KFC's Famous Bowls, Patton Oswalt style

In November, KFC introduced it's now-famous Famous Bowls. I wrote up a quick post outlining my thoughts on the novelty food item. Now Patton Oswalt's weighed in on the matter, and he's funnier and more pointed than I could ever be. Worth watching:

Farm Fresh Recipes

This post originally appeared in Satellite Magazine

Fresh matters. You can ask any cook worth her salt and she’ll tell you the same thing. Fresh, whole ingredients impart even the simplest dishes with deep, rich flavor. However, since most grocery store produce travels an average of 1,500 miles to get from the farm to your plate, getting fresh produce can sometimes be a challenge. Lucky for all of us, Gainesville is full of farmer’s markets. The Union Street Farmer’s Market in the Sun Center is open every Wednesday, rain or shine, and features fresh, seasonal ingredients grown by local farmers.

While buying locally will give you the freshest food, it can also limit your choices. You won’t get oranges in summer and you won’t get asparagus in fall. But then, eating seasonally is a wonderful exercise in menu planning and can connect you to the local land and community.

Lucky for us, summer is here, which means many produce items such as cantaloupes, blueberries, chicory, tomatoes, swamp cabbage (water spinach) and leeks are at the height of freshness and are readily available:

With just a few other ingredients, these items can be cobbled together to make for some wonderful dishes, from refreshing fruit salads to delicious savory entrees:

Grilled cantaloupe with chicory and blueberry vinaigrette

Ingredients:
For the dressing:

• 1 4.4oz container of blueberries, mixed variety (approx. two large handfuls) – most juicy berries will work with this recipe: raspberries, blackberries, and others. Avoid cranberries as they’re probably too tart, and strawberries won’t provide enough juice
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar (you can substitute honey, also available at the farmer’s market)
• A pinch of salt

For the salad:

• 1 large cantaloupe, seeded, cut into wedges and peeled
• 1 bunch chicory, stems removed, rough cut

Dressing:
Begin by pureeing the blueberries. You can use a food processor, blender or hand blender. If pressed, you can juice them in a bowl by grinding them to a pulp with the back of a large, heavy spoon. A slow process, but infinitely gratifying.

Once the blueberries have given up their juice, whisk in the vinegar (for brightness) and add the water. Toss in the salt, and slowly add the sugar, tasting and whisking as you go. Don’t be afraid to stick your fingers in the dressing and taste it! Some people like sweeter dressings while others like their dressings more sour or bitter. Don’t be afraid to experiment and feel free to alter the ingredients’ ratios to get it to your liking.

Salad:
This is a rustic dish, which is a fancy way of saying you don’t have to be too careful with the cutting.

Begin by heating a large skillet over medium-high heat. While the pan heats, sprinkle the cantaloupe wedges with just a bit of Kosher salt (optional) Once the pan achieves temperature—it should feel hot when you’ve got your hand about two inches above the pan—place the cantaloupe wedges in the pan, cut side down. Let them sear about 45 seconds on each side. When it’s done, set the cantaloupe aside to cool.

*The salt will draw out some of the melon’s moisture and help concentrate the sugars in the cantaloupe. Searing the cantaloupe will caramelize some of the sugars that have been brought to the surface and will give it a deeper, richer sweetness.

Once the melon has cooled, cut it into bite-sized pieces and mix it with the chicory in a large bowl. Store in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. When you’re ready to serve, plate the cantaloupe salad and drizzle liberally with the blueberry dressing.

Alternative: Once the cantaloupe has chilled, mix with fresh, whole berries and sprinkle with powdered sugar or drizzle with honey for a deliciously sweet, healthy dessert.

Pan seared tuna with balsamic glaze and crispy leeks

The real star of this dish is the sauce, which can be used to top any number of proteins, from tuna or chicken breast to extra firm tofu or tempeh.

Ingredients:
Sauce

• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 3 medium fresh tomatoes* @3/4 of a pound, diced
• @1 cup water spinach leaves
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed and peeled
• 1 table spoon olive oil
• 1 table spoon brown sugar

Remaining ingredients

• 2 large leeks cut to matchsticks (pieces 1/4 inch wide, 2 inches long)
• Peanut, canola or vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 Tuna steaks
• Salt
• Pepper

The sauce:
Begin by heating a skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil, wait for it to heat and then add the garlic cloves. Let them cook for about five minutes, stirring occasionally. While those cook, you can whisk together the balsamic vinegar and brown sugar (the sugar will provide a sweet counterpoint to the vinegar’s acidity and will also help the sauce come together as more of a glaze). You could also add extra ingredients to enhance the sauce, such as lemon or lime juice, white wine, or sherry. After the garlic’s cooked, add the spinach and tomatoes--holding some of the diced tomatoes in reserve for a garnish. Let them cook for about five minutes, stirring occasionally, and then add the vinegar mixture. Increase the heat to medium-high and let the sauce cook until it begins to bubble. Then reduce the heat and let simmer for about 20 minutes.

When you’ve got about 10 minutes left you can start on the final pieces of your dish. For the leeks, you need to put about a half-inch of peanut oil in a sauce pan and bring it up to 350 degrees. One it reaches that temperature, drop in the leeks in small batches and let them cook until they’re golden brown (about 30 - 45 seconds, probably). Use a slotted spoon or a fork to transfer them to paper towels to drain.

For the tuna, rub the tuna steaks with garlic (one clove each) and sprinkle with salt and pepper. In a hot pan with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, sear the tuna on each side--about two minutes. To plate, put down a bed of the fried leeks, top with the tuna steak, and then spoon on some of the sauce. Finally, top with some of the reserved tomato pieces for a dash of color.

This dish is deceptively easy and mighty impressive when plated.

While you could make any of these dishes with ingredients that have traveled half-way across the country (or farther), why would you? Fresh ingredients taste better, and you get the satisfaction of supporting your local growers and being a part of local community. Plus, everyone I spoke to at the farmer’s market was knowledgeable, friendly, and even had a cooking tip or two.

*Fresh tomatoes far outshine grocery store tomatoes in taste and versatility. If you’re not buying fresh tomatoes, you might as well be buying them canned.

A summertime twist on steak and potatoes

Summertime in America: a time when people turn off their televisions and head to the beach, backyard pool, or roof-top lawn chair. It's a time when attention turns to swimsuits and suntans, and families across the nation fire up their grills for the most primal of cooking methods: open flame.

But how many burgers can one person eat? How many times can we turn to hot dogs, potato salad and roasted corn? What does a person do when he can't look at another French fry? Why, fry something else of course:

Beer-battered yucca, grilled rib eye and spring salad greens

First the steak: spend; seriously. There are all kinds of ways you can doctor an inexpensive cut of beef, but sometimes you want the meat to stand (or lay) on its own merit. And if you're going to do that, you're going to have to get as far away from the hoof and the horn as possible (Thanks, Alton). Of course, the fillet is the best, but at $10354839w9.99 per pound it can get a little pricey. NY strip is excellent, too, but bang-for-your-buck wonderful is the rib eye, also known as the Delmonico in some parts. And according to my sources, Australians call it the Scotch fillet.

Preparation is simple:

• Crush a few cloves of garlic and use them to rub each steak
• Season with salt and pepper
• Wrap in foil and set it aside until you're about half-way through frying the yucca (we'll get to that in a moment)

When your grill is ready, cook the steak over high heat, about four minutes on each side (if you want to be extra fancy, rotate the steak 90 degrees--don't flip it!--after two minutes. This will give you those snazzy rhomboids of charred goodness). Because the rib eye has excellent marbling, it's going to end up tender and juicy. However, you'll have to watch out for flare-ups, as all that delicious fat has a tendency to render and drip onto the coals. Keep a spray bottle on hand to help quell some of the fire. And don't be afraid to move your steaks away from the coals for a bit to let things die down.

Once you bring the meat off the grill, wrap it in foil and let it rest for a while. Just leave it alone. This will allow all cell structure to re-absorb all the juices and will give you a tender, tastier steak.

You could easily serve this with a fresh salad of spring greens, or even pan-wilted spinach with garlic and parmesan. Those would, in fact, be absolutely delicious. But we're talking summer here, and what's summer without a little starch? And what's starch without a little potato? Why, it's yucca!

The yucca is a starchy root used often in Latin American, Caribbean and African cuisines. It's starchier than most potatoes, but has a wonderful stratified structure that gives it a flaky texture. Preparation can be time consuming, but it's not difficult.

Beer Battered Yucca

First, you'll need to cook your yucca:

If you're cooking fresh-from-the-market yucca, you're going to invest about 50 minutes. I used frozen yucca I found in the Latin American section in the frozen food isle, and I just cooked it according to the directions on the package-bonus: no additives. At all.

But let's say you went with the root. You're going to cook it much like you would potatoes:

• Peel the yucca
• Cut into section about four inches long
• Place the sections into a large pot and cover with water (about 2 inches over the yucca)
• Bring water to a boil and let cook about 50 minutes, or until fork-tender
• Remove from heat, drain, and shock in ice water to prevent further cooking
• Cut the sections lengthwise into quarters
• Important: There's a cord of woody material that runs through the yucca root. Make sure you remove this from your quartered sections.
• Set all pieces aside and meditate briefly on their future deep-fried goodness

(light your coals-for the steaks, remember?)

Then you'll need a beer batter:

• 1.5 cups flour
• 12 oz. + 2 teaspoons Light beer (for the additional teaspoons, you're going to have to open a second bottle--pity, that)
• 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon additional flavoring agent(s), if desired

1. Put the flour in a big bowl
2. Open one beer and slowly whisk the fluid into the flour
3. Open the second beer, measure out your 2 teaspoons and whisk them in as well
4. Add the salt and then add your flavoring agent*

*One of the great things about batters is that you can give them whatever flavor you'd like. For fried yucca, I might recommend a teaspoon of garlic powder coupled with a squirt of lime. Or maybe if you enjoy a little spice, you could go with black pepper or paprika. Cayenne would provide a good bit of heat, and you could even bring in some Asian influence by adding ground ginger. Like I always say, don't be afraid to experiment. If the batter ends up being horrible, you'll just have to crack open another beer and make a second batch. And that's not so bad, is it?

(if you're following along at home, go ahead and get someone to put the steaks on the grill right now)

1. Heat two inches of oil in a pan to about 370 degrees
• It's best if you set this up as an assembly line. And work in batches. If you put too many yucca pieces into the oil at once, it'll lower your temperature and you won't get a crispy finish.
• I work left-to-right, so my set up consists of my yucca, batter, oil, draining plate. I have yet to buy a cooling rack and half-sheet pan (again, thanks Alton), so go with several paper towels sandwiched between a couple brown paper bags.
2. Dunk the yucca in the batter, shake off the excess, and carefully lower the pieces into the oil
3. Let them fry for about two to three minutes, or until golden brown
4. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside to drain

To plate, put just a few of the fried yucca together with the steak and some of the field greens. If you'd like, you can make a garlic mayonnaise to dip the yucca in, though I'm sure ketchup would be fine, if you're into that sort of thing.

What to pair it with?
Few wines like to be paired with grilled meat like Australian Shiraz. Traditionally big, jammy wines with nice tannins, an Australian Shiraz will often give you enough structure to stand up to grilled meat but doesn't overpower as can sometimes happen with a European Cabernet. Plus, summertime grilling should be about fun and friends, an ostensibly Australian sensibility. For this dish I went with an exceptionally food-friendly wine, 2 Up Shiraz:

Color--Deep rich, inky red, lightening to a lush ruby at the edges.
Nose--A brash, fruit-forward nose with definite dark stone fruit and berry aromas. Plum, raspberry and blue berry are all found in the wine's complex aroma. There's also a hint of smoke, a breath of spice and a touch of leather.
Palate--A big, succulent, full-bodied wine with excellent fruit characteristics and nice tannins. The mouth feel is excellent and less overpowering than one might expect from such a big wine.
Finish--The finish is slightly warm and tannic with lingering fruits.

In Praise of Leftovers

So you had your holiday bash. You cooked your steaks; you made your fancy desserts. You even shopped at the local farmer's market for fresh salad fixings. But now you're left with a few odds and ends, not a lot of time, and a stomach that's growling like nostalgia for that delicious New York Strip. Don't settle for a glass of ice water and a handful of Cheeto's. Relive the magic with leftovers. They won't ever take the place of the first time around, but done right, and with a little inventiveness, you might even pass them off as French.

Ingredients: leftovers and a reasonably well stocked pantry

• For example, a few hunks of grilled New York Strip
• six ounces of heavy cream
• half a large onion
• a big handful of leftover mushrooms
• 1 tbl flour
• about half a cup of beef broth (from the fridge) and.....
• a package of lo mein noodles

plus, salt, pepper and olive oil are always good to have around

Quick Hint: When reheating steak--when cooking steak, for that matter, but this is more important--make sure you let the steak come to room temperature first. You want to reheat the steak, not cook it further.

So what can be made with that hodgepodge of materials? A not-bad steak and pasta dish with mushroom cream sauce.

Observe:

Cook the lo mein noodles according to the directions on the package (make sure you get a solid pasta pot; it should hold a couple quarts of water at least)

While the water's coming to a boil....

• Set a good-sized skillet over medium-high heat
• Add a couple tablespoons of olive oil (you've got olive oil, right? Nothing fancy, just the regular stuff)
• Once it reaches temperature, add the onions and sweat them for about three minutes
• Then add the mushrooms and sauté them with the onions for about another three minutes

Quick hint: Storing mushrooms can be problematic. They contain a rainy season's worth of moisture and can turn on you without a moment's notice. I've found the best way to store mushrooms is to take them out of their container, wrap them loosely in paper towels and then stow them in a brown paper bag. On the counter is fine for a couple days at least. Probably.

• Once the mushrooms have given up some of their moisture, add the cream and some of the beef broth
• stir slowly and add in the flour (make sure to sprinkle it slowly, stirring the whole time. If you just dump in the lot, it'll clump on you. Essentially, you're making a gravy, and no one likes lumpy gravy)
• Use the remaining beef broth to get the sauce to a consistency you like and add salt and pepper to taste

About this time, the noodles should be done. Drain them, and go ahead and reduce the sauce's heat source to low. Slice the steak thin and go ahead and zap in the microwave for about 10 seconds. Again, we don't want to cook it further if we can at all avoid it. Plate along side the noodles and lightly drizzle (or drench) each with the mushroom sauce. Ta da! (nearly) Instant comfort food!

Don't be afraid to make additions. I think some diced roasted red peppers would have been a terrific complement, in both color and flavor, but I was dealing with pantry food. I had to settle for some olives and capers to give the dish a tepenadish zing.

What to pair it with?
Wine was made for this kind of meal. Seriously. Wine's tannins serve to cleanse the palate after each sumptuous mouthful, and each mouthful serves the prep the palate for wine's complex flavors. The dish I ended up with would stand up to all but the heaviest wines. But with leftovers, you don't often have the luxury of choosing what you'll end with, so you want versatility. Enter Rex Goliath's merlot.

I've talked on occasion about RG's pinot noir--arguably one of the best wine values on the shelf--and decided to give one of their other varietals a try. I wasn't disappointed.

From the wine maker:

We really love this wine. Soft, supple, and complex. There is a certain elegance to this wine that fits our vision of the perfect Merlot: Pretty and seductive with a decidedly spicy nose of black cherry, cassis and cedar. Very ripe and round, almost like a Jolly Rancher candy. Mouth-filling flavors of plums, cherries and wild red berries dominate from start to finish. Good seam of acidity paired with soft tannins make this a wonderful wine for game fowl such as pheasant or duck. Try a nicely roasted Rock Cornish Game Hen...yum!

Another no-brainer from the world of science

Zoning out in front of the television discourages kids from active diabetes control:

Diabetic children who spent the most time glued to the TV had a tougher time controlling their blood sugar, according to a Norwegian study that illustrates yet another downside of too much television. The findings, based on a study of children with Type 1 diabetes, lend support to the American Academy of Pediatrics' advice that children watch no more than two hours of TV daily, said lead author Dr. Hanna Margeirsdottir of the University of Oslo. more...

Like sprawl contributing to obesity, it comes as no surprise that kids who are not actively engaged in their day-to-day lives will tend to let things like insulin injections slide. However, the study didn't include factors such as exercise, diet or snacking habits.

You don't need fire to be fire roasted

Here's a little secret: when you're in a restaurant, and you see something described as 'fire roasted,' it doesn't necessarily mean that it's been roasted over a fire. Normally it means that whatever roasted item you're about to order also happens to have a little kick to it, and these days that kick is most often provided by some kind of chipotle variation, be that sauce or pepper chunks. So when I tell you I'm all about the fire roasted tomato sauce, don't think for a moment that I roasted the tomatoes over fire. I roasted them in the oven, just like you will, and the fire comes from regular old Louisiana Hot Sauce. Though adding some chipotle might provide an inviting smokiness...

Fire Roasted Tomato Sauce

• Four tomatoes, halved--we're fortunate here in Florida. The tomatoes have are now in season and will be fresh and delicious for another month or two. After that, it'll be back to the regular hothouse varieties
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• two garlic cloves (or more, to taste)
• Plenty of hot sauce (your personal favorite will be fine--you'll end up adding one shake, or many, depending on how hot you like it)

Season the tomatoes with salt and pepper. The salt will draw some of the water and sugars out of the tomatoes and provide for better caramelization. Preheat your broiler on low, if you have that option. Place the tomatoes cut side up on a cookie or baking sheet and place them on the second rack from the top (if your broiler is permanently set to 'scorching,' you might want to place the tomatoes on a lower rack. Let the tomatoes roast for about 15 - 20 minutes, or until you notice they're developing black spots across the top and their skins are beginning to get dry and a little wrinkled. Transfer the tomatoes with the additional ingredients to a blender and give them several good pulses on Liquefy (Note: Be very careful blending hot items! The aeration will generate a great deal of steam, which will create pressure inside the blender. Ever couple of pulses, crack the lid to let off some steam)

Serving suggestion:
Grilled chicken breasts and red leaf lettuce salad with blue cheese dressing.

1. Prepare the chicken breasts by trimming off any excess fat
2. Brush lightly with olive oil and rub with crushed garlic cloves
3. Season with salt and pepper and move to a hot grill
4. Grill on each side four approximately four minutes
• You want to get a good, smoky crust, and some charring is desirable. If the chicken begins to get too done, however, move it away from direct heat and let it cook until it's done through on the inside--perhaps an additional two to three minutes.
5. Wrap in foil for a few minutes once it comes off the grill to allow the chicken to rest--this will allow the chicken to reabsorb all the juices its cells released

Plate the chicken and serve with red leaf lettuce Make sure you rip the red leaf lettuce as cutting or slicing often bruises the edges. Drizzle the chicken with the roasted pepper sauce and drizzle the red red leaf lettuce with the blue cheese dressing. The combination of the cool blue cheese and fiery tomato sauce provides a wonderful culinary contrast. Hott!

What to pair it with?
This dish isn't going to stand up to heavier wines, so Shiraz and Cab Sauv are right out. You could probably pair it with a fine merlot, but really any low-acidity wine is going to do right by this dish. Ideally, you might go with a rich, buttery chardonnay. The strong body and supple mouth feel will do well with the tomatoes' acidity. I went with the Cono Sur Pinot Noir and was not disappointed. From the vintner:

OF A LIVELY AND FRESH PURPLE RED COLOUR, THIS IS A VOLUPTUOUS PINOT NOIR WITH RICH FRUIT NOTES OF CHERRY, RASPBERRY, PLUM AND STRAWBERRY -A RED FRUIT PARTY!- ENHANCED BY SUBTLE SMOKED HINTS. OTHER NOTES ADD FLOWERS -VIOLETS- AND A SUBDUED EARTHINESS. BALANCED AND NEW WORLD STYLED, THIS IS A WINE OF PERSONALITY AND ELEGANCE. SEXY, PURE AND SIMPLE, IT SHOWS GREAT VARIETAL CHARACTER IN A YOUNG AND REFRESHING APPROACH.

This is definitely a young wine with a popping, refreshing acidity and fruit-forward nose and palate. While I would have enjoyed a slightly deeper flavor to accompany the chicken--and a little less acidity, given the tomato-based sauce--the wine did well in complementing both the chicken and the blue cheese dressing.

Dress it up; dress it down

I've been trying to eat healthier. This doesn't mean I've given up bacon or bratwurst. I'm only human, after all. And not an idiot. But it does mean I might forgo the second bratwurst in favor of a salad serving and might limit myself to two slices of bacon rather than four (or six....or...eight). But imagine my surprise when I began looking at salad dressings' ingredients lists: of eight dressings or marinades currently in my refrigerator, only one is free of high fructose corn syrup. And on the remaining dressings, HFC doesn't fall way down on the ingredients list. It falls no lower than fifth, and on two dressings, the balsamic vinaigrette and the honey mustard dressing, it is second, coming only after distilled water.

But none of us has to stand for this. Salad dressings aren't some alchemical secret sequestered in the ivory towers of Newman's factories. For the most part they're simple, easy to prepare and benefit from fresh ingredients (and an absence of HFC).

Blue Cheese

• 12 oz. plain yogurt (fat free is fine)
• 3 + 1 oz. crumbled blue cheese
• Juice from half a large lemon
• 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• A dash of salt
• Several to many grinds of fresh black pepper (to taste)

Combine the yogurt, 3 oz. of blue cheese, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce and salt and pepper in a blender, food processor or other high-speed mixing environment and blend until mostly smooth. Remove, and mix in the remaining 1 oz. crumbled blue cheese, for texture and taste.

Honey mustard dressing

• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon prepared mustard (brown, whole-grain, or yellow, depending on your personal preferences)
• 1 tablespoon honey (it helps if it's warmed slightly)
• Juice from 1 large lemon
• Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients except the salt, pepper, and olive oil in a bowl. Slowly pour in the olive oil, whisking vigorously. Once the olive oil is combined with the other ingredients, season the dressing to your liking with salt and pepper. (Science content: In this recipe, the mustard acts an emulsifier, binding together the water molecules in the honey, lemon juice and the mustard itself with the fat molecules in the olive oil. It may separate some in the fridge, but you'll just have to give it a quick shake to combine again)

Orange/balsamic vinaigrette

• 1/2 Cup Orange Juice
• The juice of 1/2 large lemon (you can use the other half from the blue cheese recipe. See how I did that?)
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon honey

Combine all ingredients in a tightly-lidded container and shake vigorously to combine. You can alter the ratio of ingredients to taste--less orange juice and more lemon juice will provide for a brighter flavor. You could also substitute other ingredients for the lemon juice. Pureed raspberries, for example would provide a wonderful depth and sweetness and might make this the perfect dressing for a fresh spinach salad with feta and roasted walnuts.

Begin by heating a couple handfuls of shelled walnuts in a shallow pan over medium heat (one handful for each serving. Assume medium-sized hands). When they just begin to caramelize--the walnuts, I mean. If your hands are caramelizing, there's something horribly wrong--and your kitchen is filled with a wonderfully rich, nutty smell, transfer most of the walnuts to a waiting bed of fresh spinach leaves. Sprinkle liberally with feta cheese and top with the remaining walnuts. Drizzle with the orange dressing and serve immediately.

This salad is a study in contrasts, with the bright, sweet dressing coupling nicely with the warm, rich flavor of the walnuts. It also provides a juxtaposition of warm and cold; crunchy, crispy and smooth; and bright acidity with rich savoriness.

What to pair it with?
Salads are usually going to call for a lighter wine, most often a white varietal. For the walnut salad, I would recommend going with a heavier Riesling, like the Blackstone 2005 vintage. This crisp, clean-tasting wine will complement the dish well, providing nice counterpoint to the walnuts heavy, smoky flavor. The wine is a little hotter than you might be used to--12.5% alcohol content--but that bit of heat provides it with a nice backbone to stand up to slightly heavier dishes than you might normally associate with a Riesling.

Please say it isn't so....but it is! Fried Mac & Cheese

Few menu items are as closely associated with comfort food as macaroni and cheese. It is a staple in stereotypical American homes. Quick, easy, and enjoyed by the fussiest children, it's a side item that's sure to please and one that can be a served as a meal should the meatloaf prove unpalatable. And while Kraft's Macaroni and Cheese dinner is certainly the most common choice when it comes to the stuff, there's no reason you should have to stick to yellow powder when there are freshly grated cheddar and parmesan cheeses waiting in your refrigerator. And if there aren't, why not go make some?

Macaroni and Cheese

• 1 lb dry elbow macaroni
• 1 table spoon butter
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 cup milk (use 2% at least)
• 1/2 lb cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped elephant garlic (or other flavoring agents*)
• *Macaroni and cheese is like a blank culinary canvas. It's waiting for you to fill it in with your own favorite flavors. I sautéd minced elephant garlic, but you could use any number of things: jalapeño pepper, paprika, truffle oil, oregano--you could even use milder cheeses and shave in dark chocolate for a more desserty approach.
• Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste (unless you're doing the chocolate thing)

The macaroni:
Cook the macaroni according to the directions on the box, though err on the side of under-done. You can always soften it up by heating in the oven or microwave, but over-done will end up rubbery.

The cheese sauce:

1. Heat the butter over medium-high heat in a large pot
2. Sauté the elephant garlic (1 - 2 minutes)
3. Slowly add the flour, whisking while you do so (this will make your roux, which will thicken the sauce)
4. Add the milk, and let the heat come back up
5. Slowly add the cheeses, continuing to whisk
6. Once the cheeses have melted, you can pour the sauce over the pasta and stir together
7. Garnish with finely chopped oregano

But what if you want more? What if you've bored with plain macaroni and cheese and all its endless variety? What if the chocolate shavings didn't work out as well as you'd hoped?

Well, you could always fry it.

Fried Mac & Cheese
First, if that macaroni and cheese is fresh off the cooktop, forget about it. To fry it up, you need to let it chill. In the refrigerator, preferably overnight. Then you'll need a batter.

A simple beer batter:

• 1 12-once can (or bottle) of light beer (I used Amstel; it worked fine)
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp dried oregano (or other flavoring agents)
• 1 additional cup flour
  (You will keep the additional flour off to the side for dredging)

Put about three inches of canola or vegetable oil n a large, heavy, high-sided pot (you could also use peanut oil as it has a high smoke point, but it will lend flavor to your food, and you might not want that)
Heat the oil over medium-high heat to about 375 degrees (f)

While the oil's heating up,

1. Mix 1 1/2 cups flour, 1/2 tsp salt and flavoring agents in a large bowl
2. Slowly--slowly!--whisk in the beer. It'll bubble and foam, but just keep working it slowly. Eventually the ingredients will combine.
3. Cut the chilled mac & cheese into bite-sized pieces and set them up, assembly line style

To fry:

1. First, dust the mac & cheese bites in the flour, then dunk into the batter, coating evenly
2. Gently ease the coated pieces into the oil and let them sizzle and fry to a delicious, golden brown
3. Remove from oil and let dry on paper towels or some kind of rack

While the beer batter worked very well (and was wonderful for frying up some yucca fries), I would probably go with a breadcrumb dredge in the future:

• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 cup breadcrumbs (I'm a huge fan of panko, Japanese breadcrumbs, which are usually available in the ethnic food isle of your local grocery store)
• 1 teaspoon oregano (or, again, other flavoring agents--garlic powder, cayenne pepper, paprika--whatever suits your flavor sensibilities)

1. Season the flour with the salt, pepper and flavoring agents
2. Beat together the egg and water
3. Dredge each mac & cheese piece through the flour and sake gently to remove any excess flour
4. Dip into the egg wash and then coat with the breadcrumbs
5. Set the dredged pieces on a plat and let them rest for about five minutes so the crust has time to set up a bit
6. Gently ease the pieces into the oil, a few at a time and fry until golden brown
7. Let drain on a rack or paper towels

What to pair it with:
You have to be kidding, right? Actually, the wine pairing for fried macaroni and cheese--like normal, un-abominated mac & cheese--will depend heavily on your flavoring agents. Paprika or hot sauce calls for a beer, I would think. But with garlic and oregano, you could go in almost any direction. One recommendation I might make is the 2004 Barnwood Tempranillo.

Tempranillo is one of my favoriate varietals, and while this varietal from San Luis Opispo County in California lacked some of the minerality and subtleties normally associated with old-world wines, it was still a nice representation of the Spanish grape

Color: a deep, deep inky red, barely lightening at the edges

Nose: A massive wine with red fruits, blackberry and other berries, currants (?) and a cocoa spiciness

Palate: A bold wine, but with nice structure, good tannins and acidity, and fruit flavors that are not unsurprising

Finish: A long finish, but one that surprisingly understated. The tannins and acidity balance nicely with the fruits and leave the palate prepped and ready for another mouthful of delicious food.

Coming on the dog days of summer

We've enjoyed a cool spring, we Floridians, but soon will be faced with scorching summer heat. We'll be challenged to find food that blends well with a wide variety of wines while still offering a hint of refreshing cool. As April rolls into May, and May rolls into June, that challenge will become harder and harder to meet. However, one food family offers a nice balance, providing a culinary adaptability coupled with ingredients designed to beat suffocating heat. And where do we go to find this food family? The answer is Mexico. Beef Carnitas This recipe blends hearty stew meat with flavors distinct to Mexican dishes: lime and cilantro. It also provides a solid base for many culinary creations, including empanadas, tacos, and beef salads. It appeared in its original version in Cooking Light magazine. Hardware: A medium-sized stew pot or large Dutch oven, with a tight-fitting lid Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil (separated) 1 large Spanish onion, chopped (can substitute yellow or white onions, but not Vidalia. A red onion might add too much heat) 3 cloves garlic, crushed 2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into bite-sized pieces 1 cup beef broth 1 teaspoon light brown sugar 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper 1 large, unpeeled orange wedge

1. Begin by heating 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium-high heat
2. Add the chopped onion and sauté for about three minutes
3. Add the garlic cloves and sauté for another minute
4. Remove onions and garlic to a bowl on the side
5. Begin adding the stew meat
   • The stew meat should be sautéd in batches. You want to add enough meat to cover the bottom of the pot, sauté for approximately five minutes or until brown on all sides. A crucial step here is to activate the Maillard process, so you get a nice crust on the meat and on the bottom of the pot. When the first batch is browned, pull it out and start on the second. It should only take two or three batches to get everything done
6. Add the beef broth to deglaze the pot
• When you add the broth, it should sizzle and begin to soften the crust that has formed on the pot's bottom. Using a wooden spoon or spatula, work the bottom of the pot to get all that good tasting stuff off and into solution in the broth
7. Slide in the orange wedge
8. Add the sugar and red pepper
9. Re-add the onions, garlic and beef
10. Bring the mixture up to a boil and then reduce the heat to low or medium-low (depending on you cook top)
11. Cover and let simmer for 80 - 90 minutes
12. After that time, uncover the pot and raise the heat some, allowing some of the water to evaporate and the sauce to concentrate

Variation: instead of the orange wedge, you could try putting in a half-cup of your pairing wine. The alcohol will burn off and the fruit flavors in the wine will concentrate during the reduction process. Don't be afraid to experiment! The beef carnitas mixture can be set aside, reheated and will keep in the freezer, wrapped tightly, for up to three months On to the tacos While the beef carnitas is simmering, you have plenty of time to prepare taco fixin's. Remember, when trying to beat the spring heat, eschew the heavier TexMex ingredients like cheese and go for more traditional ingredients like lime and cilantro. For my table I used the following: Medium flour tortillas Traditional corn tortillas (to bring out some more flavor, you can heat these briefly in a skillet until they just begin to brown in places on one side, then wrap them in foil and keep them in a 200 degree (f) oven to keep them piping hot for your guests) Diced avocado Sliced tomato Sliced Spanish onion (to make the meal more wine friendly, I caramelized the onion to reduce its heat somewhat and to bring out some of its sweetness) Two limes, sliced into wedges Chopped cilantro Arrange all the ingredients on a plate and allow your guests to mix and match as they wish, making their own flavor combinations. What to pair it with? Dog Tail Vinyard's Fire Hydrant Red California Red Wine Color: Deep, lustrous red with just a hint of translucence that forecasts it's lighter body Nose: Big fruit with a hint of spice. Fruit aromas included many of the brighter reds--strawberry and raspberry--and the wine exhibited a slight candied aroma, perhaps vanilla. Palate: Lithe, supple tannins and a hint of alcohol heat (13%, but not too bad). Flavors included the expected red fruits, including plum, but the wine also had a refreshing crispness due to its tannins and acidity--like biting into a ripe red apple. Finish: The wine had a drying finish because of its tannins, but left a hint of that red plum flavor. An excellent accompaniment to food of all sorts. This is a fine drinking wine that would pair well with all kinds of menus. You'll notice the photographed bottle is empty. I can think of no better endorsement.

Sandwich Artist #5

Sandwich Artist: chicken, beef, peppers, onions, mushrooms in the middle of two potato skins, the classic bacon, cheese chives potato skins Sandwich Artist: huge potato skins from large baking potatoes Greg Turner: I am humbled, shocked and awed by your sandwich wizardry Sandwich Artist: could you imagine a menu with a potato skin sandwich on it Greg Turner: yes. yes I can Sandwich Artist: no low cal, no fat free, no low carb, no Atkins approved, Sandwich Artist: just straight up Fat Ass Sandwiches Sandwich Artist: oh, and on the menu, will have a Bitch Sandwich: one slice of wonderbread, folded over a slice of American cheese, slice of turkey and low fat mayo. Greg Turner: mayo on the side Sandwich Artist: nice touch Greg Turner: I try