Martha Stewart
Sometimes the simplest recipes are best. This Martha Stewart Salami Cream Cheese Sandwich is a creative take on salami that elevates the brown bag classic from my childhood days.
Martha StewartSometimes the simplest recipes are best. This Martha Stewart Salami Cream Cheese Sandwich is a creative take on salami that elevates the brown bag classic from my childhood days.
from Mmmm… is for MommyHow good can it be when BBQ ribs meet the slow cooker? Well Van, who’s usually sort of vegetarian (not through any effort on my part) yelled “meat!!!” for the first time.
So, pretty darn good.
These were actually more tender than many I’ve had at restaurants. We used Stubb’s sauce.
Momofuku SpecialtyThis pork ssam may very well be the best meal I’ve ever made.
Easy too, you just need to set aside 12 hours (only 6 of which you even need to be awake for).
Chang might be a culinary great but I prefer myself as chef. I won’t get all dicky about taking photos of the food and the cost was a fraction of what I’d spend in the restaurant.
Thanks to Mike for the special sauce ingredients and buns.

from Food NetworkI am always intimidated to make a restaurant favorite, especially one as seemingly complex and delicate as Bahn Mi. But.. if the recipe changes things up a bit like this Vietnamese Bistro Burger, I am more up to the challenge. These are so good, Mike said I could win some sort of Food Network challenge with them.. except that I got the recipe from Food Network Ultimate Recipe Showdown. One more time that Asian flavor, ground pork and I get along swimmingly.
from EmerilAnother ground pork asian dish with a kick and another winner. This time, Emeril’s Spicy Pork Stir-Fry with Coconut Scallion Rice adds toothsome eggplant. The inclusion of ground pork versus slices is my input. I just bought ready made coconut rice from Fresh Direct for ease. For some reason, I have never made rice well from scratch – it ends up either hard in the middle or mushy.
From EmerilWhile I don’t like the use of the word “gravy” in this context – to me gravy is opaque and thick and brown – I’ll forgive Emeril his choice of words, because this Shrimp, Chorizo and Chipotle Gravy is great. Spicy and filling, it’s meant to go over Mexican rice, but I opted for what I had available, couscous.
from Serious Eats via Appetite for ChinaI’m telling you: ground pork plus an Asian recipe equals me me making kitchen magic. This particular concoction of Minced Pork with Soba Noodles comes from the great Serious Eats (which found it on Appetite for China) and boasts a list of very simple ingredients that result in a very complex and spectacular dish.
From the Momofuku CookbookOur friend Mike is nothing if not ambitious: if you’ve taken a look at David Chang’s recent Momofuku Cookbook, you know that these are not simple fixins. Mike decided to have friends over the other night to try a selection of FOUR. Most impressively, all were delicious and made in a tiny kitchen sans staff of many to help.
The noodles are nice and simply refreshing. The rice cakes, which he improvised the most, were spectacular in their bold flavor. The cauliflower was a wonderful starter with a tangy vinaigrette, and the pork buns were simply incredible.
Plus, he had no snobby issues with the people eating his food taking photographs.
Click here for the rest of A Selection of Momofuku Recipes
from Roni-Sue, Essex St MarketWant to make a room of dudes freak out? Put a plate of dark chocolate covered bacon in front of them. Needless to say this treat, which is exactly what it sounds like, was a hit for Dungeons and Dragons snacking.
Of course, I’ve combined Bacon and dessert before (with the amazing Mo’s Bar and that glorious treat that is candy bacon) but Roni-Sue, whose shop I visited at the Essex Market, takes the simplest and most intense approach. “Roni” a lovely lady named Rhonda Kave who calls it Pig Candy.
from Cooking LightWith my very limited patience as a cook and a human being it’s impressive that I spent nearly two hours preparing this Grits, Ham and Mushroom dish the other night, and thank goodness it was all well worth it or I’d never spend that long ever again. I could seriously have served this in my own little country farm, Egg-style restaurant and make a killing, even nabbing a spot on all the Time Out and New York best of lists… but I digress.
The only trouble I encountered was that my grits stayed liquidy rather than congealing into a cake like the recipe intends (though it didn’t affect the magnificent taste one bit). I would probably follow the box directions for the grits part rather than the ones listed in the recipe for more predictable results.
The sauce, by the way, is incredible and must be able to be utilized in other recipes. And don’t skimp on the ham, go for the best you can find.