V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N and A Recommendation

I have be gone of the week.  Jake was home with his girl friend/dog sitter and we were off to see grandchildren. Over 2000 miles on the Jeep (not the Jag). Actually I was going to auto-post this but forgot. I wanted to use the Photoshopped picture so here it is.

The real reason I'm throwing this up is to send you somewhere. I want you to check out a site that I think you will find useful for your food surfing. See a food picture and a brief summery of the recipe. Check out the link and save it to a recipe box of your own.

I will be cooking today so a new recipe coming soon.

Regards

Updated

September 14 2011

DrDan

Spicy Parmesan Chicken Alfredo

All recipes have a story and this one starts at Red Lobster. We were out and about last week and needed dinner. We were close to a lot of restaurants but my wife loves sea food but I'm from Iowa and as a rule, if it doesn't moo, oink or cluck you don't eat or cook it. But I suggested Red Lobster since she is a good wife and should have sea food occasionally and I can eat sea food or find something else (thinking cheese cake maybe).

She had a sea food combo and I skipped the cheese cake and went with the Cajan Chicken Alfredo. Frankly, I had a good meal with great taste, her's had no taste. I mean really tasteless. I tried it. Maybe I have spoiled her (and me) with my cooking???  I wanted to make it up to her so the next day though I would give her some great spicy taste. It worked, she cleaned her plate. Good Girl.

Grilled BBQ Pork Chops

It's "clean out the freezer" week and a great tasting health barbequed pork chop is the result.

Start with two slices of boneless pork loin cut about 1 inch thick. Brine in a brown sugar/salt solution to prevent that "dry" pork thing. Baste with your favorite BBQ sauce for just the right flavor. Cook over high heat for speed but not so much to dry out. And you get moist, tender, tasty and easy - all in a low fat meal.

Grilled Cracked Pepper Sirloin Steak

Steak and Pepper. Pepper and Steak. Sounds good either way. Sirloin can be so boring but let's add some flavor and grill it up.

Starting with trimming and tenderizing with a mechanical meat tenderizer. Follow with a brine to add some taste and moisture. Add some cracked pepper and grill carefully.

Grilled French Fries

I ask you why not? French fries and the grill... what could be more American than fries on the grill especially on a Fourth of July Weekend. There are only a few instructions out there and they vary a lot. So I always like to experiment and this is the 5th try in 2 weeks and I now have it right. They are not your basic fast food tasting fry. They are a cross between a fast food fry and a hash brown. And a great reason to buy that 10 or 12 inch cast iron pan you have though about. The important point about getting this right.

• Do thin fries-They need to cook completely on the grill. 
• They go on raw not precooked. I tried to varying amount of precooking and they became too weak to work with.
• Wash them after cutting. The starch will stick them together.
• Rotate the pan every time you touch the fries. Hot spots will do you in.
• Keep you hands off a lot more than you want. You will just break them up.
• A well seasoned cast iron pan is almost a must.

Fourth of July Food Safety

This bad boy is E.coli 0157:H7 sometimes called the hamburger bug and you may get it or any of many other nice buggies if you're not careful out there this weekend. The above E.coli can cause renal failure and even death. Not just a little stomach upset but death. Yes, I'm trying to get your attention.

It is up to you to keep your friends, family and children safe from these things. It is not that hard but after every major holiday I see many children with food poisoning. Fortunately most case are self-limiting meaning they get well.  But it is all avoidable.  

There are a lot of safety tips that should obey this weekend but since this is a cooking blog, I will concentrate on the food related ones. This is not a comprehensive list but just some good reminders.

General Facts:

• Unwashed hands and surfaces are a prime cause of foodborne illnesses. Hot soapy water is your friend.
• Cross-contamination is the most common cause of  foodborne illnesses. Keep food prep away from serving areas.
• Bacteria multiply rapidly between 40 and 140 °F. 
• Thoroughly wash all fruits and vegetables. 

Meat handling:

• Thaw meat in the refrigerator not the kitchen counter. About 5 hours per pound so plan ahead.
•  Marinate foods in the refrigerator, not on the counter. Do not use the marinade for anything else, it is contaminated. If you want to use it on the meat during cooking reserve some separately before adding the food. 
• Wash plates, utensils, and cutting boards that touched raw meat or poultry before using again.

Cooking temperatures: These are the minimum safe temperatures.

REQUIRED EQUIPMENT!

Burger and ground meats: 160
Chicken: 165
More safe temperature information at The USDA

Serving safely

• Cold foods: If set out then no longer than 2 hours or 1 hour if the temperature is above 90 degrees.  Or you can keep them cooled to 40 degrees or less.
• Hot food should be kept at or above 140°F.
• Refrigerate or freeze leftover foods promptly. If over the time limits then discard.

More food safety information at The FDA.

From "Hill Street Blues" Sergeant Phil Esterhaus: 

Hey, let's be careful out there.

Updated

September 14 2011

DrDan