Category Archives: Miscellaneous

New food adventure: Birria Tacos!

25 Saturday Jul 2020

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Droolworthy videos and images of birria tacos and quesabirria from California and Texas have been all over my social media (check out the hashtag #birria or #quesabirria on Instagram or TikTok), and making me incredibly jealous.

I hadn’t had a chance to try them at La Tiendita (amazing Tallahassee restaurant), and I knew I could get most of the ingredients locally – I did have to order the dried Anaheims online, but Publix had the guajillo chiles, chipotle in adobo and whole spices, and Whole Foods had the Oaxaca cheese – so it was on. (You can sub a block of high-quality mozzarella for the Oaxaca cheese though.)

Obviously my German ancestors had no guidance on this recipe so I consulted the talented abuelas, madres, tías and hermanas of the internet and watched countless videos on YouTube and IG.

Some base recipes that I consulted for amounts and techniques:
https://www.mylatinatable.com/authentic-mexican-birria-recipe/
https://hispanickitchen.com/recipes/birria-style-stewed-pork/

As you can see there are a variety of ingredient differences throughout the recipes, so you can pick and choose the spices /chiles depending on your preference and their availability. I would also use some fresh peppers such as poblano or jalapeno next time to increase the heat. I used more garlic than most recipes because I looooove it.

Highly recommend getting all ingredients out and organized by stage before beginning. Go ahead and snip tops off of the chiles and discard seeds. I used 4 guajillo and 4 dried anaheim peppers (chile california). I didn’t end up using the Rotel because I had fresh tomatoes that needed to be used.

Slice pork or beef into thick slices and season with salt, pepper, garlic powder and cumin. Heat dutch oven with neutral oil covering the bottom. Sear pork or beef in batches until each piece has a dark golden crust, and remove to bowl.

Toast chiles in same dutch oven until a little darker, remove, and put in blender container with some hot water to steep and soften (don’t blend yet).

I added onions (thick slices), four tomatoes cut in half to dutch oven with some salt and pepper, keep stirring so the bottom doesn’t burn. Then add ground/whole spices and garlic cloves, stir until fragrant.

Add a little chicken stock and scrape the bits up and then add everything in the dutch oven to the peppers in the blender with apple cider vinegar, pinches of ginger/cumin/salt, and a chipotle pepper (can add more for additional spice) and blend until as smooth as you can get it.

Take out the lid insert and cover with a paper towel and dish towel while blending hot liquid so that steam can escape and you don’t burn your hand AND you don’t have an explosion.

Add pork back to pot, strain blended sauce over meat, add remaining chicken stock and some water to make sure that the liquid covers the meat) and then stir in a couple tbsps of beef bouillon ( I use the “Better Than Bouillon” brand). Bring to boil, then simmer for two hours sealed with foil and lid.

Pork should be shreddable at this point; if not, cook for another 20 min. Remove pork to separate bowl, shred, and add some juice to the meat to keep it from drying out. Cover with foil to keep warm. I put the bowl on the back of the range to make it easy to access when building the tacos.

Preheat griddle or skillet, add oil right before use. Bring liquid to a boil and reduce a bit while chopping onions and cilantro, prepping lime wedges, and shredding cheese. Taste sauce to see if you need additional salt. Turn off heat so that fat settles on top for the tortilla dipping.

To assemble: dip corn tortillas in liquid, put on preheated and oiled griddle/skillet, top with cheese and meat, fold and toast. Can add garnish before or after folding.

Put juice in cups for each diner topped with onion and cilantro for dipping. Serve with lime wedge.

These vaulted to the top of the “best dishes I have ever cooked” list according to the teenagers and spouse, so I’m thinking we will be having this regularly. I honestly may freeze some of the remaining liquid just so I can have impromptu birria tacos in the future.

Date Night at Il Lusso

17 Sunday Feb 2019

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New to the Tallahassee scene is a Northern Italian steakhouse called Il Lusso.  This is a welcome addition to the fine dining options for the metro area, and a fantastic add to the downtown area.

Il Lusso Outside

Bright and airy, the details of the interior really provide the feeling of being in a much bigger city while retaining enough warmth to keep it from seeming too industrial. Wood floors are balanced with marble tile sections and cozy couches are in the waiting area.

Il Lusso interior

The bar was well-staffed and had some lovely custom cocktails. I got the Lavender Bliss (with vodka instead of the gin), and although pretty strong – it was tasty.

Il Lusso Lavender

The menu has a great selection of starters, and the entrees are focused on high-steaks and fresh pastas, with options for seafood, chicken or vegetarian entrees.

We began with the Blue Crab Arancini and a Caesar Salad (super sad that they were out of the Sweetbread starter, which looked delicious.) BUT the arancini were heavenly. I can’t tell you what was in the squid ink sauce but it was scrumptious. The caesar salad had a perfectly executed traditional dressing with toasted croutons.

Il Lusso Caesar
Il Lusso Blue Crab Aracini

The a la carte sides looked exceptional, making it hard to choose, but we settled on the cauliflower with anchovy, parsley and lemon, and the rosemary potatoes with fondue sauce. The cauliflower was nicely charred although I could have used more of the flavorings (more anchovy and lemon please!). The potatoes had great herby flavor and the taleggio sauce provided a good balance.

Il Lusso Cauliflower

Il Lusso Rosemary Potatoes

As a splurge, we got the 24 oz (!) Prime Dry-Aged Cowboy Ribeye to share and a small portion of the Lamb Ragu Malfadine (ruffled noodle). Very pleased to see the option of small and large dishes of the pastas so that we could sample one.

First, the pasta was one of my favorites of the night. With a deconstructed lasagna vibe, the ragu was flavorful and rich and the pasta was a perfect al dente.

Il Lusso Lamb Ragu

And for the star of the show, here is the ribeye…perfectly cooked and the aging gave it a pleasant tang of flavor (reminiscent of parmagiano reggiano.)

Il Lusso Dry-aged Cowboy Ribeye

Conclusion: This is a great fine dining option, but with the cost (well justified with the quality of the ingredients and the location), but I am looking forward to trying the lunch menu so that I can eat there more often. (They have also hinted about brunch coming soon!) Either way, we will definitely be going back.

Restaurant Info:

Il Lusso
201 E. Park Avenue
Tallahassee, Florida

Tel — 850-765-8620
Reservations — OpenTable
Follow — Instagram / Facebook

Make Your Own Fancy Burger Blends (It’s worth it.)

09 Wednesday May 2018

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May is apparently Burger Month, which honestly, isn’t every month burger month? But I figured it was the perfect time to share how I make my “fancy” burgers.

Years ago I found several articles that showed how easy it was to make custom burger blends at home, and once I tried it, I was hooked.

The advantages to the custom burger mix are: less compressed meat, better texture (less heavy/dense), more flavor, and increased confidence in the quality of the cuts used.

My general formula is basically a 2-1-1 with chuck roast as the main meat represented (solid flavor + fat) plus two other lower fat-high flavor cuts. For this time, I used chuck, brisket and ribeye, but I have also used short ribs or flank steak for the smaller cuts.

 

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I trim the steaks of gristle and silverskin, cut into roughly 1-1.5 inch cubes, and freeze for at least an half an hour. I keep the cuts separate so I can evenly distribute them in the food processor. You can also add frozen cubes of butter or bacon fat, if you want to bump up the fat content a bit.

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Then comes the fun part, which is pulsing the meat in batches (with proportional handfuls of each cut) in the food processor for a medium-fine grind.

Gently form the patties, you won’t need to indent the top because these don’t constrict as much as store-bought hamburger meat. Salt and pepper the patties generously and refrigerate until ready to cook.

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I am a fan of charcoal or griddle for cooking these, you can’t go wrong with either method. I would advise cooking medium rare, especially since you have processed them yourself, but they will be juicy even a bit past medium. Add melty cheese, grilled or griddled buttered buns (potato or Publix bakery hamburger buns are amazing) and your favorite condiments and you are ready to go.

(Tip: Make extra and freeze the rest as patties for your future burger emergencies!)

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Full background:
The Burger Lab: Mastering the Art of Burger Blending with Eight Cuts of Beef

Recipe:
The Blue Label Burger Blend Recipe

Other great resources:
They Came, I Ground, We Ate – The Paupered Chef
The Complete Guide to Burger Blends – First We Feast

Special to the Forks: Greek Festival Recipes!

03 Tuesday Oct 2017

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Super excited to tell you guys about working with the dedicated people behind the iconic Greek Festival in Tallahassee. They wanted to show you how some of the most notable dishes are made and share the recipes so that you can enjoy Greek food all year long! (Not just October 6th and 7th at the Holy Mother of God Greek Orthodox Church, which you should absolutely not miss!!)

I was honored to host them in my kitchen as they made me Greek food. (The sacrifices I make for you people, lol.)

Take a look!

Spanakopita (Greek Spinach Pie)

1 tablespoon of olive oil
2 pounds spinach
1 bunch of leeks or scallions sliced
Salt and pepper to taste
1 to 2 beaten eggs
½ to 1 pound of feta cheese, crumbled
1 to 2 sticks of butter for brushing phyllo
1 pound phyllo dough

Saute 2 pounds of spinach and sliced leeks or scallions, until spinach is wilted. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove mixture from heat.

Let mixture cool. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Add egg and feta cheese to the cooled mixture. Combine.

Melt 1 to 2 sticks of butter. Unroll phyllo dough, keep covered with a damp towel so it doesn’t dry out and become brittle. Cut phyllo into strips. Layer strips, brushing each layer with loads of melted butter (use as many layers as you like, but at least three, six used here).

Add filling and make triangles. Bake for 30-45 minutes, until golden brown.

 

Pork Souvlaki

Make the Marinade:
½ cup olive oil
Juice of one lemon, more to taste
2 teaspoons oregano
2 garlic cloves minced
Salt and pepper to taste

Whisk together olive oil, lemon, oregano, garlic, and salt and pepper. Cut pork tenderloin into even cubes and add to marinade. Marinate for at least one hour. Add pork to skewers and grill until charred (and 145 degrees internal temperature.)

 

Tzatziki Sauce 

2 cups Greek yogurt, full fat
1 English cucumber, peeled and grated
1 tablespoon minced dill
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Zest of half a lemon
Salt and pepper to taste
1-2 tablespoons olive oil

Whisk together Greek yogurt, cucumber, garlic, lemon juice, dill, salt and pepper, and olive oil. Add zest of half a  lemon to taste. Enjoy with souvlaki and pita bread (recipe here).

French Fry Corndog? Challenge accepted.

25 Tuesday Apr 2017

Posted by in Lunch, Miscellaneous, Review

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As a fan of Madison Social (especially their brunch), I’ve been curious about their new restaurant Township, whose menu seems to be perfect “gastropub” drinking food, honestly. Meats on a stick? Check! Salty breads with cheese dip? Check!

I knew I needed to make a plan to visit when they posted a pic of the most ridiculous hot dog, crusted in french fries and topped with beer cheese and Sriracha.

Township is located right across the street from MadSo, and also looks out on the FSU Intramural Fields and Doak Campbell Stadium. It is a great space with high ceilings and a very relaxed atmosphere. The menu is straight forward, divided in the categories of Cones, Bowls, Sticks, Buns and Feasts.

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For the beer lovers, the selection was widely varied and had some intriguing options.

I was able to sit for a minute in the garden area, waiting for my friend. So relaxing!

Thank goodness I could recruit @wakullawriter to assist me in sampling the menu. Below is the Mac N Beer Cheese Cone and the Shrimp Ceviche Tacos. Both delicious.

My fave was the Pork Belly Bites Cone, each bite had a lovely, caramelized glaze and were perfectly cooked (where they weren’t too fatty.) The bites were topped with a fresh and spicy kimchi.

And here is the monster…this “corn” dog was delicious. I was surprised that it wasn’t heavier, the potato crust was actually a great complement to the dog.

This was a great lunch, but I need to come back when I can sample the great drinks and hang out for longer.

I am continually jealous of this generation of college students for having such amazing food at their hangouts. (Sorry Guthrie’s!) But glad I can access them now that I can actually afford to have more than just fast food.

Easy (I Swear) English Muffins

02 Thursday Mar 2017

Posted by in Breakfast, Miscellaneous

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Last year, I made it my mission to conquer bread baking. I failed massively at times and completely surprised myself at others. One of the experiments that shocked me with the ratio of low effort to maximum result was English Muffins.

The batter takes the same amount of time and work as pancakes. Throw everything in the mixer and let it go for about five minutes, until stretchy and shiny. Then let rise for 1-2 hours until very puffy.

I put my griddle on the stovetop at low heat and a sheet pan in the oven (heated to 350 degrees). I lightly scattered semolina on the griddle, placed the rings on the griddle, and scooped out palm-size globs of dough. (Technical term, lol.)

(The recipe calls for the dough to be rolled into balls, allowed to rise a bit, and then flattened, before being placed on griddle – you can try either method.)

I smooshed the globs into the rings and as they slowly toast on one side, the other rises slightly to fill the ring. Honestly, you can go without the rings as the dough doesn’t spread very much, but I love the traditional shape.

After they have good color on both sides, I put them in the oven on the sheet pan to finish for about 10 min. or when an instant read thermometer reads 200 degrees.

Voila!

 

Prep takes about 15 minutes, rise takes 1-2 hours (unmanned), and cooking takes about 25 minutes. Really not work intensive, but you have a plan ahead to build in the proofing time. BUT THEY ARE SO SO GOOD.

Try this when you have a lazy weekend, and I promise you will be shocked at how delicious these are (and everyone else will think you worked for hours and hours on them.)

RECIPE:  English Muffins from King Arthur Flour

Sous Vide or How I Leveled-Up My Meat Cooking

19 Sunday Feb 2017

Posted by in Dinner, Lunch, Miscellaneous

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There is a saying that “Perfect is the enemy of good.” Which is also my not-so-excusable reason for the delay on posting. (Whoops!🙃)

BUT I have been having so much fun with my new cooking toy and can’t wait to share my adventures so far. 

So here she is, my Anova Precision Cooker. In brief terms, “sous vide” is the process of cooking food sealed in plastic (vacuum-sealed or just freezer bags with the air squeezed out). 

And just FYI, I have a cool little vacuum sealer (Waring Pro Pistol Vac), which I love. Completely not necessary. (It’s so fun though!)

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My first attempt was cooking 1 1/2 inch thick ribeye steaks heavily seasoned with salt/pepper and rosemary sprigs. Because I had to run around town that evening, I cooked them that morning at 129 degrees for 2 hours. (Here are some lovely charts from The Food Lab on the effect of different temps and times on steak.) That night I was able to pull them from the fridge, pat dry, and sear them quickly in a very hot pan, and have them on the table in minutes. The color was gorgeous and the texture was much more tender than when cooked with mostly high heat. 

Note: because they absorbed so much of the seasoning in the bag, there is no need to season again before searing.

After that first use, I realized that there are some serious advantages to the sous vide process.

  • Can pre-cook meats to exact desired doneness, refrigerate, and sear/serve whenever you want with 2-3 days.
  • No clean up. Just dump the water out of the plastic bin. (Nice!)
  • Easy to cook (gorgeous) chicken breasts for the week’s lunches.
  • Can put the bin and cooker on the porch or in the garage, so it doesn’t necessarily take up kitchen space.
  • Is operated via app, so you are alerted at every step (can’t overcook.)
  • No need to “rest” after searing.
  • Can completely skip defrosting, just add 30 minutes to 1 hour to the cook time (depending on six of meat).

(For cons, the only real drawback is the cost, but at about $150 it still costs less than a good blender or mixer and would potentially see much more use.)

Next up, I put frozen pork tenderloins (sealed with Greek seasoning, oregano, garlic) in the water – a few minutes before the water was fully preheated to defrost the pork a bit. (Cooked for 2 hours at 135 degrees – halfway between medium-rare and medium.) Then seared in hot skillet on all sides. Here is an article detailing the temps and any food safety considerations. Even the food safety cautious Hubs was good with the final product. This was really nice, great texture and it was easy to get a nice crust.


For an extensive look at sous vide recipes and techniques, The Food Lab over at Serious Eats has all of the information you need to get started.

I can honestly say that this has completely replaced the slow cooker for me, and has quickly become essential in my weekly meal planning, both for quick dinners and easy lunches. Let me know if you have any questions, and will keep you updated as I try new recipes.

Re-introduction and howdy!

06 Friday Jan 2017

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Hey Y’all! I have been talking about getting back to this lovely little blog space for years…and have finally taken the plunge.

I cannot wait to share some of the lovely restaurants and recipes that I have found since I left you and, hopefully, to break some new ground. (Sous Vide! Curries! Fresh Bread!)

Would love to hear about any cooking or cuisines that you would like for me to explore, and anything else food related.

I will just leave you on this note as I try to get this thing started again.

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