls – A Tale of Summers Past
This post was originally written as a guest post for my friend Greg over at SippitySup. He had asked a number of blogger friends to write some pieces on childhood summer memories that he could post in his absence while he vacationed. I know some of you read Greg's great blog, but for those who don't I thought I'd re-post this one here for you to enjoy. Cheers – Steve
My early childhood summers were fabulously routine, but never boring. I grew up in a typical New England “beach” town, so for me, summer travel required no more than a 4 mile trek.
Each summer vacation started the same, with Mom packing coolers of food and crates full of our summer duds (really nothing more than a few bathing suits and t-shirts), and loading them all into the Jeep. A quick stop in town for a tide chart, and a brief stint in the barber’s chair for a short, summer crew-cut, and we were on our way to Saquish.
Merguez Frites – Charcutepalooza #5
“THE POWER AND THE GLORY: ANIMAL FAT, SALT, AND THE PIG COME TOGETHER IN ONE OF THE OLDEST, DIVINE-YET-HUMBLE CULINARY CREATIONS KNOWN TO HUMANKIND”………
So begins Chapter 4 of Michael Ruhlman and Brian Polcyn’s fabulous book, “Charcuterie”, and to this, all I can say is…..amen, brothers. Never before has the beauty that is sausage been described more accurately and succinctly than Michael does here……I get goosebumps every time I read these words.
As you may have already guessed, the challenge this month laid down by the High-Mistresses of Charcutepalooza, Mrs. Wheelbarrow (Cathy), and The Yummy Mummy (Kim), was to craft homemade sausage. In doing so, we were to add to our growing list of experiences in all things charcuterie. So far we’ve hot smoked, brined, and salt cured, and for this month (at least for me), we’re breaking out the power tools for a little “grinding and stuffing”…..hallelujah!
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.
Chicken Parmesan Burgers
Peyton and I whipped up these burgers a few nights ago to critical acclaim from EVERYONE in the family, and I have to be honest with you, that almost NEVER happens, especially with a dish that is being tried for the first time. This recipe is our adaptation of one that I found in the latest edition of Bon Appetit magazine, and it is absolutely a keeper.
In the photo, I show the burger served sans bun, more like a salad with a little marinara drizzled to the side. My wife ate hers this way, I had mine between two toasted slices of a great, rustic pain francese from Iggy’s Bread in Cambridge, and the kids all chose to have theirs on whole wheat hamburger buns. Regardless of how we each prepared ours, we found the patties to be a delicious, moist and healthy alternative to a standard beef burger.
It was nice to be able to serve “burgers” without firing up the outdoor grill that night, especially since it was pouring rain and howling winds at around 50 MPH the night we cooked these….Ugh.